389 km
Distance
19 days / 18 nights
Duration
Breakfast
Meals
Hotels and Country Cottages
Accommodation
From 1.395€ per person
Price
The Camino Mozarabe is a pilgrimage route, an alternative to the Camino de Santiago, used by Mozarabs who professed their faith in Islamic territory, in the direction of Santiago de Compostela.
During the tour, along the Camino Mozarabe, you will enjoy the incredible Mediterranean landscape, surrounded by olive groves, dirt tracks, Roman roads and fields of oaks.
You will start in Granada, a city famous for the Alhambra, an Arab fortress of incredible magnitude; and you will end up in Mérida, where the Camino Mozarabe connects with the Vía de la Plata, or enjoy the beauty of this city, declared a World Heritage Site.
Granada is a Spanish city, located in the autonomous community of Andalusia. We suggest you visit the Alhambra, stroll through the neighborhoods of Albaicín and Sacromonte, visit other important monuments and enjoy its cuisine and its hammam.
Overnight: Granada
You will follow the arrows as you leave Granada through the motorway tunnel. You will cross farm fields, until you reach halfway along your route for today, the historic town of Maracena.
From there, you’ll have to keep going, along routes with lots of greenery and in the background, the Sierra Nevada mountains, until you reach Atarfe. This town in the province of Granada with 16,000 inhabitants has among its charming places the Tres Juanes Chapel and the Concord Monument.
Length: 10 km
Overnight: Atarfe
In order to leave Atarfe, you should take Avenida Aragón. Keep going straight ahead and you will pass close to the Medina Elvira ruins and then the Sierra Elvira Thermal Baths.
Continue walking until you pass through Puente Pinos del Puente, of Arab origin, which gives the town its name. You will continue in a northerly direction, almost in a straight line, until you reach the fertile lands surrounding the town of Olivares. Its name, as could not be otherwise, comes from the immense number of olive groves that surround it.
You will end up in Moclín, where you can enjoy the views of the Sierra Nevada on the horizon.
Length: 21,2 km
Overnight: Moclín
We will leave Moclín for the Cuautel de la Benemérita. During this stage, you will alternate your path between road and dirt tracks. You will cross streams and small towns.
The Cave of Malalmuerzo stands out, a treasure of the Paleolithic and the Neolithic that you will surely love. The day ends in Alcalá la Real, which has a great architectural heritage.
Length: 22 km
Overnight: Alcalá la Real
Short stage and without major slopes. The path runs along paths, Roman bridges and small villages. Occasionally you will have to travel small stretches by road, we suggest you be careful during this journey. If you have time, you can visit the Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Fuensanta.
Length: 23 km
Overnight: Alcaudete
Between Alcaudete and the Cortijo de la Paloma you will have to walk for a few kilometers along the Córdoba road. Soon you will enter dirt tracks and olive trees. You will cross some rivers and bridges and end the day in Baena. If you have time, we suggest you visit its monuments and relax walking through its beautiful streets.
Length: 24 km
Overnight: Baena
Short, quiet stage and runs through landscapes and roads, without many intermediate towns. The best reward for this effort is the arrival in the beautiful Cordoba town of Castro del Río.
Length: 20 km
Overnight: Castro del Río
You will start the road towards Bujalance, the closest town to Castro del Río. Despite being a long stage, it runs along without any ascents. You will enjoy the views of a beautiful Roman bridge that crosses the Fontalba stream.
Continue your route to Espejo, a city of almost 4,000 inhabitants located in the foothills. If you have time, visit the Gothic-Mudejar Church of San Bartolomé. Both at the entrance and exit of this town, the terrain is mostly arid and very flat.
On your final stretch, you will walk parallel to the Arroyo del Montecillo stream and you will be surrounded by extensive green fields in some areas and arid terrain in others, until you reach Santa Cruz.
Length: 20,3 km
Overnight: Santa Cruz
When leaving Santa Cruz, you will walk northwest until you join the variant that from Castro del Río that goes in a straight line towards Córdoba. Keep advancing parallel to the N-432 national road until you reach your destination today, Córdoba, one of the main cities in Andalusia.
In Cordoba, located in the famous River Guadalquivir valley, we suggest you visit the Cathedral Mosque of Cordoba, the Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs, and if you feel very tired, enjoy a bath in the best Arab style!
