From Seville to Astorga. 38 stages. 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 the Ruta de la Plata or Camino Vía de la Plata, 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. It is in Astorga where the Vía de la Plata traditionally joins the   French Way   to get to Santiago de Compostela.

The Vía de la Plata offers another route option: go to Puebla de Sanabria and follow the Camino Sanabrés . The pilgrim will also start in Seville, the most popular starting point among walkers, to continue through Andalusian lands, crossing towns such as Castilblanco de los Arroyos or Almadén de la Plata, and Extremadura, with Zafra, Mérida and Cáceres as the maximum exponents.

In Castilla y León, specifically when arriving at Granja de Moreruela (Zamora), is where the pilgrim must decide whether to continue the original Roman route to Astorga or take the Sanabrés detour. The latter continues from Granja de Moreruela to Tábara, Santa Marta de Tera, Mombuey and Puebla de Sanabria, thus taking the route that enters Galicia through the province of Ourense.

The other great Jacobean Route of the southern peninsula reaches this Camino de Santiago: the Mozarabic Way. With starting points in Almería, Córdoba, Jaén, Granada or Málaga, the Mozárabe joins the Vía de la Plata when it reaches 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 about 49 stages in its original layout and about 36 in the event that the pilgrim continues the Vía de la Plata along the Sanabrés 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 always.

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

Full of nature, peaceful landscapes and small towns, the Vía de la Plata stretches marked by Roman milestones, historic cities and lively life. In addition to Seville, this Jacobean route passes through places declared World Heritage Sites, such as Mérida, Cáceres or Salamanca. It is a great opportunity for the pilgrim to discover such spectacular spaces as the ruins of Augusta Emérita or the Roman theater of Mérida and enjoy the renowned Iberian ham.

Throughout history, this Camino was used to trade the silver that came from America by boat to the port of Seville, an activity that gave it the name that we know today. In fact, this is also the name of the road of Roman origin that passes through Mérida, Salamanca and Astorga and even the complete route by highway between Seville and León.