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Hello fellow Camino fans!! I have been walking various sections of the life changing Camino for the last 5 years. After a break of 9 months I'm keen to get back for another taste. So I'm planning on fleeing the cold wet conditions of the UK to walk a section of the Mozarabe...does anyone have any tips? Also are there any advantages to starting in either Malaga or Granada? Thank you xx
I start on Wednesday from Almeria, I would suggest go from Almeria, there are donatavo's between Almeria and Granada, the Camino amigos between Almeria and Granada are amazing and very helpfulHello fellow Camino fans!! I have been walking various sections of the life changing Camino for the last 5 years. After a break of 9 months I'm keen to get back for another taste. So I'm planning on fleeing the cold wet conditions of the UK to walk a section of the Mozarabe...does anyone have any tips? Also are there any advantages to starting in either Malaga or Granada? Thank you xx
This section starting from Granada is new to me. I was thinking of introducing my 26 year old daughter to the Camino Frances which I did in 2017, but reading about the Mozarabe has intrigued me. Did you fly into Malaga? and where was your starting place? Is there a good guide book I could get before we start mid April I feel that area would be crowded during Semana Santa?I would definitely recommend the Almeria to Granada section of the Mozarabe ,,,and the Association that takes care of that is fantastic ,,, great little albergues ,,,great personal touches from the people involved ,, strange and wonderful scenery ,,, so far my favourite !!! and also very quiet ,,and the walk into Granada with the Alhambra Palace ahead ,,with the Sierra Nevada off to the left ,, say hi to Veronica too
Depending on where you're starting, you might find convenient flights to Malaga, Granada, or Almeria. You can start the Camino from any of those cities, or take a bus to any other starting point.Did you fly into Malaga?
This English guide is a little old, but it gives you a reasonable introduction to the Mozarabic caminos:Is there a good guide book
It's not a path with a vibrant community of pilgrims and a pilgrim-oriented economy like the Frances. If you feel that the Camino is about interacting with other pilgrims every day, attending pilgrim masses in the towns that you pass through, having many options for food and accommodation in every pueblo, finding convenient services in English, it won't meet your expectations.You mentioned friendly Albergues, are they frequent like every 10 - 12 miles like on the Frances?
This section starting from Granada is new to me. I was thinking of introducing my 26 year old daughter to the Camino Frances which I did in 2017, but reading about the Mozarabe has intrigued me. Did you fly into Malaga? and where was your starting place? Is there a good guide book I could get before we start mid April I feel that area would be crowded during Semana Santa?
You mentioned friendly Albergues, are they frequent like every 10 - 12 miles like on the Frances? I'm excited by a very different part of Spain!
Thanks for your input.
Madeleine
Hi Magwood! Thanks for the vote. Im planning to start walking on Monday 18th and walk until Thursday 21st...so 4 days in all; then get back to Malaga to fly home on the Friday. Hoping to get to Lucena. I can't believe I've only just found this forum after 5 years of walking many different caminos.Hi @ChrisMac. I can give you a vote for a Málaga start. How far are you intending to walk? There are likely to be more pilgrims on the route from Granada. I walked from Almería last year and there were way more pilgrims than I had expected, to the extent that there was an issue for accommodation at a couple of stage ends.
@Raggy kindly recommended my blog above - the link takes you to my walk from Málaga in 2015 when we encountered almost no other pilgrims before Mérida. So it might be a bit lonely if you are walking alone, unless this route has also become a lot more popular in the last few years.
I also posted to my blog about my walk from Almería so you should be able to find lots of useful information to help you decide.
Personally, I like to start a camino ‘at the beginning’, which would be another plus for setting out from Málaga.
Buen camino - let us know what you decide.
Hi Magwood! Thanks for the vote. Im planning to start walking on Monday 18th and walk until Thursday 21st...so 4 days in all; then get back to Malaga to fly home on the Friday. Hoping to get to Lucena. I can't believe I've only just found this forum after 5 years of walking many different caminos.
I have walked several caminos where I have been the only pilgrim, e.g. SanSalvador ( which is incredibly stunning by the way) and the Camino de Madrid. I guess some company may be nice though....I ll see what the Camino Gods provide...
Is it very strenuous by the way?
Thanks in advance!
Chris
Thank you for your input.Hi, Madeleine,
For the Mozárabe, you have a lot of choices. You can start in Málaga, you can start in Almería, or you can start in Jaén. This guide is in Spanish, but you can see the choices there. http://www.caminomozarabedesantiago.es/documentos/guia-esp.pdf
I flew into Madrid from the US and then connected to a flight to Almería. Getting into town from the airport is easy -- I know some forum members took a bus, but I ran into another forum member on the plane and he wanted to start walking immediately. So he paid for a taxi and I hopped in.
You can´t expect albergues every 10-12 kms, but those of us who started in Almería last year did not have a problem planning stages. I agree with those who say the pilgrim infrastructure is better between Almería and Granada than Granada and Mérida (where it merges with the Vdlp). But if you are not wed to albergues and can afford to stay in pensiones, Granada to Mérida is a pretty awesome stretch as well.
The Almería association has a great guide, updated regularly, which lists all albergues and any private accommodation under 25€. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dMVIXVunE82lC-ON8x5o3ycAwL10g-TI/view
It is also in Spanish, but pretty self-explanatory for the most part.
Lots of choices! buen camino, Laurie
p.s. Alex (formerly of the Bodenaya albergue on the Primitivo) is currently walking the Mozárabe from Almería. Pictures on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/albergue.bodenaya
I guess it would tricky logistically.Thank you for your input.
I would like to start from Malaga and wondered what the transportation is like between towns on the way to Granada. My daughter isn't wild on hiking but I'd love to introduce her to the Camino. I wondered if we could walk 5 -7 miles and get a bus to the next albergue or place to stay approx. every 25 k or so.
Madeleine
I came to a very similar result after thinking this through. Yes this isn't my camino, it's travel in Andalucia with my daughter. Getting my foot on the Mozarabe with be what I need to return next year !I guess it would tricky logistically.
It's possible to search for the bus routes from place to place, cross referencing the route in the guide:
For example, Malaga to Almogia is served by M-250 with 6 departures per day from Monday to Friday ...
But that bus doesn't follow the camino route exactly ... so you'd have to divert from the Camino to meet the bus in Puertosol. which would require some navigation without the arrows. Expect transportation services to get scarcer as you get further from Malaga. And good luck finding any transport on Sundays.
A better plan (in my opinion) would be to base yourself in one place - Spend a few days at a Casa Rural on the way to Granada, and do a series of day hikes, including some of the Camino route, and some walks in the Sierra Nevada mountains. With this plan you would have no bus timetables to worry about, and no heavy rucksack. I'm not sure where to recommend on the way from Malaga, since I haven't walked that route. The places that I know which would be ideal for this would be Quentar or Güéjar Sierra. (Strictly speaking, Güéjar isn't on the camino, but it's beautiful).
I would urge you to use private accommodations - hostals, casas rurales, hotels etc. - rather than albergues, for this kind of plan. It's tourism not pilgrimage, after all.
Take a look at Guejar Sierra - I was there last year and thought it was beautiful. The Camino Mozarabe passes through the next valley. The reason I mention it is because its a centre with biking, hiking, and other sporty things going on. Potentially more interesting if one of you isn't wild about hiking. It's also relatively close to Granada, so you could split your time between the city and the mountains if you wanted to.I came to a very similar result after thinking this through. Yes this isn't my camino, it's travel in Andalucia with my daughter. Getting my foot on the Mozarabe with be what I need to return next year !
Many thanks for your idea.
Madeleine
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