Mérida leaves you with the Roman stones still fresh in your mind. Then it goes quiet. Open country, holm oaks, little shade and a path that tugs you gently uphill all day.
It’s a long stage of almost 36 kilometres. If you’d rather split it, stay overnight in Aljucén. If you don’t, it becomes a day of rhythm: step, drink, step. The climbs aren’t spectacular, but they add up in your legs. Alcuéscar lies quietly waiting at the end. A shower and a bed feel well earned here. Just put one foot in front of the other and you’ll get there.