Monesterio feels like a relief. You walk into the village with heavy legs, knowing the albergue here is public. A bed and a shower are close by. Well over nine hours of walking are behind you.
It was a long stage, full of ups and downs, with almost 600 metres of climbing. If you’d rather split it, stay overnight in El Real de la Jara and walk the rest the next morning. Along the way you leave Andalusia behind and cross into Extremadura. What stays with you: holm oaks standing in rows across the dry grass, and black pigs between the trunks, foraging for acorns.