This page contains the intro to the print guide.
Quick links to resources
Opening times (and meal times)
Charts of places where there is more than one route
The latest pilgrim accommodation updates
This guide covers the Vía de la Plata from Seville to Granja de Moreruela and the Camino Sanabrés, which branches from the Vía de la Plata and arrives in Santiago through southern Galicia. For simplicity's sake in this guide we (incorrectly) use the term Vía de la Plata or just Vía to refer to the combination of these two Caminos.
I started writing this guide after I came back from walking the Vía from Seville to Santiago via Astorga in the winter of 2009, and finished it after returning to walk the Camino Sanabrés in 2012. It's been updated and republished every year since then (except 2021 when I took a year out to binge watch Sex in the City). Preparing for that first walk I had been unable to find any reliable information in English about this route and accommodation along it. This didn't deter me and in the end I managed fine with a print out of info from a Spanish website and some Google maps of the towns with the route roughly sketched on them. However, if I hadn't been able to access information in Spanish I would have been at a loss, and I probably wouldn't have even attempted this walk. Based on this experience I decided to try to make information more widely available in English.
I started by making the guide available as a free download from my website, www.ViadelaPlataGuide.net. Thanks to the positive feedback and encouragement I received from other pilgrims who used it I decided to try publishing it on Amazon (with the addition of maps). This has enabled me to bring the information to a far wider audience.
I set out to create a source of the essential information someone will need to walk this Camino in the traditional way, and this book is still basically that, the essential information: distances, pilgrim hostels, places to buy food, places to eat, and notes about those places where the yellow arrows may not be sufficient for you to find your way.
Listing ten hotels in Salamanca would be an easy way to give a false impression of thoroughness, Instead of that I have tried to provide you with the information you actually need asawalkingpilgrim and which isn't easily available elsewhere (ie. on booking.com).
The Vía de la Plata was originally a Roman Road linking Asturias in the north of Spain with the port of Cádiz in the south. Its name, which means The Silver Route, is based on the belief that the Romans used this route to transport silver from Asturias to the Mediterranean port of Cádiz. However, given that the mines of Asturias mostly produced gold, some historians question the validity of this explanation. Another possible explanation is that Plata is a hispanisation of an Arabic word for road.
Beginning in about the 9th century, as Santiago de Compostela was becoming known as a Christian pilgrimage site, this route began to be used by pilgrims travelling to and from the tomb of St James the Apostle.
In the 1980s the revival of the Camino Francés as a walking route led to renewed interested in the Vía de la Plata. According to the Pilgrims Office in Santiago, the numbers of pilgrims increased slowly, reaching a peak of 14,197 in Holy Year 2010 then stabilised at around 9,000 a year. However, these number only count pilgrims who requested a Compostela and who said they started at some point along either the Vía or the Sanabrés. As such, they're not a true reflection of the number of people walking this Camino.
Anecdotally we know that the number of people starting from Seville has increased. When I walked from Seville to Mérida in 2009 I didn't meet any other pilgrims, in February 2023 walking the same route at the same time I met six. During busy times (March and April) there is even the occasional full albergue!
In contrast to most other Caminos which are busiest in summer, the busiest times on the Vía de la Plata are spring and autumn.
The Vía de la Plata is often cited as an alternative to the Camino Francés for people looking for solitude and a more “authentic Camino” experience.
No Camino is easy but of the main Caminos the Vía de la Plata is by far the most difficult. The weather can be harsh, the landscape is often monotonous, many of the villages have already lost most of their population, the food isn't always great and some of the albergues have seen better days. There are several long stages of over 25km with no facilities of any type. Luggage transfers, public transport, fancy hotels and other comforts and conveniences that people might take for granted on other Caminos, often aren't available on the Vía.
The Vía is very different from the Camino Francés in that it is longer, lonelier and less scenic. It is closer to the original experience of long-distance pilgrimage than the commercialised and developed Camino Francés. You can walk the Camino Francés on autopilot, by which I mean, without planning ahead or really paying much attention, and I don't mean that in a negative way, one of the great things about the Camino Francés is that it's accessible to people of all levels of ability and commitment. But, if you approached the Vía on autopilot you'd quickly find yourself lost, hungry and thirsty.
All of this makes the Vía an unsuitable Camino for inexperienced pilgrims. There are far too many things that can go wrong and can catch you out if you're not prepared for them. If you're considering the Vía as your first Camino then I would encourage you to consider your options carefully.
