Sixteen kilometers of card road in the morning rain. I was not super looking forward to it, but I also did not want to skip it by taxi. Luckily the last 6km of this stretch had a cattle road adjusted to pilgrims. It gave me options of rocks to sit on in the rain and water obstacles to jump over.
Once I finally reached the gates of the park, I immediately headed for the tiny room without a door or windows. It felt so good to sit normally without constant rain.
I carry with me a tiny yellow umbrella, a rain jacket and a small foldable sitting mat. It felt like having a life of luxury. These three items together weigh just a little over 500 grams. Its totally worth the weight, because it should be raining for the whole week.
Walking in the gigantic natural park was an absolute pleasure. Andalusia region has a lot of good hiking trails to offer. Since Andalusia and Extremadura (which I enter soon) are the two poorest regions in Spain then the prices of everything but hotel rooms is really cheap.
The national park ended with a steep hill climb and a viewing platform. Everything was foggy, so I did not get to enjoy the view up there. The views in the park were amazing the whole 11km.
Going down from the hilltop, I immediately saw Almadén. First thing I did was pick up pace and head towards the best rated restaurant that normal locals visit. Other Caminos I would prioritize getting a bed and hot shower, but here there are not that many pilgrims.
Tomorrow will be a slightly longer day. I will need to do some recovery exercises for the body. My right knee got quite tired. Probably its the 1000m of uphill walking yesterday + today. Still, I consider this Camino to be quite flat and comfortable to walk.
Camino Pilgrim 
Leave a comment