Cañaveral
Via de la Plata
Canaveral is a welcome sight after the remote crossing from Casar de Caceres. The town grew up around the Canada Real Soriana, a transhumance route for cattle and salt trade, and has served travelers on this north-south corridor for centuries. Basic services are here: a hostel, bars, small shops, an ATM, and a pharmacy.
The village sits within the buffer zone of Monfrague National Park, one of Spain's premier bird-watching sites. Imperial eagles, black storks, and black vultures are regular sightings in the surrounding dehesa. If you have binoculars, this is the stretch to use them. Monfrague itself is a detour off the camino, but the birdlife doesn't respect park boundaries -- keep your eyes on the sky.
Beyond Canaveral the camino offers several options, though they are not presented anywhere and you are most likely to just follow the arrows as you find them and that is OK. This first arrow is just a few hundred meters out of town and takes you to the left and uphill; they look mighty official but locals explain that they were painted by a German cyclist. To get to the second set of arrows just keep on the road to the first roundabout (quite possibly the only roundabout in the world with a chimney) and take it to the left following the N-630. The second set of arrows will take you off the road to your left and past the Ermita de San Cristóbal.
One more word of caution is in order. Be sure to follow the camino markers here and not any of the other popular hiking trails. You will cross a few major roads near a junction with a large CLUB.
8km from Cañaveral the camino is signposted with an optional detour to the small town of Grimaldo.
Accommodation in Cañaveral.
| Albergue Turístico Hostel Cañaveral 16€ 23 Booking.com |
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| Posada La Campana Booking.com |
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| Hostal Málaga |
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