Stages and Observations VdlP/Camino Sanabres Feb2017

[Former member 60103]

08/02/17 -27/03/17
These are my stages and stop points along the way. I used Gerald Kelly's excellent and up to date guide to both routes. There were some minor issues along the Sanabres (Santa Croya de Terra, Santa Marta deTera, Puebla de Sanabria) where the municipal and private albergues were closed for some reason . Only had to bivvy out once but did so next to Caparra's ruins - probably the first person to sleep out there in hundreds of years (that's my 15 minute claim to fame out of the way ).

1 8/2 Seville Guillena 22 klm
2 9/2 Guillena Castilblanco de los Arroyos 18
3 10/2 C de los A Almaden de la Plata 29
4 11/2 A de la P El Real de la Jara 13-15
5 12/2 El Real Monesterio 20
6 13/2 Monesterio Fuente de Cantos 21
7 14/2 F de C Zafra 24
8 15/2 Zafra Villafranca de los Boras 20
9 16/2 V de los B Torremejia 27
10 17/2 Torremejia Merida 15
11 18/2 Merida Hostel
12 19/2 Merida Aljucen 19
13 20/2 Aljucen Aldea del Cano 34
14 21/2 Aldea del Cano Caceres 23
15 22/2 Caceres Casar de Caceres 11
16 23/2 Casar de Caceres Grimaldo 37
17 24/2 Grimaldo Galisteo 21
18 25/2 Galisteo Caparra via Oliva de Plasencia 35 Bivvy @ Caparra
19 26/2 Caparra Aldeanueva del Camino 18
20 27/2 A del Camino Calzada de Bejar 21
21 28/2 Calzada de Bejar Fuenterroble de Salvatierra 19
22 1/3 F de S Morille 30
23 2/3 Morille Salamanca 18
24 3/3 Salamanca Hotel
25 4/3 Salamanca Calzada de Valdunciel (6K Nth) 21
26 5/3 Alb. Casa Saso Villanueva de Campean 26/28?
27 6/3 V de Campean Zamora 18
28 7/3 Zamora Hotel
29 8/3 Zamora Riego de Camino 34

Camino Sanabres

30 9/3 R de Camino Tabara 30
31 10/3 Tabara Calzadilla de Tera 33
32 11/3 C de Tera Mombuey 25
33 12/3 Mombuey Puebla de Sanabria 30
34 13/3 Puebla de Sanabria Hostel
35 14/3 Puebla de Sanabria Requejo de Sanabria 12
36 15/3 R de Sanabria Lubian 17
37 16/3 Lubian A Gudina 22
38 17/3 A Gudina Campobecerros 20
39 18/3 Campobecerros Laza 16
40 19/3 Laza Vilar de Barrio 19
41 20/3 Vilar de Barrio Xunqueira de Ambia 14
42 21/3 X de Ambia Ourense 22
43 22/3 Ourense Hotel
44 23/3 Ourense Cea 20
45 24/3 Cea Castro Dozon 14
46 25/3 Castro Dozon Silleda 27
47 26/3 Silleda Ponte Ulla 20
48 27/3 Ponte Ulla Santiago de Compostela 20

So that's how you can spend 7 weeks, if you are so minded, wandering north then west to Santiago and picking up Roman, medievel and other bits of Spanish history along the way. Some days were long and others shorter as it should be on Camino. Highlights all along the way but Merida, Caceres and Ourense (if only for the hot riverside public spa !) Great walk , mostly great albergues and above all great people both locals and pilgrims - although the later were a rarity until Zamora.
I already posted a kit list for this trip, this weighed in at 7.9 kg at the airport, so with the 1 lt of water that was adequate for the time of year the total weight was around 9kg.
Already planning my next Camino for later this year depending on what I anticipate will be exacting and complicated negotiations on the home front.
Buen Camino
Don.

 

[SUSIE]

Thank you Don....I have also bought Gerald Kelly's guide. Walking from Salamanca to Santiago beginning Sept 16th
I would love to see your list of accommodation....and phone numbers if possible.....recommendations and places to avoid or places with a great experience.
Did you have to phone ahead... thank you

 

[Former member 60103]

Susie,
The guide is very accurate in its descriptions of albergues and places to stay. I did not make any advance phone calls. To be honest I did not need to as up to Zamora I was mostly the only pilgrim staying. Zamora was a collecting point and was the first night there was more than 1 or 2 other pilgrims. Most went on up the VdlP to Astorga.
Memorable albergues for me were: Albergue Luz del Camino in Guillena for the warmth of the welcome and the rooftop terrace, the same for the private Albergue in Galisteo and La Casa de mi Abuela in Aldeanueva del Camino.
Not in the guide but in Puebla de Sanabria the albergue was closed (opening 1st April so you will have no issues) but as you enter the town there is a hostel signposted on roundabout 200 metres to right...rooms with bath up for 20 euros.
Also Las Veletas in Caceres was well equipped, comfortable and well placed for the old town.Some were more basic than others but overall I had no bad experiences in the places I stayed and they were mostly from the guide.
I recommend (if you are into things Roman) staying in Merida and getting the 15 euro tourist ticket. I spent from 9am until around 2 pm using the ticket before going to the museum which as it was a Saturday free! I wish I had spent more time in Caceres as the medieval centre is worthy of both day and night time wanderings. Good museum as well..free for EU passport).
The only thing I really messed up on was the route into Aldeanueva del Camino...pg 40 at top. I was tired and couldn't be bothered to walk the countryside route and carried on the path up to the bridge over the motorway. I turned right here instead of (I think) going over the bridge and then turning right. I ended up walking along the hard shoulder to the flyover leading into town. A way to meet St James before reaching Santiago for sure. Apart from that the path is well marked and I only wandered off it two further times for a short time before regaining the way.
Lastly (again for the Roman experience of communal bathing) Ourense for the public spa's especially the riverside one.
You know what ? I have only been back a week (travelled along the north coast on train again to Bilbao before coming home) and have made the error of thinking about walking from Valencia to Zamora and then up to Astorga. Thought generally leads to action in time but I reckon I will need a new pair of boots.
I wish you well on your latest Camino and am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Buen Camino,
Don.

 

[Former member 60103]

Susie, Apologies I just re read your post and realise most of my reply is irrelevant. You will have to cut me some slack its 4 am here and I have a head full of Midlake playing on the headphones. Hope my reply will be of use to someone or maybe you can move your start line back aways.
Don.

 

[scubajunky]

Was it busier after ourense ?