The part of the Via de la Plata from Mérida to Salamanca is quite a challenge for pilgrims as it has long stages between towns. However, it is perhaps the most interesting stretch due to the amount of historical and cultural heritage that can be visited and that, together with the hospitality of its people and the beauty of its landscapes, forms a perfect setting for the bravest pilgrims.
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11 days / 10 nights accommodation
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Luggage transfer during the stages
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Complete documentation
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Pilgrim’s Credential
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On-the-road emergency telephone assistance
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Travel insurance
Contacto
Travel Itinerary
Merida is a very historic city that was founded by the Roman Emperor Augustus in the 1st century BC. Its archaeological site was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. Due to its Roman origin, the city possessed a multitude of monuments of this culture throughout its history, some of which are still very well preserved today. It is because of many of these aspects that Merida seems to us a unique place to start the Via de la Plata. We recommend you to visit among others: the bridge, the theatre, the circus, the amphitheatre or Trajan’s arch. If you are also passionate about art and history, you are in the perfect city; here you can visit the Museum of Roman Art and the Museum of Visigothic Art.
In this first stage you will leave Mérida approaching the aqueduct of Los Milagros, towards the Roman reservoir of Proserpina. You will go around the reservoir along a path until you turn off towards El Carrascalejo. From here you will continue through Aljucén, a village of Muslim origin, walking through the Natural Park of Cornalvo. Once you pass the reference of the Cruz de San Juan, you will be very close to Alcuéscar, the end of your stage.
Alcuéscar has in its surroundings a basilica of great patrimonial interest, dated from the VII century; it is the basilica of Santa Lucía del Trampal, a temple of Hispano-Visigothic origin. In the village itself you can visit the church of the Assumption, a gothic style construction. At lunchtime you should try the typical dishes of the place, such as migas, calderetas (stews) or pickled tench, all accompanied by Pitarra wines.
You will leave Alcuéscar walking through olive groves and pastures until you cross the bridge over the river Ayuela and reach the village of Casas de Don Antonio. You will continue parallel to the national road and you will pass by two milestones and a Roman bridge that crosses the Santiago stream. From here you will have to decide whether to take the shortcut through Aldea del Cano or continue along the marked path, arriving in both cases at Valdesalor. The small village of Valdesalor has services for refreshments and precedes the Puerto de la Camelia, the hardest part of this stage. You will have to cross the pass and an open field to get to Cáceres.
Cáceres, like its sister city in Extremadura, Mérida, has a network of well-preserved historic architecture, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. From the Plaza Mayor you can admire the Arco de La Estrella, the Torre de Bujaco, the Town Hall, the Torre de la Hierba and the Foro de los Balbos. Among other things, you should visit the Co-cathedral of Santa María and the Provincial Museum, where the impressive Almohad Aljibe (water cistern) is located. On the gastronomic level Cáceres will conquer you, it has its own cheese of the area, the torta de Casar, as a product with its own Denomination of Origin, which is still produced today in a very traditional way.
In this stage you will leave Cáceres behind and you will find Casar de Cáceres as the first town. The Way will take you through a succession of dirt tracks, open fields and milestones. You will pass by the hermitage of Santiago and you will advance until you cross the river Tajo, arriving at the Alcántara Reservoir, the end of today’s stage.
Today’s afternoon you will enjoy a pleasant natural environment, perfect to connect with yourself and relax. We recommend you to take advantage of this quiet stop to recharge your batteries for the remaining stages.
On this day you will leave the surroundings of the Alcántara Reservoir to go to the halfway point of this section of the Via de la Plata that begins in Mérida. Your next destination: Grimaldo. You will ascend a path that goes up to the Garrote hill, from where you will be able to enjoy beautiful views of the reservoir. You will continue your way towards the Sierra de Arco and cross the bridge of San Benito before arriving at Cañaveral. From here you will cross the Castaños pass surrounded by cork oaks until you reach Grimaldo.
Grimaldo is a village belonging to the municipality of Cañaveral, which historically has been a place of passage for people on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela along the Vía de la Plata. You can visit the church of Santa Marina and enjoy tasting its traditional dishes: migas, black pudding or caldereta.
You will start today’s stage walking along paths that run through cork oak groves until you reach Riolobos. From Riolobos you can continue on your way or take a short detour to visit the village. Your steps will lead you to Galisteo, a village that you will border by its impressive wall of boulders put in place in the 13th century. Leaving Galisteo behind, you will continue along the Vía de la Plata towards the road to Plasencia, cross the river Jerte and arrive at Aldehuela del Jerte. Finally, in a few kilometres, you will reach Carcaboso, the end of the stage.
Carcaboso is a small village where you can visit the parish church of Santiago Apóstol and taste typical dishes of the local gastronomy, such as patatas revolconas, black pudding, tripe or sausages.
