VDLP Timing Issues

[Simon B]

I have been looking at the stages I think I will do when I start my Camino on 22 Mar - getting very excited and a little apprehensive although this will be my third Camino [not getting any younger]. I need to catch a plane on 27 Apr for commitments at home. I think it is possible but with a lot of stages over 30 Km a day. I am thinking it might be wise to skip about 90 Km. Therefore my question is which bit to skip? I had thought of getting a bus from Seville to Monesterio on day 1 or say from Salamanca to Zamora. Both bits seem to have frequent buses. But my worry is will I miss part of this Camino that I really should see - are there better bits to miss? Would be grateful for views of those seasoned VDLP Pilgrims.

Simon B

 

[Waka]

You could always walk from Saville and see how far you get in your time frame, then go back another time and finish off.
The stages I have planned only has a few 30+km days, I have managed to split some long ones up, I guess that's ok for me because I've allowed 8 weeks for the journey.

 

[Via2010]

Hi,
in your case I would probably skip the section Seville - Almadén de la Plata, thus giving you a short first day to El Real de la Jaraand cutting of 2-3 days, and Salamanca-Zamora (another 2-3 days).

There are other short stretches which you could skip by bus, i. e. Torremejía-Mérida (16 km) and Aldenueva del Camino to Banos de Montemayor (10 km) or Zamora-Montemarta (16 km).

The enterprise "LEDA" runs local buses between Seville and Mérida, stopping in most villages on the camino.
"Autocares Vivas" runs buses between Zamora and Benavente.

BC
Alexandra

 

[HighlandsHiker]

Hi,
in your case I would probably skip the section Seville - Almadén de la Plata, thus giving you a short first day to El Real de la Jaraand cutting of 2-3 days, and Salamanca-Zamora (another 2-3 days).

There are other short stretches which you could skip by bus, i. e. Torremejía-Mérida (16 km) and Aldenueva del Camino to Banos de Montemayor (10 km) or Zamora-Montemarta (16 km).

The enterprise "LEDA" runs local buses between Seville and Mérida, stopping in most villages on the camino.
"Autocares Vivas" runs buses between Zamora and Benavente.

BC
Alexandra

Via (or anyone?), could you tell me the most scenic days of the route BEFORE Salamanca? I'm cutting some sections at a few points where there's public transport available (although will see the towns like Zafra, Merida, Caceres and Salamanca before exiting for Segovia and on to Leon this time). I don't want to miss great hiking days on this route.

 

[Via2010]

Most scenic days ? - I think, it depends on what kind of landscape you like or expect.

If you like the meseta, then you will find the whole VdP very attracive. If you are looking for mountains there are only few sections. The dehesas, that´s open country with some trees and cattle in it.

There are some sections with lots of road walking or where the camino is in sight of the road:

Sevilla - Santiponce (bus)
Castilblanco de los Arroyos - Finca El Berrocal (no bus, but in the bar you can ask for a taxi?)
Torremejía to Merida (bus)
Valdesalor to Cáceres (bus)
Cáceres to Cassar de Cáceres (bus)
Aldeanueva del Camino to Banos de Montemayor or Puerto de Bejár (bus)

These are sections which you may want to skip.

If you think that walking through vineyards for nearly 30 km is boring, you may even want to skip the section Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejía.

BC
Alexandra

 

[HighlandsHiker]

Most scenic days ? - I think, it depends on what kind of landscape you like or expect.

If you like the meseta, then you will find the whole VdP very attracive. If you are looking for mountains there are only few sections. The dehesas, that´s open country with some trees and cattle in it.

There are some sections with lots of road walking or where the camino is in sight of the road:

Sevilla - Santiponce (bus)
Castilblanco de los Arroyos - Finca El Berrocal (no bus, but in the bar you can ask for a taxi?)
Torremejía to Merida (bus)
Valdesalor to Cáceres (bus)
Cáceres to Cassar de Cáceres (bus)
Aldeanueva del Camino to Banos de Montemayor or Puerto de Bejár (bus)

These are sections which you may want to skip.

If you think that walking through vineyards for nearly 30 km is boring, you may even want to skip the section Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejía.

BC
Alexandra

Thank you SO much, Alexandra. That's exactly the information I was hoping for. You've helped tremendously.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

There are some sections with lots of road walking or where the camino is in sight of the road:

To this list I would add the stage from Salamanca to El Cubo de Tierra del Vino.
For much of that stage you have a view of the nearby Autovia A-66 and the Topas penitentiary.

The section from Baños de Montemayor to Puerto de Bejár is very nice (IMHO) so if you take a bus from Aldeanueva, I would get off and walk from Baños. (It's also worth stopping to enjoy the hot spring baths in Baños. There's a pilgrim discount).

When you get close to Caceres, call ahead to verify whether the albergue at Embalse de Alcántara will be open. That may impact your decision regarding walking vs. bus to Casar (see Gronze):
Caceres to Casar de Caceres = 11.0 km
Casar de Caceres to Embalse de Alcantara = 22.2 km
Embalse de Alcantara to Cañaveral = 10.9 km
Cañaveral to Grimaldo = 7.9 km

 

[Simon B]

Most scenic days ? - I think, it depends on what kind of landscape you like or expect.

If you like the meseta, then you will find the whole VdP very attracive. If you are looking for mountains there are only few sections. The dehesas, that´s open country with some trees and cattle in it.

There are some sections with lots of road walking or where the camino is in sight of the road:

Sevilla - Santiponce (bus)
Castilblanco de los Arroyos - Finca El Berrocal (no bus, but in the bar you can ask for a taxi?)
Torremejía to Merida (bus)
Valdesalor to Cáceres (bus)
Cáceres to Cassar de Cáceres (bus)
Aldeanueva del Camino to Banos de Montemayor or Puerto de Bejár (bus)

These are sections which you may want to skip.

If you think that walking through vineyards for nearly 30 km is boring, you may even want to skip the section Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejía.

BC
Alexandra

Alexandra - many thanks.