The Vía de La Plata
From Sevilla to Astorga. 38 sections. 963 km.
The Vía de la Plata offers two options to get to Santiago de Compostela:
- In Astorga, link the last 11 stages with the French Way.
- From Granja de Moreruela, the pilgrim can deviate along the Camino Sanabrés (13 stages)
The Vía de la Plata, also known as Southern Way, is the Jacobean itinerary that crosses the Iberian Peninsula from south to north.
Andalusia is the starting point of this Jacobean Route that, following the
old Roman roads, crosses Extremadura and Castilla y León before reaching
Galicia.
Astorga is the town where pilgrims on the Vía de la Plata traditionally meet
those on the Camino Francés or French Way to access Galicia
and continue to Santiago de Compostela. Besides, you can also continue to
Puebla de Sanabria and do the Sanabria Way.
The other great Jacobean Route in the southern peninsula reaches this Camino de
Santiago: the Camino Mozarabe. With starting points in Almería, Córdoba, Jaén,
Granada or Málaga, the Mozárabe joins the Vía de la Plata when arriving in
Mérida.
One of the longest roads on the Peninsula
The Vía de la Plata is one of the longest Caminos de Santiago that cross
the Iberian Peninsula.With about 1,000 kilometers, this Jacobean Route is
usually divided into 49 stages in its original route and about 36 in the event
that the pilgrim continues the Vía de la Plata along the Sanabres
Way.
Less popular and endowed with fewer services than other Jacobean
paths such as the French Way or the Northern Way, the Vía de la Plata is a
well-signposted route with an acceptable number of accommodations. The
entire route is well signposted, with numerous yellow arrows that will help us
not to lose the route in the infinite Andalusian and Extremaduran meadows.
In
addition to the typical yellow arrows on the Camino de Santiago, the Vía de la
Plata has complementary signs. It is about granite blocks with colored tiles.
Of course, we must always follow the one that contains the yellow color.
Avoid the hot months
The greatest enemy of the Vía de la Plata is heat. Temperatures are usually
high in the territories it crosses, leading in recent years some pilgrims to
suffer from heat stroke and have hydration problems. For this reason, we
recommend avoiding doing the Vía de la Plata in the hottest months of the year
such as July, August and September.
March, April, May and October are the most recommended months to travel the Vía
de la Plata. They will also be those that register a greater number of
pilgrims, especially foreigners.
Rich historical and cultural heritage
This Route offers nature, calm landscapes and quaint villages. The Vía de
la Plata also goes through Roman ruins, historic cities and lively towns such
as for example the Andalusian capital, Seville, and UNESCO Heritage Sites such
as Mérida, Cáceres or Salamanca. The Southern Way is a great chance for pilgrims
to discover amazing spots such as the ruins of Augusta Emerita, or to enjoy
some Iberico ham.
Historically, this Camino was used to trade in silver coming from the
Americas by ship to the port of Seville, hence its name (literally, silver
way). In fact, that is also the current name of the Roman road that goes
through Mérida, Salamanca and Astorga, and even of the autovía (toll-free
highway) that links Seville to León.
Camino de Santiago associations
Andalucía
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Granada
Email
caminodesantiago1993@hotmail.com
Direction
Plaza Ciudad de los Cármenes, 1
Granada 18013
Andalucía
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Sevilla
Email
viaplata@viaplata.org
Direction
Calle Castilla, 82, Local
Sevilla, 41010
Andalucía
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Huelva
Email
ferquindo@hotmail.com
Direction
Calle Alemania, 26, bajo (Casa de Galicia)
Huelva, 21001
Castilla y León
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago - Vía de la Plata de Fuenterroble de Salvatierra
Email
aviaplata@terra.es
Direction
Calle Larga, 37
Fuenterroble de Salamanca, 37768
Castilla y León
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Astorga y Comarca
Email
asociacion@caminodesantiagoastorga.com
Direction
Plaza de San Francisco, 3
Astorga, 24700
Extremadura
Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago Mozárabe Sanabrés - Vía de la Plata, de Zafra y Comarca
Email
puentedeferia@hotmail.com
Direction
Calle Andrés Pro, 1, esquina con Avenida de la Estación, 17
Zafra, 06300
Extremadura
Asociación Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Cáceres
Direction
Ronda del Carmen, 35, 8º
Cáceres, 10002
Extremadura
Asociación de Amigos del Camino Mozárabe de Santiago-Vía de la Plata de Mérida
Email
luthiers_@hotmail.com
Direction
CALLE RAMÓN CARANDE, 10-5
06800 MÉRIDA (BADAJOZ)
Galicia
Asociación Cultural "Amigos da Vía da Plata de Ourense"
Email
viaprataourense@ceo.es
Direction
Plaza das Damas, 1
Ourense, 32005