The Via de la Plata: an alternative to the Camino Francés
Many pilgrims, having travelled from Roncesvalles (or beyond), make their second pilgrimage from Seville, on the Via de la Plata. But - with the Camino francés getting more and more crowded, and its facilities ever more over-stretched - this page is designed to encourage you, a first-time pilgrim, to chose it as an alternative to the traditional Camino francés.
The Via de la Plata follows the old Roman road from Seville to Astorga. Several sections of the original paving have been exposed; many Roman milestones, and a number of bridges remain; and in addition to Mérida, one of the richest Roman sites in Spain, you pass many other Roman remains. If there's any truth in the legend, this is the Spain that James knew ...
Do also visit our own gallery of pilgrims' pictures for more pictures of the Arles route, and our Overview page for a more detailed description.
If you are looking for more solitude than on the Camino francés, and more time to reflect, the Via de la Plata offers a feasible and extremely attractive alternative. On the Via de la Plata: the high ridge after Casar de Cáceres |
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Starting in Seville, in Andalucia, the route crosses Extremadura and part of Castille and León; instead of going on to join the Camino francés at Astorga, you can turn west to reach Santiago via Puebla de Sanabria and Ourense. |
The Spain that James would have known ...
Roman paving outside the amphitheatre at Mérida |
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Extremadura is ranching country: huge estates dotted with cork oaks are - at least in spring - extraordinarily green and well-watered. A stream in the estate of el Berrocal |
Cáceres, a perfect medieval city, remains intact within its original walls
Cáceres: Casa de las Cigueñas |
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Zamora boasts no fewer than 19 Romanesque churches
Zamora: the church of San Juan Bautista |
The church of Sta Marta de la Tera has the oldest known statue of St James represented as a pilgrim to his own tomb
Sta Marta de la Tera: C11th carving of Santiago Peregrino |
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Galicia: as wild and rugged here as on the Camino francés, but even emptier
Looking west from Monte Talariño |
The portico of the cathedral at Ourense, the last major city before Santiago, rivals the Portico de la Gloria itself
C14th statue of Santiago, in the doorway of Ourense cathedral |
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A few basic facts: the route is almost exactly 1000 km/625 miles long, and it can be walked in about 6 weeks. It is waymarked with the standard yellow arrows all the way. Alison Raju's Cicerone guide (available through the Bookshop) is excellent. There are relatively few refugios (though more are being opened as demand increases), but plenty of small hotels, and although the average stages are a little longer than on the Camino francés, you will find somewhere to sleep every night.
You'll find more details about the Via de la Plata, including a list of available guidebooks, here.
Piers Nicholson has just added to his site a comprehensive collection of pictures covering the route as far as Zamora.