CaminantesCamino Mozárabe
The southern approach from Andalusia, joining the Vía de la Plata at Mérida.
- Distance
- 400 to 800 km
- Typical time
- 20 to 40 days
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Total ascent
- 10,000 m
- Starts
- Granada
- Ends
- Mérida
The Camino Mozárabe is the route of the Mozarabs, Christians living under Muslim rule in medieval Andalusia, walking north to Santiago. Branches start in Granada, Málaga and Almería and converge before running up to Mérida.
From Mérida you join the Vía de la Plata for the remaining 800 km to Santiago, which is why the total distance depends entirely on where you begin.
This is the least-walked and least-serviced way on this list, through olive groves, sierra and long empty stretches of Andalusia and Extremadura.
Who it suits
Best for: Experienced, self-sufficient walkers who want Andalusia.
When to go: October to April. Andalusian summer heat makes this route unwise and occasionally lethal.
Watch out for: Waymarking is patchier than on the northern routes, and accommodation needs planning rather than improvising.
Suggested stages on the Camino Mozárabe
18 stages averaging 23.3 km a day, generated from the route itself rather than copied from a guidebook. Treat it as a starting point: the whole idea of planning your own Camino is that a 27 km day someone else picked might be the wrong day for you.
| Stage number | From | To | Stage | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Granada | Pinos Puente | 20 km | 20 km |
| 2 | Pinos Puente | La Alhondiguilla | 23.4 km | 43.5 km |
| 3 | La Alhondiguilla | Puertollano | 18.7 km | 62.1 km |
| 4 | Puertollano | Alcaudete | 17.5 km | 79.6 km |
| 5 | Alcaudete | Baena | 25.7 km | 105.3 km |
| 6 | Baena | Castro del Río | 19.5 km | 124.8 km |
| 7 | Castro del Río | Santa Cruz | 23.8 km | 148.6 km |
| 8 | Santa Cruz | Córdoba | 26.2 km | 174.8 km |
| 9 | Córdoba | Cerro Muriano | 17.5 km | 192.3 km |
| 10 | Cerro Muriano | Villaharta | 20 km | 212.4 km |
| 11 | Villaharta | Alcaracejos | 34.9 km long long stage, over 30 km | 247.3 km |
| 12 | Alcaracejos | Hinojosa del Duque | 21.6 km | 268.9 km |
| 13 | Hinojosa del Duque | Monterrubio de la Serena | 32.1 km long long stage, over 30 km | 300.9 km |
| 14 | Monterrubio de la Serena | Castuera | 18.9 km | 319.8 km |
| 15 | Castuera | Campanario | 19.7 km | 339.5 km |
| 16 | Campanario | Don Benito | 28.4 km | 367.9 km |
| 17 | Don Benito | Santa Amalia | 19 km | 386.9 km |
| 18 | Santa Amalia | Mérida | 31.6 km long long stage, over 30 km | 418.5 km |
Stage stops and distances are derived from the route geometry and from OpenStreetMap place data (ODbL). Distances are measured along the route line, so they will differ slightly from a guidebook.
Walking the Camino Mozárabe offline
There is no reliable mobile signal on large parts of this route, and the stretches without it are exactly the stretches where you want a map. Caminantes caches the route, the stages and the elevation profiles before you leave, and tracks your distance, pace and ascent while you walk. It is free, with no paywall on any of it.
Common questions about the Camino Mozárabe
How long does the Camino Mozárabe take?
20 to 40 days at a typical walking pace. Our suggested plan splits the 400 to 800 km into 18 stages averaging 23.3 km a day, and you can split or join any of them.
How hard is the Camino Mozárabe?
Hard. It covers 400 to 800 km with 10,000 m of total ascent, and the longest stage in our plan is 34.9 km. Waymarking is patchier than on the northern routes, and accommodation needs planning rather than improvising.
When is the best time to walk the Camino Mozárabe?
October to April. Andalusian summer heat makes this route unwise and occasionally lethal.
Where does the Camino Mozárabe start and finish?
It runs from Granada to Mérida, a total of 400 to 800 km.
Does the Camino Mozárabe count towards the Compostela certificate?
Not on its own: the Mozárabe ends at Mérida, where it joins the Vía de la Plata. Keep walking the Plata to Santiago and the whole distance counts.