Vía de la Plata | Círculo Chileno

Home Vía de los Andes Pilgrim credential FAQ Español

From Sevilla to Astorga. 28 stages. About 710 km. At Astorga it joins the Camino Francés; from Granja de Moreruela the Camino Sanabrés can be followed.

The Vía de la Plata, also known as the Ruta de la Plata, is the Jacobean route that crosses the Iberian Peninsula from south to north. Andalucía is the starting point of this route, which follows the old Roman roads through Extremadura and Castilla y León before reaching Galicia. At Astorga it traditionally joins the Camino Francés to reach Santiago.

It offers another option for the route: heading to Puebla de Sanabria and walking the Camino Sanabrés. The pilgrim will start in Sevilla all the same, the most popular starting point, and continue through Andalucía, passing places such as Castilblanco de los Arroyos or Almadén de la Plata, and through Extremadura, with Zafra, Mérida and Cáceres as its main examples. At Granja de Moreruela (Zamora) the pilgrim decides whether to continue on the original Roman route to Astorga or take the Sanabrés detour, which enters Galicia through the province of Ourense. The other great Jacobean route of southern Spain joins this Camino: the Camino Mozárabe, which meets the Vía de la Plata at Mérida.

One of the longest Caminos in the Peninsula. At nearly 1,000 kilometres, it is usually divided into about 49 stages on its original route and about 36 if the Camino Sanabrés is followed. Less popular and with fewer services than the Camino Francés or the Camino del Norte, it is a well waymarked route with an acceptable number of accommodations. Besides the yellow arrows, it has complementary waymarking: granite blocks with coloured tiles, of which you must always follow the one that contains yellow.

Avoid the hot months. The greatest enemy of the Vía de la Plata is the heat: in recent years some pilgrims have suffered heatstroke and hydration problems. It is recommended to avoid July and August. March, April, May and October are the best months, and also the ones with the most pilgrims, especially foreigners.

Rich historical and cultural heritage. Full of nature, quiet landscapes and small villages, it is marked by Roman milestones and by historic cities with lively life. Besides Sevilla, it passes through places declared World Heritage Sites, such as Mérida, Cáceres or Salamanca, with the ruins of Augusta Emérita and the Roman theatre of Mérida. Its name comes from the trade in silver that arrived from America at the port of Sevilla; the road of Roman origin that passes through Mérida, Salamanca and Astorga is still called that.

Stages

Getting to the starting point

Sevilla is the main departure point and is well connected. By train, the Santa Justa station receives the AVE from Madrid and the medium- and long-distance network. There are two bus stations (Plaza de Armas and El Prado) with companies such as Damas, Alsa, Casal, Socibus or Comes. By car: from Asturias, Castilla y León, Mérida and Portugal on the N-630; from Madrid and Córdoba on the N-IV; from Huelva and Portugal on the A-49; from Málaga, Granada, Almería and Murcia on the A-92. San Pablo airport serves 36 destinations; to the center there is a taxi (about 15 to 22 euros) or city bus.

Bus, train and airport links are on the Spanish page. With the 25 km of the Vía de los Andes validated, Chilean pilgrims need 75 km on foot in Spain to reach the minimum 100 km for the Compostela.