Length: 25,8 km
Overnight: Córdoba
Stage characterized by the strong ascent to the ‘Loma de los Escalones’. After the descent, the path is flat, comfortable and wide. You will cross some railroad tracks and after a few kilometers you will reach Cerro Muriano.
Length: 15 km
Overnight: Cerro Muriano
You will walk through the Guadiato Valley, with vegetation of enzymes and their flocks. You will pass through the Vacar, we recommend you take a break and visit its imposing Arab castle. The last kilometers run through the Sierra Morena until you reach Villaharta with its Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Piedad.
Length: 21 km
Overnight: Villaharta
Long stage that combines stretches of road and dirt tracks. You will have to climb and descend constantly, but it will be worth the landscape that combines the beauty of the banks of the Guadalbarbo River with the magnificent presence of oaks and olive groves.
Length: 31 km
Overnight: Alcaracejos
Before starting the camino, you are recommended to visit the Plaza de los Pedroches and the Ermita de San Sebastián. You will pass through small towns, farms, hamlets and pastures. In Fuente la Lancha you can eat and visit the beautiful parish of Santa Catalina. In Hinojosa del Duque you will receive the Fuente del Pilar de los Llanos, a 16th century building.
Length: 23 km
Overnight: Hinojosa del Duque
The Camino Mozarábe will lead us to the Zújar River, one of the great tributaries of the Guadiana. After crossing it, you will ascend to the hermitage of the Virgen de Gracia de la Alcantarilla, a construction of great singularity that deserves your visit. During this stage, you will leave Cordoba and Andalusia, to enter Extremadura through the province of Badajoz.
Length: 31 km
Overnight: Monterrubio
The day begins by walking through olive seedling plantations. You will walk on a flat road with very arid and unpopulated terrain around you.
After the asphalt, through an area of houses with small orchards we arrive at Castuera, capital of the La Serena region. Don’t forget to try their exquisite nougats!
Length: 19 km
Overnight: Castuera
When you leave Castuera, along the Santa Ana promenade, you will go along to the Guadalefra stream and then continue walking next to the train tracks. When you get to Quintana de la Serena, turn right. When you cross ‘Las Iglesias Caidas’, you will then arrive in Campanario.
Once there, we suggest you visit the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, as well as the Nuestra Señora de Piedraescrita and Los Mártires Chapels.
Length: 17,7 km
Overnight: Campanario
You will leave Campanario on the Camino de Zalamea. It is a lovely route between cereal fields and holm oaks. We recommend stopping at La Haba, tasting its gastronomic delights and exploring its urban center.
The final stretch to Medellín must be done by road. You will finish in the ancient Roman city of Medellín, the birthplace of the conquistador Hernán Cortés.
Length: 31 km
Overnight: Medellín
The last stage runs through dirt tracks, cornfields, rice fields, tomato plantations and small forests. Your Mozárabe Way ends in the beautiful city of Merida.
Length: 34 km
Overnight: Mérida
Merida is a city declared a World Heritage Site. You can link to the Vía de la Plata. Before leaving, we recommend visiting the Roman Theater and Amphitheater, and the National Museum of Roman Art. You can also enjoy the wide gastronomic offer.
End of our services.
All the rooms you book with Santiago Ways to make the Camino de Santiago have a private bathroom and all the necessary services to ensure the best comfort.
Our team checks on site the quality of all the accommodation offered in order for pilgrims to live a comfortable and unforgettable experience on the Camino de Santiago.
When working with quality accommodations with limited capacity, the exact name of the accommodation will be provided 30 days before the start of the Camino.
All accommodation on the Camino de Santiago is subject to availability. In case we can’t offer any of them due to capacity, we’ll accommodate you in one of equal or better quality.
Single rooms are available subject to availability. Reservations must be made in advance and come at an additional cost.
All our accommodation has been selected to ensure tranquillity, rest and enjoyment during your Camino de Santiago:
Included Services
Accommodation in Hotels and Country Cottages.
Rooms with private bathroom.
Meal plan of your choice.
Luggage transport between stages.
Complete itinerary of the route.
24 hours Telephone assistance on route.
Assistance vehicle in case of emergency.
Informative dossier on the Camino de Santiago.
VAT.
