Stage Caudete to Fuente-Álamo

This is one of the most demanding stages of the Camino del Sureste in terms of distance: around 41 kilometres of high plateau between Caudete and Fuente-Álamo, with moderate climbs but considerable isolation. Pilgrims tackling it should plan carefully, as the intermediate villages lie off the route and services are scarce.

You leave Caudete to the west, leaving behind its castle and the church of Santa Catalina, and soon cross the provincial boundary into the lands of Albacete. The path follows farm tracks along the natural corridor that has always linked the Levante with La Mancha, among vineyards of the Almansa Designation of Origin, scattered olive groves and vast sweeps of grain that turn the plain green in spring.

The central section approaches Montealegre del Castillo, a town dominated by the remains of its fortress. Very close to the village lies the Cerro de los Santos, one of the most important Iberian sanctuaries on the peninsula, where the famous offering ladies now displayed in the National Archaeological Museum were found. It is the great cultural landmark of the day and a good place to rest.

From the surroundings of Montealegre, the route heads south-west along tracks through grain fields until it reaches Fuente-Álamo, where the branch of the Camino del Sureste coming from Cartagena and Murcia via Jumilla joins in. The village, surrounded by vines, lives from wine and almonds and offers walkers a peaceful place to recover.

Arriving in Fuente-Álamo leaves the pilgrim at the gates of the Pétrola steppe and the stages leading to Chinchilla and Albacete. It is worth regaining strength: the Manchegan section of the Sureste rewards perseverance with endless horizons and clear skies.