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vdlp stages - less than 40 days?

mla1

Veteran Member
Time of past OR future Camino
CF (2000); St. Giles (2013); Le Puy-SJPP (2015); VDLP (2016); Mozárabe, Almeria to Granada (2018)
I am starting to plan for the VDLP in spring 2016 (through Ourense). Some of the guidebooks suggest 36 or 37 days to Santiago, but most of the blogs and comments on the Forum suggest 40+ days.
I am wondering if anyone would mind posting stages for fewer than 40 days between Seville to Santiago.
I don't mind days of 30+ kms, but it would be nice to spread these out.

In the guide put out by the Amigos de la Camino de Santiago de Sevilla, there are 4 very long days in a row between Merida and Galisteo:
Merida to Alcuescar - 38.4
Alcuescar to Caceres - 39.4
Caceres to Alconetar - 35
Alcontetar to Galisteo - 38.5

The Guide is from 2010 - so I am hoping it is now possible to do this differently!

Thanks,
Mary Louise
 
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ML, I think you should start with the godesalco planificador.

http://www.godesalco.com/plan/plata

I walked in 43 days, https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-stages-on-the-vdlp.8961/#post-356052, but you'll see that some of these stages are really short (Dana was with me for part of the way. :))

It would be easy to get to 40 days by just combining a couple of mine:

4 & 5 -- Almaden to Monesterio would be 34 (I have actually done this on another Vdlp and it isn't so bad).

23, 24, 25, from three to 2. Salamanca to El Cubo del Vino and then El Cubo del Vino to Zamora

32 & 33 -- those were two 13 km days! But we wanted to visit Puebla de Sanabria, which is a touristy town that can be enjoyed in an hour or so.

38 & 39 -- would be 29 from Vilar de Barrio to Ourense

That's already 39, and there are also some 11 km days left in there. So I don't think you'll have a problem!


And with regard to the long stages you mention above -- Merida to Alcuescar can easily be broken up with a stop in Aljucen.

Alcuescar to Caceres -- you have at least two possible stops, Aldea de Cano and Valdesalor.

From Caceres, you've got the private place at Alcantara, at the reservoir. That also allows you to break up the following kms to Galisteo differently.

Happy to take a look at what you come up with! Buen camino, Laurie
 
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/via-de-la-plata shows 22 stages from Sevilla to Granja de Moreruela that may suit you.

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/sanabres shows 13 stages from Granja de Moreruela to Santiago.

That would be 35 days walking. You could add another 2 days if you don't make the two longest stages of the Sanabrés in one day each of them but in two days each of them (what it's easy because there are albergues at intermediate towns). That would make a total of 37 days.

The minus side would be that you would have little time to enjoy Cáceres because you wouldn't end a stage there. But that can be easily solved by adding an extra day; i.e.: by making in two days the stage that goes through Cáceres making of Cáceres the ending point of the first of those two days. That would make a total of 38 days what it's still under you 40 days limit so no problem (and making two short walking days would give you some rest what I think it's a good thing too)
 
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Hola @mla1 !

I didn't walk VdlP yet but two years ago I amused myself with sort of planning the route. Easy and hard way. I'm very lazy person and "hard" means 40 days with intermediate stops from Seville to SdC via Sanabres. Here are my "planned" stages if that helps you:
Day 01: coming to Seville
Day 02: Seville
Day 03: to Guillena (23kms)
Day 04: to Castilblanco de los Arroyos (20kms)
Day 05: to Almaden de la Plata (29kms)
Day 06: to El Real de la Jara (16kms)
Day 07: to Monesterio (22kms)
Day 08: to Fuente de Cantos (22kms)
Day 09: Los Santos de Maimona (29kms)
Day 10: Torremejia (38kms)
Day 11: Merida (15kms)
Day 12: Merida (rest day)
Day 13: Alcuescar (34kms)
Day 14: Valdesalor (27kms)
Day 15: Casar de Caceres (21kms)
Day 16: Canaveral (33kms)
Day 17: Carcaboso (34kms)
Day 18: Aldeanueva del Camino (38kms)
Day 19: Fuenterroble de Salvatierra (39kms)
Day 20: Morille (30kms)
Day 21: Salamanca (18kms)
Day 22: Salamanca (rest day)
Day 23: El Cubo del Vino (34kms)
Day 24: Zamora (29kms)
Day 25: Riego del Camino (31kms)
Day 26: Tabara (25kms)
Day 27: Calzadilla de Tera (34kms)
Day 28: Mombuey (25kms)
Day 29: Puebla de Sanabria (31kms)
Day 30: Lubian (30kms)
Day 31: A Gudina (25kms)
Day 32: Laza (34kms)
Day 33: Xunqueira de Ambia (34kms)
Day 34: Ourense (22kms)
Day 35: Ourense (rest day)
Day 36: San Cristovo de Cea (23kms)
Day 37: Castro Dozon (24kms)
Day 38: Silleda (27kms)
Day 39: Outeiro (24kms)
Day 40: Santiago de Compostela (16kms)