Additional Services
Additional single room: 450€ per person.
Extra night in Mérida: 60€ per person.
Travel assistance insurance: 48€ per person.
Cancellation insurance: 48€ per person.
In order to resolve the doubts of all pilgrims, here we answer the questions that are most frequently asked when we receive your inquiries.
If you have any other questions, you can contact us and we will be happy to help you resolve all your doubts.
The Camino de Santiago can be started on any day of the year, always taking into account the weather and the season in which you want to travel, so that your clothes are the right ones.
The best way to get to the starting point of your Camino de Santiago is to arrive at the airport, train station or bus station nearest to the town from where you will start walking.
Once you confirm your Camino, you will send us the arrival information for your flight, train or bus and, from there, we organize a private transfer to the town where you should start your Camino.
Yes, you can. All the routes on the Camino de Santiago are suitable for pilgrims to travel solo.
Also, whether you are travelling alone, or travelling accompanied but want to sleep in a single room, Santiago Ways offer this option to you.
We can book all your nights of accommodation in single rooms at an additional cost. We suggest you book well in advance since they are usually in high demand.
On the Camino de Santiago, you will find hundreds of pilgrims walking on their own. Many of them may have come to the Camino alone; others have probably moved away from their fellow travellers for a few hours because of the difference in speed when walking.
In any case, all the routes on the Camino are very well signposted, so you will have no problem if you go on your own.
Most routes on the Camino de Santiago are done in a self-guided mode. Thus, each traveller has the opportunity to advance on their own and at their own pace along the routes marked on the complete itinerary of the route, which is sent one month before starting the Camino.
However, we also offer organized groups with accompanying guide on the stretch from Sarria to Santiago. We have specific dates already established, and we carry them out in groups of up to 15 people, with guaranteed departures. The guides in charge of these routes speak English and Spanish.
We already have all the dates published until 2021, so you are encouraged to reserve your place before the groups are filled.
The complete route itinerary of the route is a guide that we prepare for you with information about the maps, route profiles and places of interest, kilometre by kilometre on each of the stages that you will go through on the Camino de Santiago.
The travel distances and travel times indicated for each route on both the website and the itinerary we send you are based on reference values. It depends on each pilgrim exactly how they carry out these times and distances, according to the speed at which they progress.
You will receive it by email one month before starting your Camino along with all the documentation for the trip: accommodation reservations, baggage transfers, among others.
In Santiago Ways, we adapt each stage to the needs of our pilgrims, so that they can travel according to their physical capability and the number of days available.
On average, a stage of the Camino de Santiago has 15 to 20 km. On most routes, however, we can organize your Camino so that you walk fewer kilometres, dividing some stages into two parts, depending on what is most comfortable for you.
We want to talk to you in this text about the Camino Mozarabe, one of the most interesting options of all the possibilities on the Camino de Santiago.
In fact, we will tell you about its main characteristics and give you all the necessary information to be able to undertake and enjoy this route. At the same time, we want to remind you that it is possible to do it with Santiago Ways with all our guarantees.
1.- The Camino Mozarabe is a great challenge: The Camino Mozarabe to Santiago links with the route of the Via de La Plata</a and gives us the possibility of completing the Camino de Santiago from several cities from Andalucía to Santiago.
In most cases, people finish the tour in the city of Mérida. However, it is possible to complete a challenge as great as travelling practically through all of Spain.
2.- The historical character of the route: the name of this Camino Mozarabe comes from the pilgrims who, from the south made the pilgrimage to the north. These pilgrims were Mozarabic, Christian people under the Muslim domination of the south of the Iberian Peninsula.
They made the pilgrimage to go to Christian lands, where either they stayed to live or they made petitions to James the Apostle.
3.-The monumental nature of the route: along the course, the Camino Mozarabe gives us the possibility to enjoy imposing natural and architectural environments. However, it is a reason for itself to make the most of it to visit such emblematic cities as Granada, Córdoba or Mérida itself.
4.- A journey through the history of Spain: At the beginning of what was the last bastion of Muslim domination and ending in one of the main cities of Catholicism (Santiago de Compostela) , we will be able to take an impressive tour through all the cultural richness of Spain and experience all the contrasts of such a vast historical background.
The same happens if the pilgrim decides to finish his route in Mérida, which was also an important city of the Roman era.