Besides albergues this guide only mentions those hotels and guest houses which are convenient to the Camino or which help to fill a long gap between albergues. This is partially in keeping with the philosophy of the essential information and partially because booking.com handles hotels much better than I ever could.
The following information is given about albergues: whether it is private, religious, etc., how many people it sleeps, the cost and opening dates (if none are given then it's open all the time), its name. This is followed by a description of how to find it and any relevant notes.
Some of the albergues on this Camino are basic. However, unless otherwise stated, all of them have the following:
- Electricity
- Beds with mattresses
- Toilets
- Showers with hot water
- Drinking water
- Heating (possibly not very effective and also may not be switched on)
If the guide says laundry facilities it means there's a washing machine and drier. If this isn't mentioned then the laundry facilities available are probably a sink where you can hand wash clothes and a clothes line.
Many albergues are not well heated and during the cold months (a period which varies according to latitude and altitude but means approximately November to March) they will be cold. This underlines the necessity of having a good sleeping-bag. Not all hostels have a kitchen where the hostel has one and it is equipped and in working order, it's mentioned. If there's a kitchen there's also usually a microwave, if the guide just says microwave then there's a microwave but no (working) kitchen.
If you're the first to arrive many albergues will be locked with a contact telephone number on the door. For this reason having a phone is essential. If you need to ring for the key and you don't speak Spanish try the following:
Estoy aquí a la puerta del albergue de peregrinos, ¿puedes abrirme la puerta? which means I am here at the door of the pilgrim hostel, can you open the door for me?
The ideal response would be sí, sí, cinco minutos / diez minutos – yes, yes five minutes / ten minutes. However, the likelihood is the reply will be somewhat more verbose in which case the best thing to say is no entiendo español – I don't understand Spanish. And hope for the best.
Don't let it worry you if you speak no Spanish, the person answering the phone is expecting calls like yours and even if you completely fail to understand anything they will hopefully assume you are waiting for them at the albergue door.
The route of the Camino is shown as a line of black dots. When there is more than one route option both routes are shown. Route options are also described in the text. There's also a diagram showing distances.
Maps usually precede the text info. So when you're looking at the text for a place you should page back to see it on a map.
Pricing of private accommodation is increasingly following the flexible / surge model so beloved of California tech bros. For that reason the prices shown in the guide are only indicative and if you end up paying something entirely different (especially if you book through one of the online platforms) don't blame me. In the guide I've indicated this by saying things like 'Singles from...'
Spanish phone numbers have nine digits. You always dial the whole number. Numbers beginning with 6 and 7 are mobiles, 8 and 9 are fixed line. The WhatsApp messaging app is (almost) universally used in Spain and is very useful for contacting accommodation, etc.
The total distance and estimated walking time between places is given in the place name heading. The estimated walking time is calculated using the Munter Method. This method considers:
- 1km walked = 1 unit
- 100m climbed = 1 unit
- 1 unit = 15 minutes walking
eg. (1) Walking 10km on flat terrain: 10km = 10 units = 150 minutes = 2h30m.
eg. (2) Walking 10km with ascents totalling 200m: 10km = 10 units + 200m ascent = 2 units = total 12 units = 180 minutes = 3h.
If you don't find it helpful please feel free to ignore it.
Notes about the route and places and facilities you will encounter between places with an albergue are given like this:
4.5km to Piñeiro, cafés.
Distances given in this format are NOT cumulative.
(See also the Opening times section)
The following information is given about facilities available in towns and villages:
- café / bar generally they serve food of some description
- shop, for food and a variable range of other essentials
- bank, meaning a cash machine (ATM)
- pharmacy
Albergues are listed first, followed by other accommodation, in the order in which you will encounter them (if you're walking towards Santiago).
The following information is designed to be used together with the guide to help you plan.
The Frequently Asked Questions section goes deeper into the practicalities of walking the Vía. Even if you're an experience walker with a collection of Compostelas at home it may offer insights which could save you hassle later on. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
Bear in mind that shops in rural Spain usually open from about 09:00 until about 12:00 and again from about 17:00 until about 20:00. They are usually closed, or have greatly reduced opening times, on Sundays and Mondays and on public holidays. Outside opening times basic food is sometimes available from petrol stations. When there is no shop some albergues provide basic groceries.
The bit about public holidays above also applies to cafés. Cafés don't always open in the morning and if they do it's rarely before 08:00. When it says in the guide that a café opens early that means about 08:00. If you're an early riser you will often have to go without coffee. Also cafés often close one day a week por descanso, it's often Monday.