I don't really remember where I got the distances but the plan was made partly according to cut down the expenses and to make stages as even as possible. I believe I have used one of early versions of @jirit 's list of accomodations.
As it happened I walked Sanabres once in its entire lenght from Zamora and a year before that from A Laxe to SdC so I would take original VdlP to Astorga instead. Furthermore I'd do almost completely different stages from Zamora onwards. But that's just me... ;)

Ultreia!
 
Laurie, Castilian, KinkyOne,

Thanks so much for these suggestions. They are super helpful! And reassuring! I need to keep my trip to as close to 6 weeks as possible and I really really want to do the vdlp this year when I have a chance to travel quite early in the spring.

Now, I am looking forward to fiddling with the itinerary. And comparing the different versions. KinkyOne - I love that you just happened to have an itinerary on standby!

I have thought that if I do end up feeling short on time - I could just walk up to Astorga and then do the Sanabres another time.

I will try not to spend too much time at work thinking about this!:)

Thanks!
Mary Louise
 
Mary Louise, you could even wait and see how you go. You might manage multiple long stages, but if you find you don't want to do that, you are comfortable with stopping in Astorga. Sounds like a delightfully flexible plan!
 
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Mary Louise, you could even wait and see how you go. You might manage multiple long stages, but if you find you don't want to do that, you are comfortable with stopping in Astorga. Sounds like a delightfully flexible plan!

Hi K-f,
Yes - exactly. It was a big revelation the other day that I could actually switch plans in the middle to walk to Astorga. That way I can still satisfy my need to walk a 'complete route' of some sort. One day I might get over that too!
ml
 
Check out elevation maps. For example on your last day I would rather walk from Ponte Ulla to Santiago than Outeiro to Santiago because you have one of the steepest downhills on the whole VDLP coming in to Ponte Ulla and of course a matching one on the hill up to the albergue. The albergue up there is in a lovely spot but Ponte Ulla is also rather pleasant and is a nice wee town.
Between Tabara and Puebla de Sanabria is some lovely walking. I recommend Rionegro as a place to stop for the food and hospitality. That can be a long walk but there is an embalse on the way which is very pleasant to go swimming in.
Casar de Caceres to Canaveral is a very long walk if it is a hot day. There is a lot of hill walking especially when you get to the embalse which is really pretty but you may want to stop at the private albergue at the end of the reservoir (the Fisherman's Lodge). The walk to Canaveral the next day has bits where the arrows can get a bit tricky. Once you are past there you need to work out how to get over the hill over to Grimaldo which is also a nice place to stop.
So a little bit depends on what time of the year it is as well. What might be pleasant on a cool day could be revolting on a 35C+ day.
 
So a little bit depends on what time of the year it is as well. What might be pleasant on a cool day could be revolting on a 35C+ day.

Hi Donna - thanks so much for your suggestions. I will be walking in April, trying to avoid the heat. 30 degrees is about my limit and even that is pushing it!
I'd been planning a shorter camino in late April or May. But I spent the weekend reading - including your posts about your walk. They were, in part, what made me decide to find the extra time for the vdlp this year. It will be years before I will have another chance to walk so early in the spring. And you make a really good case for the route! Thanks!
 
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Hello pilgrims !
I walked many caminos excepting Camino Frances. In february I start my fourth vdlp from Cadiz.
It is not necessary to plan the stages before starting. There are sufficient alberges or other cheap accommodations and whatsoever the way is never as you planned !
Usualy from Sevilla to Santiago it takes me about 30 days. Just to say it can be done in less thanks 40 days. Some days you walk short others longer you intended: just let it go your way and enjoy the Best of all caminos !
Gilles
 
Hi @Gilles du Gers , we might meet on the way ;-) I am starting to walk the 6th February from Seville. I am sure you will be overtaking me at some point. Buen Camino, SY
 
Holla,
I'm planning on walking the VDLP beginning March 20 2017 .
I've been reading your blog. ''Tis outstanding reference great guide, Thank You for your effort, will definitely be with me when I walk,
Gracias,
Vaya con Dios,
Cliff
 
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