5.-It is a road without overcrowding: one of the main reasons why people choose the Camino Mozarabe is because it has very few pilgrims.
That is, despite having one of the best infrastructures, the Camino de Santiago Mozarabe is a route that does not have too many pilgrims and in which questions such as accommodation or facilities to find a place to eat are very present.
All this, of course, with Santiago Ways is guaranteed from the beginning and, in addition, in the best possible environment.
The Camino Mozarabe is a route that starts in the south of Spain with three possible itineraries starting from three cities: Córdoba, Granada and Almería.
It has (depending on the journey) a total distance of about 385km. Throughout its entire route, we can find impressive monumental structures as well as beautiful natural landscapes.
We will talk to you later about them in the places of interest. The route of the Camino Mozarabe aims to recreate the ancient pilgrimages that believers of the old Al-Andalus made.
It runs through the cities of Granada (from where it begins), Malaga, Jaén and Córdoba. On it, we will go through a fundamentally Mediterranean landscape although we can extend the contrast with the Atlantic if we continue our route along the Via de La Plata.
In the case of completing the route with Santiago Ways, we offer you the alternative of the Camino Mozarabe that goes from Granada to Mérida, where it connects to the Vía de la Plata.
It has a total length of 385 kilometres spread over 15 nights and 16 days. It is possible to book all year round with Santiago Ways and complete it with the option of breakfast or the option of breakfast and dinner.
The route has several stages that we will detail later. It is a road that is perfectly possible to do by bicycle , so we have also detailed what are the stages that exist in that case.
Then we enclose the map of the Camino Mozarabe to Santiago. It is essential to have all the information possible and make the pilgrimage something even more enriching. It will also be worth it for you to have an idea of how many experiences are waiting for you in this wonderful adventure of the Camino Mozarabe.
We want to talk to you now about the profile of the Camino Mozarabe. For this, we will focus on aspects such as its average height, the difficulty of the Camino Mozarabe, as well as the facilities that exist when it comes to travel.
With this, we want to give you the necessary information so that you can get an idea of how difficult it is with respect to other routes and, at the same time, that you have all the necessary information to be able to decide correctly among all the possible alternatives of the Camino de Santiago.
Also, if you are thinking of following any other route when connecting with this Camino Mozarabe at some point, we recommend that you consult its profile on our own page. It is a very simple path that has no special difficulty and can be done by people who want to start the challenge of the Camino de Santiago.
In the case of the road that starts from Almeria, it must be said that, perhaps, it is too long if it is the first time you undertake the adventure. It is better to leave its more than 1400 kilometres for later.
Stage from Granada to Moclín
Stage from Moclín to Alcalá la Real
Stage from Alcalá la Real to Alcaudete
Stage from Alcaudete to Baena
Stage from Baena to Castro del Río
Stage from Castro del Río to Córdoba
Stage from Córdoba to Cerro Muriano
Stage from Cerro Muriano to Villaharta
Stage from Villaharta to Alcaracejos
Stage from Alcaracejos to Hinojosa del Duque
Stage from Hinojosa del Duque to Monterrubio
Stage from Monterrubio to Campanario
Stage from Campanario to Medellín
Stage from Medellín to Mérida
To know how long it takes to complete the Camino Mozarabe, it is best to look at the criteria that we have established in Santiago Ways. In them, we believe that the estimated time to complete the Camino Mozarabe is 15 nights and 16 days.
However, this duration can change depending on various aspects. One of them is the climatology, another is the different rhythm that you propose to complete. Finally, it is the intention of wanting to enjoy more time in a particular landscape . In any case, the most important thing is to enjoy the experience and do it as you prefer.
To know when to complete the Camino Mozarabe we want to offer you some tips. They will deal with the most favourable points of each season and, at the same time, their disadvantages. We anticipate that each of the seasons can give some special point to the completion of the Camino Mozarabe de Santiago.
That is why, ultimately, it all depends on the choice of each pilgrim. That is why we have made a list of the different seasons and the advantages and disadvantages that each of them has when making the Camino Mozarabe to Santiago. We hope that it will help you to be able to choose with the best guarantees the optimal time for you.