Restaurants server lunch from about 14:00 until about 16:00 and then dinner from about 20:00 until about 22:00. Unlike on busier Caminos you will rarely find establishments which serve food outside those times.
An ALTITUDE PROFILE of the enitre Camino from Seville to Santiago.
There is a few places along this Camino where there is more than one option, you can see the main ones on our CHARTS PAGE.
It's important to be aware of public holidays because they affect opening hours of shops, etc. And the numbers of people walking. Updated for 2025 all thedates are on our PUBLIC HOLIDAYS PAGE.
Drinking fonts and springs are not mentioned because many of them are dry some of the time, or the water may not be safe to drink (there's usually a sign: agua no potable / no apta para el consumo humano). Stock up on water whenever you can and don't set off without enough to get you to the next inhabited place.
Things change all the time on the Vía and it's impossible to update a printed guide that gets published once a year. Any updates we receive after publication are here: PILGRIM ACCOMMODATION UPDATES.
Waymarkings are basic but functional. Everywhere you will find painted yellow arrows like on other Caminos. However, it's important to note that the arrows are sometimes far less frequent than on other Caminos and are sometimes only to be seen at points where there's a change of direction. So basically, if you don't see any arrows, keep going straight, but keep your eyes peeled.
Besides yellow arrows you will also see official waymarking. This varies by region and sometimes by village. In Extremadura, as well as the yellow arrow, the Camino and the Roman Road are marked by blocks on the ground with a coloured tile on one side and a representation of the arch in Cáparra on the top pointing in the direction which you must follow. The tiles are coloured yellow (for the Camino) or green (for the Roman road) or bi-coloured where the Vía follows the Roman road.
In parts of Castilla y León you'll see stone pillars with the name of the Vía written in Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic – a echo from Spain's multiethnic past.
In Galicia you'll find the ubiquitous concrete bollards with the shell symbol on a tile pointing, with its flat end, in the direction to follow, and the distance to Santiago which assumes you're following the Verín variant after A Gudiña (confusing because no other distance signs make this assumption).
In certain places you may find that several different kinds of waymarking co-exist and occasionally they may point in contradictory directions. If in doubt, as a general rule, you should follow the yellow arrows. This is not to say that the other waymarkings are wrong, just that the yellow arrows are painted by people who have walked the Camino recently and are most likely to indicate the best walking route. The yellow arrows are also the waymarkings which are most likely to be up-to-date in the event of minor route changes.
If the guide doesn't say that there's a shop / restaurant / café / water source / bank / pharmacy (etc., etc.), then assume there isn't and plan accordingly!
Likewise, always assume there is no place to buy food or drinks between villages and that some villages have no facilities of any type. Even if there are shops and cafés also never assume they'll be open (see below).
The text of this guide is not sprinkled with reminders to always make sure you're carrying enough food and water. It is up to you to plan your walking day in advance, and sometimes several days in advance, taking account of availability of places where you can restock and other factors such as public holidays and opening times. You always need to carry an emergency reserve of food for the day when nothing is available. What you take is up to you, something filling which you can eat raw or heat up in a microwave.
The extreme summer heat in southern Spain makes June, July, August and September the most difficult and dangerous time to walk the southern sections of this Camino (south of Salamanca). In recent years several people have died on the Vía while walking or cycling in hot weather. You should not attempt the southern sections of the Vía in summer unless you are used to and comfortable walking in temperatures of 40C and higher. Also, many bars and albergues take their summer holidays at this time, adding to the discomfort and inconvenience.
North of Salamanca is a different matter. The climatic conditions which prevail there are largely similar to what you would encounter on the Meseta section Camino Francés.
There's also an interactive version of the guide with the ability to book online through Booking.com, it's here ONLINE GUIDE.
If you find this guide useful and you want to help (or if you don't find it useful and you still want to help) then send all suggestions, updates, corrections, etc. to me from the CONTACT PAGE.
We also have an active group on Facebook with Vía pilgrims of all levels of experience. If you have any questions or you'd like to share your knowledge and experience with your fellow pilgrims then come along to the VIA DE LA PLATA PILGRIMS GROUP.
My name is Gerald Kelly. I'm Irish. I started walking Caminos in 2004 when I walked a small part of the Camino Francés. I returned two years later to finish the job. I've been back most years since then, annual leave and pandemics allowing, to do it again.
The emergency services number for Spain is 112. Also please consider installing the AlertCops app. It's available for Android and iPhone.
- Statistics
- Distances from Santiago
Copyright © Gerald Kelly 2025. All text and photos.