Overview: The Camino Mozárabe or Vía de la Plata
The route used by the Mozarabic (Christian) pilgrims during the period of Muslim domination and by all those coming from the south of Spain, including those who arrived in Seville by sea from North Africa and other parts of the Mediterranean. Also known as the Vía de la Plata as it follows the course of a Roman road of that name (but note that the name does not mean 'Silver Route": plata is a corruption of an Arabic word indicating a 'broad surfaced road').
As the Camino francés becomes ever more crowded, we are encouraging first-time pilgrims to chose the Via de la Plata as a more peaceful, and very beautiful, alternative. Follow these links for highlights of the Via de la Plata, our own picture gallery, and for Piers Nicholson's comprehensive collection of views.
The Roman Arch at Cáparra
The Route. Starts in Seville and leads north via Mérida, Cáceres, Salamanca and Zamora. After that pilgrims can continue to Astorga and from there to Santiago via the Camino francés or go there directly through Galicia via Pueblo de Sanabria and Ourense: in either case the distance is 1000 km and it takes, on average, 6 to 7 weeks to walk from Seville to Santiago. Alternatively you can begin in Granada, passing through Córdoba and joining the main route in Mérida (click here for an Overview of this route), and/or continue from Zamora via Braganza and northeastern Portugal before entering Galicia near Verín (click here for an Overview of this route).
For anyone wanting to start further south, there's a new group in Cadiz who are working on an extension from there http://www.caminosantiagoencadiz.org/ They're also exploring the new Corredor Verde Dos Bahias which uses various cañadas and the old Roman road to connect Algeciras with Cadiz - might be useful for anyone wanting to start from say Gibraltar. Andalucia seems to be putting a lot of money into developing the vias pecuarias [old drove roads] http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/medioambiente/site/web/menuitem.48ed6f0384107256b935619561525ea0/
?vgnextoid=bf477635036a0110VgnVCM1000000624e50aRCRD (Thanks to Peter Robins, July 2007.)
Waymarking. Yellow arrows throughout, as on the Camino francés.
Terrain. Undulating and not very taxing as far as Astorga, though the distances between towns/villages are often very long; strenuous after the border of the provinces of Zamora and the entry into Galicia, with many steep climbs and descents (for example the passes of Padornelo (1329m) and A Canda (1262m). For a height profile of the route (as well as a list of the stages), go to www.godesalco.com/iphp/perfil.php
Weather/When to go. Definitely not July or August (i.e. in the south) though the farther north you go the cooler it gets. April - June (especially for the wild flowers) or September-October are the best times.
What to see. Much evidence of Roman Spain (especially in Mérida) and many pilgrim, St. James and other related references, art and architecture along the way.
Accommodation. A few proper refugios but somewhere to sleep (at worst) on the floor with a sleeping bag at least every 30 km. There is also plenty of hostal accommodation, at least every 25 km as far as Mérida, and between 30-35 km after that.
Distinctive features of the route/General. Very solitary route where you are unlikely to meet many other pilgrims even though it is becoming better known (by people who live along the way too) and better used each year: in 2004 there were some 5000 pilgrims (compared to nearly 180,000 on the Camino francés) and 9,000 in 2005.
Guide books.
- Guía del Camino Mozarabe de Santiago: Vía de la Plata, Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago Vía de la Plata, Seville: 2001, 174pp. ISBN: 84-931176-1-7 (a new edition is in preparation). Covers both the route to Astorga and the one through Galicia, with good maps, details of accommodation and historical information relevant to the pilgrimage. Available from the Asociación, Calle San Jacinto 25 Portal 6, Local 4, 41010 Sevilla, Tel. 95 43 35 274 or 696 60 06 02.(They also have a web site: www.viaplata.org and an email address: sevilla@viaplata.org.)
- La Ruta de la Plata a Pie y en Bicicleta, El País/Aguilar, 2000, 193pp, ISBN: 84-03-595379. Very good maps, good on Roman Spain but very poor on pilgrim references, churches etc. Also covers only the route from Mérida to Astorga, repeating the Camino francés section from Astorga to Santiago and ignoring the route from Seville to Mérida and from Zamora direct to Santiago through Galicia.
- Way of St. James: Vía de la Plata, Alison Raju, Cicerone Press 2nd ed 2005, 310pp. ISBN: 1-85284-444-2. Covers the entire route (both options, including the camino from Granada to Mérida and the continuation from Santiago to Finisterre) with both historical and practical information. Available in our Bookshop.
- Walking the Via de la Plata: the Camino de Santiago from Seville to Santioago de Compostela and on to Finisterre Ben Cole and Bethan Davies, Pili Pala Press, Vancouver BC, 2004. 8, 214 pp, £12.50. ISBN: 0-9731698-1-8. Covers the route from Seville to Santiago (and on to Finisterre) via Puebla de Sanabria but does not include either the continuation from Granja de Moruela to Astorga or the 110 km waymarked southern option through Galicia (A Gudiña via Verín to Ourense). A walking backpackers' (rather than a pilgrim) guide.
- Camino Mozarabe/Vía de la Plata (Pilgrim Guides to Spain #2A). Confraternity of St. James. Guide to accommodation and services (both options), updated regularly. Available in our Bookshop.
Cyclists. Most of the route is suitable for mountain (though
very definitely not touring) bikes.
Spanish. Pilgrims without a reasonable command of Spanish will find this route much more difficult than they probably did the Camino francés. We recommend the BBC's Get By In Spanish - a small slim book in 5 chapters, with a single cassette, or Talk Spanish, an expanded version of the above, with 2 cassettes or 2 CDs.
Thanks to Alison Raju. February 2006.