During the spring, the main problem is unstable weather. In fact, during this intermediate period, rains or sudden storms may appear. However, in the case of the Camino de Santiago Mozarabe, this problem is lessened by the nature of the climate in the south of the Iberian Peninsula.
So, in effect, we will enjoy rather mild and pleasant weather that will accompany us along our entire journey.
Yes, we would have to also monitor the subject of possible allergies. Apart from these two problems that are lessened with correct planning, the spring is an excellent time to make the pilgrimage of the Camino Mozarabe. So much so that the fields we cross will have an incomparable beauty during this time of year.
Summer is the most popular time to complete the Camino de Santiago in general and the Camino Mozarabe de Santiago in particular. It is because it is the time when people have more days available.
In addition, it is the one that has more hours of daylight and is when the weather is stable, although the truth is that in the south of Spain it can be quite hot. Either way, as we go further north, temperatures will be milder.
If we are encouraged to continue along the following routes such as the Camino Portugues coastal route or the Camino Frances itself, we will escape the heat on our pilgrimage.
One of the main drawbacks of making the Camino de Santiago Mozarabe in the summer is the question of accommodation. However, with Santiago Ways, it is possible to forget about this problem because we guarantee that you will be able to rest in the best hostels and rural houses, with excellent care and an unbeatable environment in all of them.
Autumn is also another of the most popular times to complete the Camino de Santiago from Granada. It is because the landscape becomes more beautiful and the cold and heat give us a break during this period in the south of Spain.
Therefore, one of the greatest advantages has to do with the mildness of the temperatures and the beauty of the landscapes that exist. Instability can be against us as it happens in spring.
However, this should not be a special problem whenever we make sure to have good planning as we offer in Santiago Ways.
Although on most of the routes of the Camino de Santiago it is a risk to undertake them during the winter, in the case of the Camino Mozarabe there is no problem: the temperatures will be of course milder than in the north of Spain where, in many sections, we’ll go through mountain climates.
So, winter, in the case of the Camino Mozarabe it’s not a great problem. Rainfall may increase although we can always avoid its consequences with adequate protection.
We have prepared some places that are of special interest on the Mozarabe route and that, for nothing in the world, you should miss if you want to make the most of this experience.
We have divided it into places of interest, places to eat and places to sleep on the Camino Mozarabe de Santiago.
This spectacular setting is one of the other attractions of the entire Camino Mozarabe route. We will be able to enjoy the native fauna of Spain in the home of the Iberian Lynx.
One of the most beautiful municipalities to be found on the Camino Mozarabe is the locality of Trujillo. It has a great historical circuit and especially related to the history of Spain for being nothing more and nothing less than the birthplace of Francisco Pizarro.
The city from which the Camino Mozarabe begins is one of the great architectural jewels of all humanity. You will love getting lost in the alleys of Albaicín or the Alhambra.
The city of Mérida and its heritage of Roman origin is another attraction that you cannot miss on the route of the Camino de Santiago from Granada.
In Santiago Ways, we have selected for you the best possible accommodation spread between houses and rural hotels so you can enjoy all the guarantees and all the care you deserve from the Camino Mozarabe to Santiago.
Tapas Mérida: This tapas bar in Mérida is famous for its specialities and the originality of its preparations. We strongly recommend that you visit it.
Rex Numitor: It is another of the most appetizing restaurants in the city of Mérida. It has a series of interesting local specialities that you should taste on your pilgrimage.
Entrebarsas: a very cheap tapas bar in the city of Granada. We want to remind you that in this city the culture of the generous tapas is very extensive and that it is possible to eat asking for only one drink.
As we have said, the origin of the Camino Mozarabe can be traced back to the medieval pilgrimages that many people did to the city of Santiago . However, confirmation of the first pilgrim can be found in the year 1612, when the Canon of the Cathedral of Cordoba began the pilgrimage.
From that moment on, more and more pilgrims joined in. We know that the route was also used in opposite direction in a rather tragic and unfortunate way by Almanzor, the greatest Muslim conqueror who arrived, in fact, to the city of Santiago, where he stripped the bells from the cathedral.
Here we leave you with the opinion of other users who have made the Camino Mozarabe with Santiago Ways.
Here you can see all the stages of the Camino de Santiago.
In Santiago Ways, we will advise you on which route of the Camino de Santiago is the best fit for you.
