Vía de la Plata (Silver Route)

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About the Route

Key Waypoints

1. Sevilla

   0km from start · 11m

   Begin the Vía de la Plata at the world's largest Gothic cathedral (UNESCO), with Columbus's tomb inside. The Giralda tower was a 12th-century Almohad minaret transformed into a bell tower. The Real Alcázar palace is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. The Barrio de Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter, is a labyrinth of whitewashed lanes. Summer heat warning: temperatures regularly exceed 40°C — start before dawn.

2. Almaden de la Plata

   75km from start · 480m

   Despite its name echoing Almadén (mercury mines), this village's 'plata' refers to the Via de la Plata road itself. The Romans mined silver and copper in these Sierra Norte hills, and a well-preserved section of the original Via Augusta road surface — with original basalt paving and a milestone inscribed to Emperor Augustus — survives nearby.

3. Villafranca de los Barros

   200km from start · 330m

   Important agricultural town in the Tierra de Barros, one of Extremadura's most productive wine regions. The sandy 'barro' soils give the region its name and produce the characteristic wines. The 16th-century collegiate church of Santa María del Valle is a significant Renaissance monument. The town's ceramic and wine traditions are deeply intertwined. Important resupply stop on the long stretch across the Extremaduran meseta.

4. Canaveral

   365km from start · 360m

   A hilltop village with views over the Tajo River gorge and the Alcántara reservoir, 20km from the Puente de Alcántara — the greatest Roman bridge in Spain, built under Emperor Trajan around 106 CE. The Vía de la Plata crosses this wild granite and holm oak terrain with its original Roman alignment almost perfectly preserved.

5. Fuenterroble de Salvatierra

   510km from start · 930m

   Remote Castilian village at 1,033m on the Silver Route, famous for its legendary parish priest Blas who dedicated his life to welcoming pilgrims. His handwritten pilgrim register became renowned throughout Spain. A deeply human stage on the Via.

6. Zamora

   640km from start · 652m

   The 'Romanesque Museum' city boasting 24 Romanesque churches — the highest concentration in the world for its size — built between the 11th and 13th centuries. The cathedral's Byzantine-inspired ribbed dome (1174) is unique in Spain. The city walls and the castle overlook the Douro River. The Holy Week processional sculptures (pasos) are considered among Spain's finest religious art. Traditional filigree silverwork is a local craft.

7. La Baneza

   760km from start · 770m

   Market town in the fertile Órbigo-Tuerto basin of León. The Via de la Plata enters the final Leonese plain before Astorga here. The Baroque Church of Santa María and lively market square make it a comfortable rest stop on the Silver Route.

8. Sarria

   940km from start · 453m

   The most popular starting point for pilgrims seeking the minimum 100km required for the Compostela certificate — the town is exactly 111km from Santiago. The medieval old town climbs a steep hill crowned by the 13th-century Monastery of La Magdalena. The Romanesque Church of O Salvador and the castle tower are important monuments. Sarria marks a noticeable increase in fellow pilgrims on the trail.

30 waypoints total · Sacred Trails app contains full detail for every waypoint.

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