Route of the Argar

The Argar Route connects Lorca (Murcia) with the Levant Way in Albacete. A Jacobean route through the unknown and surprising southeastern peninsula.

Organize your Route of the Argar

Origin

Lorca

Destination

Mora (Toledo)

Distance

400 km

Days

13

Difficulty

High

General Description of Route of the Argar

The Argar Route is a pilgrimage path that originates in Lorca (Murcia) and heads northwest to link with the Levante Way in Albacete province. This 400 km route allows pilgrims from the Region of Murcia to connect with major interior routes.

Connections of Route of the Argar

East Coast Road
Distance: 815 km
Days: 33
Difficulty: High

The Levante Way is one of the major Jacobean routes in the Peninsula. It connects Valencia with the Silver Road in Zamora, allowing for continuation to Astorga to join the French Way. Its route, over 800 km until Zamora, traverses the Central Plateau, passing through Castile-La Mancha and Castile and León.

It is a long and demanding route, especially in summer. It offers a deep immersion into interior Spain, with its vast landscapes and historic cities like Toledo and Ávila. Due to its length and the variability of services in some areas, it requires excellent planning.

Stages of this variant:

Etapa 1
Stage 1: Valencia to Algemesí
38.70 km 9.68h Media
Etapa 2
Stage 2: Algesiras to Xàtiva
31.20 km 7.80h Media
Etapa 3
Stage 3: Xàtiva to Moixent
27.50 km 6.88h Media
Etapa 4
Stage 4: Moixent near The Fountain of the Fig Tree
17.00 km 4.25h Baja
Etapa 5
Stage 5: The Fountain of the Fig Tree to Almansa
27.70 km 6.93h Media
(22) more

Stages of Route of the Argar

Etapa 1: Lorca to Zarcilla de Ramos

30.50 km 10.17h Media 830m

Description:

This stage offers a long and pronounced descent from the high mountain to the valley of the River Sarria. The profile is demanding for the knees, but the landscape is of great beauty. The route passes...

Origen: Lorca

Destino: Zarcilla de Ramos

Etapa 2: Zarcilla de Ramos to La Encarnación

25.30 km 8.43h Media 150m

Description:

This is the first part of the stage that joins Sarria and Portomarín. The route is a continuous rise and fall through rural Galicia at its most typical, through "corridors" shaded by oaks and beeches....

Etapa 3: La Encarnación to Moratalla

26.80 km 8.93h Media 50m

Description:

This stage completes the journey from Sarria. The profile continues to be an ongoing up and down through Galician countryside. The final stretch involves a pronounced descent into the valley of the Mi...

Origen: La Encarnación

Destino: Moratalla

Etapa 4: Moratalla to Socovos

30.80 km 10.27h Media 170m

Description:

This is the first part of the stage that connects Portomarín and Palas de Rei. The route starts with a continuous but gentle ascent to the Ligonde Hills. The path passes through pine and eucalyptus fo...

Origen: Moratalla

Destino: Socovos

Etapa 5: Socovos to Elche de la Sierra

22.40 km 7.47h Baja 210m

Description:

This stage completes the journey from Portomarín. The profile is a continuous rise and fall through the Ligonde Mountains. The path traverses a landscape of forests and villages. The pilgrim will pass...

Origen: Socovos

Destino: Elche de la Sierra

Etapa 6: Elche de la Sierra to Riópar

36.70 km 12.23h Alta 56m

Description:

This short stage joins two of the most important villages on the Camino in Galicia. The route is a continuous rise and fall through a rural landscape of great beauty, with forests and villages. The hi...

Origen: Elche de la Sierra

Destino: Riópar

Featured Towns of Route of the Argar

Explore the key towns and cities of this route.

Millenary History of the Camino de Santiago: Origins and Evolution Route of the Argar

Discover the origins and evolution of Route of the Argar

The Way of Argar is a Jacobean route that enters the deep history of southeastern Spain, uniting the monumental city of Lorca in the Region of Murcia with the Levante Route in the plains of Albacete. Its name, evocative and enigmatic, could refer to the prehistoric Argar Culture, which flourished in this region during the Bronze Age, giving the route an ancestral resonance. This itinerary served as a natural pilgrimage path for the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Murcia, a border territory marked by the history of military orders and cultural coexistence.

The Region of Murcia was for centuries a land of borders, first between Christian kingdoms and Islam, and then between the Crowns of Castile and Aragon. After the Reconquista, much of its territory was entrusted to the Order of Santiago for defense and administration. The presence of the Santiago knights imbued the region with a strong Jacobean devotion. For pilgrims from these lands, the journey to Galicia was a colossal undertaking, and they needed a route that connected them securely with major interior roads.

The Way of Argar was born to fulfill this function. Starting from the historic city of Lorca, with its imposing "Fortaleza del Sol", the path heads northwest, in a progressive ascent from Murcian lowlands to the meseta. The spiritual high point of the entire route and one of its most important historical keys is the city of Caravaca de la Cruz. Caravaca is not just any place; it is one of only five cities in the world, along with Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostela, and Santo Toribio de Liébana, that enjoys the privilege of celebrating an Año Jubilar forever. The Basilica of the Vera Cruz of Caravaca holds a splinter of the "Lignum Crucis" in a relicary crucifix form. For many pilgrims from the region, the ideal journey consisted of a double pilgrimage: first to Caravaca to venerate the Cross and then continuing on to Santiago to honor the Apostle. The Way of Argar is therefore the bridge that unites these two powerful centers of faith.

After leaving Caravaca, the path traverses the western Murcian mountains and enters Castile-La Mancha through Albacete province. It passes by historic villages such as Hellín and Tobarra, famous for their Semana Santa tamboradas, a tradition deeply rooted in popular culture. The landscape, often dry but of austere beauty, contrasts strongly with the green trails of northern roads.

The final objective of the route is to converge with the Levante Route, one of the major Jacobean paths coming from the Mediterranean. The point of union usually is the historic village of Chinchilla de Montearagón or La Roda in Albacete. Once there, the Way of Argar pilgrim joins a larger flow of walkers to continue on the long journey towards the Vía de la Plata and finally to Santiago.

The recovery of this itinerary by friend groups of the Camino has rescued a route of great historical and spiritual value. Walking the Way of Argar is an exigent and solitary experience, a journey through the history of borders, military orders, and deep devotion in southeastern Spain, uniting in one pilgrimage two of the most important jubilee destinations in Christendom.

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