Azofra – Granon, Camino Frances Stage no. 9

Basic Information

• Starting Point: Azofra, Spain – A small village known for its peaceful atmosphere, historic church, and pilgrim-friendly albergue with 30 double rooms. With only 200 inhabitants, you will find all services for pilgrims in the village, including a pharmacy.
• Ending Point: Grañón, Spain – A charming village with roughly 250 inhabitants, famous for its warm hospitality, historic church, and a donation based albergue with unmistakable atmosphere.
• Availability of an alternative route: Yes, a small variation at the beginning of the stage. More vineyards and less crowds for 7 kilometers, but nothing spectacular. Worth taking especially if you’re tired from the crowds and want to escape them for a while.
• Distance: Official camino route: 22 km (Download GPS here). Alternative camino route: 22.5 km (Download GPS here).
• Online Map: Official camino route: map. Alternative route: map.
• Elevation Difference: Official camino route: +355 m ascent, -185 m descent. Alternative camino route: +400 m ascent, – 230 m descent.
• Difficulty Score: 2/5,for both official and alternative route.
• Beauty Score: 2/5 for official camino, 3/5 for alternative route. The beginning from Azofra over the alternative route is probably the nicest part of this stage.
• Terrain/Asphalt Walking Ratio: Official camino: 70% trails/30% asphalt/road walking/right next to the road. Alternative camino: 75% trails, 25% asphalt.
• Next stage: Camino Frances Stage no. 10, Granon – Villafrance Montes de Oca.
• Previous stage: Camino Frances, Stage no. 8, Logrono – Azofra.

Elevation profiles for the routes

– Official camino route, as you can see over 60% of today’s stage is totally flat (climb gradient bellow 1%), and the rest is rather uneventful as well. The only noticeable exception is the climb from km 6 to km 8 (climbing 100 vertical meters on just a bit more than 1.5 km).

– Alternative route, notice how the beginning is more eventful, with climb gradient sometimes surpassing 10%. That’s the extra elevation you gain on the alternative stretch, walking over small hills rather than following flat terrain. From km 7 both routes are identical.

Advanced Info About the Stage

• Trail Marking: Well marked, including the alternative route.
• Alternative Route Info: The alternative route leaves the official camino just after Azofra (500 meters from starting), exactly here. You turn left instead of going straight, the route is well-signposted. It offers a bit more climbing and variety to the official camino, and it is worth taking if you want to get away from the crowds for a while at least. It connects back to the official camino exactly here, roughly km 7 of today’s walk.
• Natural Places Worth Seeing:
  • Rioja Natura Park Zoo: Maybe the only “zoo” you can visit while walking the camino. Close to Santo Domingo de la Calzada (km 16 of today’s walk), and actual 1.5 km detour from the Camino. Location and reviews on Google maps here. It is a small sanctuary where they rescue and care for wild injured animals. An interesting project indeed, and worth a support with an entrance fee. Open all year long, but only on weekends, check the actual opening hours on the link I provided.
  • Castillo de Granon: Remains of the castle above the village of Granon. There’s not much left from the building, but the views are worth the 1.5 km walk from the village. Location on Google maps here. Ideal for a long afternoon in Granon, unless it is a very hot day :).
• Historical, Architectural, and Culinary Places Worth Seeing:
  • The town center and the Catedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada: A stunning cathedral in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, famous for its live chickens kept inside. Special pilgrim price 4 euro, open from 10am to 1:30 pm and later from 4pm to 6:30pm. Location and reviews on Google maps here.
  • Church and pilgrim hostel in Granon: Unmistakable place with a special atmosphere, and a concept of donations taken one step further (“give what you can, take what you need”). Obviously such a concept cannot work for private donation-based albergues, but one run by a catholic church can afford it :). The entire place is very nice, including the church of St. Jean Baptiste. Location and reviews on Google maps here.
• Camping/Bivouac Options on the Stage: There is one organized camping on today’s stage, called Caming Banares, location and reviews on Google maps here. It isn’t a bad project, with swimming pool, sauna, lot of trees, etc. But it also has its problems, especially being super close to the highway, most attractions (such as the pool) open only in summer, price rather high for a pilgrim (16 euro to pitch a tent), etc. They accept dogs tough, and for one night it is a decent option for a pilgrim. About 2km detour from the Camino, follow Google maps to find it, you have to leave the Camino way before Santo Domingo to reach the camping.
• Dog-Friendly Score: 3/5. Not as bad as it may seem. Make sure to take the alternative route with the dog (for better terrain), and to stop in Santo Domingo de la Calzada instead of Granon (or you can walk 4km further to a great pilgrim hostel called Albergue Essentia that also accepts dogs). In Santo Domingo Albergue de peregrinos Cofradía del Santo accepts dogs on the patio (location and reviews on Google maps here), or you can try also the camping (see the point above for more info). The landscape is very open though and I suggest you to start early in the morning to avoid the heat.
• Special Remarks: Today one extra detour (a very long one coming from the beautiful Monastery of Yuso) connects with the Camino, so you may see some pilgrims walking from a strange direction. However, only about 1% of people make this detour, so it should not confuse you. The entire detour starts in Najera and connects with the Camino in Ciruena, adding 20 extra kilometers to your overall distance. Just for the case you may consider this detour, I mapped it for you here. Please note that I’ve never personally made this detour, so cannot comment on the way-marking on it.

My picks for accommodation on this stage

1. Albergue de Peregrinos de Santo Domingo de la Calzada (km 15): Located in the old town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, this albergue offers over 160 beds, a very well equipped kitchen, a garden, and overall it is surprisingly good considering its size and number of beds. 13 euro/night. You can make a reservation on the following phone number +34 941 343 390, but unless you’re walking the camino during the most busy months, you should get a bet here with no problems. Check-in from 11am, from 1pm in November-February. Location and reviews on Google maps here.
2. Albergue parroquial San Juan Bautista, Granon (km 22): An interesting place and a kind of albergue that’s hard to find on the Camino. Donation based, you can not only give to the box but also take if you’re in need. Communal dinner that the pilgrims help to prepare (peeling potatoes etc), and a special oration at the evening. Location and reviews on Google maps here. While definitely a special place, it may not suit everyone, due to very small number of bathrooms, and the place overall being rather small considering the number of pilgrims who can stay inside. That’s something to consider if you want to stay here…

Pictures from the stage

– Another beautiful sunrise on the camino… It is worth waking up early 🙂– The endless fields are breath-taking in the morning light, but walking there late afternoon (with no shade in side, sometimes for kilometers) can be dreadful.
– A random shot from today’s walk.
– Field of sunflowers before Granon, all looking dead… Or is that how it is supposed to be?

Few Tips at the End

• If you’re not in rush, consider making a detour to the Monastery of Yuso. Some people walk there, others take a taxi from Santo Domingo or Ciruena, come back the same day (walking or by taxi again), and continue walking for a bit in the afternoon to Granon. History experts consider this monastery one of the most beautiful in entire Spain, and believe me that means something, considering how many monasteries are in this country, and how beautiful they are in general :).

Next/Previous Stage

• Next stage: Camino Frances Stage no. 10, Granon – Villafrance Montes de Oca.
• Previous stage: Camino Frances, Stage no. 8, Logrono – Azofra.