Hola,
Flights booked for myself, Dermot, an old school friend and Roger, my brother-in- law.
I am hosting a planning meeting,shortly, where we can hopefully make decisions about stops en route and the nature of our accommodation ~ Ensuite of course!
Also to decide is our trip to Madrid from Caceres as we fly back from the Capital.
ensuitepilgrim's Blog 
Oh, I said I could help out with some advice, if you don’t mind. Will have a look at my old notes and will be back in a while.
This was our (Sue and I) travel schedule. We didn’t want to have long days walking so a couple of stages were shortened. There was plenty of rain when we went, it was Easter but the paths were flooded and quite muddy. This isn’t neither as popular nor adapted to large amounts of pilgrims, like Camino Francés, so you’ll have to be prepared for the worst if the weatheer conditions are not good. Main streams to cross, floods, long ways of mud, and lots of dangerous places… and you won’t find many towns or villages in between these points. Other than that, the landscape is breathtaking, and it’s of course worth it.
1 Sevilla -Guillena 22.7 Km…. In Sevilla, we stood at an albergue called Triana: http://english.trianabackpackers.com/pilgrims. Very well situated, clean and one of the best you’ll find in this camino. About 13 € with breakfast. The have separated rooms too. Once we got to Guillena we went to a new albergue near the entry if the town, even though the hospitalera was very nice, it was a small place not still prepared for pilgrims… so I would recomend to choose another one.
2 Guillena -Castilblanco 17.5 Km… If you need blankets and some intimacy, don’t go to the municipal albergue, it’s a donative though. And if it’s raining, try the original way anyway, the road is not an alternative but a pain in the arse!
3 Castilblanco -Almaden 29.3 Km (no hostels in between so must be done in one go). First part is boring along the road, then you’ll go into a forest… amazing! Last part there is a bit of hiking, but nothing a tough pilgrim can’t do! Albergue is not an option, believe me.
4 Almaden- El Real 14.7 Km… We stood at El Real though many pilgrims continued to Monesterio. Again, however bad is the weather, choose the original way, you might find some mud but it is worthy. There is a new private albergue that is good, with small rooms and washingmachine, kitchen… The owners are very nice.
5 El Real- Monesterio 20 Km (hmmm nice ham! know the place!). Nice walk, with some hills too. There’s an albergue parroquial that is nice but this is a bigger town where you can find good hotels too.
6 Monesterio -Fuente de Cantos 21.6 Km. We got lost and stuck in the bog here! But the hotel (no albergues I think) is a casa rural amazing, and for only 15€ each. The best place ever! It’s near the church, which deserves a visit.
7 Fuente- Zafra 24.6 Km. It’s almost a city. Nice!
8 Zafra -Villafranca 19 Km. Stay at Casa Perin I think, very good.
9 Villafranca -Torremejía 30.7 Km… The most dangerous day ever. We had to climb to the railway line to avoid a river, in between loads of mud, that point is at the end of the road just 1 km from Torremejía. I remommend the albergue turistico that is in front of the church, just amazing!
10 Torremejía -Mérida 16.6 Km (Better shorten the day here so we have time to have a long look around the town, amazing roman old town, much better than you will expect. Been quite a few times!). Here choose whatever except the albergue, too dirty and old.
11 Merida -Aljucén 16 Km
12 Aljucén -Alcuestar 20 Km
13 Alcuestar -Valdesalor 25.7 Km
14 Valdesalor -Cáceres 11 Km (Like Mérida, shortening the day we will have plenty of time to visit Cáceres)
And will continue later. Have to go.
Hola Susie,
Thanks so much for the info.Really useful.
Hopefully, May will not be do wet!
Two questions for when you have time:-
1. Is it well signposted?
2. Whist were temperatures like?
A Bientot,
Love And best.
John x
Sent from my iPad
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I’ve lost everything I had written… Grrrr.
It is very well signposted. The pilgrims asociation in Sevilla takes good and contant care of the route.
Temps if you go in May shouldn’t be too bad, mild and warm, even very warm. Don’t worry about rain, nothing left, I think I took all the downfalls ever known in the area.
I forgot to recommend a visit to the Parador in Zafra, if only to have a drink.
In Merida do not miss the museum and obviously the main roman ruins, they are all in the same place or near, and I think you can get a ticket to visit all of them which can be a lot cheaper.
Some people goes straight from Merida to Alcuestar, but we stood in Aljucen. Not much to see, a little nice church, and there is only one albergue, small and a bit damp, but the kitchen is good and the place very quiet. The bar besides offer pilgrim menu at a very reasonable price.
There’s nothing in between Aljucen and Alcuestar but a wonderful forest, and watch out the bulls, they are everywhere! The albergue in Alcuescar is a monks monestery. Good place not to miss. Go, I won’t reveal any secrets here.
You can walk from Alcuestar straightforward to Caceres, or have a break in Valdesalor as we did. It’s a very small town, nothing to do or see in there, no much opportunity to get food, so take that into account. There is an albergue that has been recently renovated and a landlady with rooms for pilgrims (it’s a flat very clean).
In Cáceres we stood at hotel Zurbaran. Better than expected, clean and nice rooms, and very well located!. http://caceres.portaldetuciudad.com/alojamiento-donde-dormir/residencia-pension-zurbaran/003_890.html
Another recommendation, but befor I miss all I’ve written again, I’ll post this.
Once again,Susie,
Many thanks for your helpful advice.
Love and best,
John x
Sent from my iPad
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To eat in Caceres, go to el Raco de Sanguino, excellent just in the heart of the old city in between monuments: http://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaurant_Review-g227852-d3682330-Reviews-Raco_De_Sanguino-Caceres_Province_of_Caceres_Extremadura.html