Starting from Carcaboso, today’s route will take you again through paths full of cork oaks until you reach the Finca Dehesa Venta Quemada. From here you will continue on your way, coming across the Roman arch of Cáparra, one of the most emblematic icons of this part of the Via de la Plata between Mérida and Salamanca. You will continue alternating asphalted tracks with wooded paths until you reach the end of the stage in Aldeanueva del Camino, after crossing the Roman bridge of the Garganta Buitrera.
Aldeanueva del Camino is a small village located in an old Roman camp. Here you can enjoy strolling through its cobbled streets and visiting the church of Nuestra Señora de San Servando. Here, the star dishes will be stews and casseroles, with which we hope you will regain strength to continue the Camino.
This day you will leave Extremadura to enter Castilla y León. You will leave Aldeanueva del Camino towards the village of Baños de Montemayor. From here you will continue walking towards Puerto de Béjar, which you will cross. The route continues across the bridge of La Magdalena, which crosses the river Cuerpo de Hombre, until it reaches the small village of La Calzada de Béjar.
La Calzada de Béjar is a village with less than 100 inhabitants. In it, you can visit the church of the Assumption or the hermitage of the Santísimo Cristo de la Misericordia. La Calzada de Béjar still preserves its old Roman watchtower, located in the surroundings of the Calzada Romana. On the gastronomic side, you will start your mouth watering with the typical dishes of Castilian cuisine, such as lamb shoulders.
This stage will be as short as the previous one, perfect to rest a bit from the long days. You will continue from La Calzada de Béjar through the Sangusín valley, alternating between asphalt and path, until you reach Valverde de Valdelacasa. You will continue along asphalted tracks and rural roads accompanied by oak groves and Roman milestones until you reach the end of the stage in Fuenterroble de Salvatierra.
Fuenterroble de Salvatierra is a place very linked culturally to the Vía de la Plata, in fact, it houses a thematic Park of this route that is part of the Interpretation Centre of the Vía. You can also visit the temple of Santa María de la Blanca, in Gothic style dating from the 15th century, and the hermitage of Cristo del Socorro. Among its traditional food, you will be able to taste the famous Salamancan sausages and the ham of Guijuelo.
A stage of almost thirty kilometres without stops or services between the two towns, which can be divided into three parts. The approach to the Pico de la Dueña, the ascent to the summit and the flat road. Today we will reach an altitude of 1,165 meters, and we will finish the stage in the town of San Pedro de los Rozados.
San Pedro de los Rozados: It is a municipality of Salamanca with few inhabitants who are scattered among the various localities that make it up, but its main attraction lies, without doubt, in the parish church of Santa Maria de los Rozados. It has all the services, including a municipal swimming pool, a hostel and bars, among others.
Today you will start the last stage towards Salamanca. You will start the route towards the town of Morille, walking through large pastures. Afterwards you will reach Miranda de Arzán and after 9 kilometres, the end of the stage in Salamanca. You have arrived. This is the end of the Vía de la Plata from Mérida to Salamanca. And if we continue to Santiago?
Salamanca is a beautiful and historic city where you can relax and enjoy yourself. Among its many monuments and must-see places, we recommend you to visit the Plaza Mayor and the cathedral complex, the Historic Building of the University, the Casa de las Conchas, or the Torres de la Clerecía. Gastronomically you will marvel at the traditional cuisine of this place, where you should not miss the ham, meats, cheeses and sausages from Salamanca.
Congratulations! You have completed the Via de la Plata from Merida to Salamanca. Remember that you can add as many extra nights as you wish to enjoy the amazing city of Salamanca. Are you still hungry for more? Follow the next section of the Vía de la Plata from Salamanca to Puebla de Sanabria!
After leaving the accommodation, end of our services
Map of the Way
Type of accommodation
In hotels, guesthouses and rural houses from Mérida to Salamanca
Detalles
Services included
11 days / 10 nights accommodation
Luggage transfer during the stages
Complete documentation
Pilgrim’s Credential
On-the-road emergency telephone assistance
Travel insurance
Optional Services
| Servicio | In hotels, guesthouses and rural houses from Mérida to Salamanca |
|---|---|
 Breakfast | 70€ per person |
| MP (Breakfast and dinner) | 185€ per person |
| Supplement for single room | 230€ per single room |
| Extra night | 55€ (sing. room) / 70€ (doub. room) |
|
Breakfast | |
|---|---|---|
| In hotels, guesthouses and rural houses from Mérida to Salamanca | 70€ per person | |
|
MP (Breakfast and dinner) | |
| In hotels, guesthouses and rural houses from Mérida to Salamanca | 185€ per person | |
|
Supplement for single room | |
| In hotels, guesthouses and rural houses from Mérida to Salamanca | 230€ per single room | |
|
Extra night | |
| In hotels, guesthouses and rural houses from Mérida to Salamanca | 55€ (sing. room) / 70€ (doub. room) | |
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
The Camino de Santiago on your own includes the following services
- Accommodation
- Luggage transport
- Dossier with information about the stages
- Pilgrim's credential
- On-the-road helpline
- Travel insurance
In addition, you can customize your trip by adding the following optional services
- Breakfast or half board
- Private transfers to the start of the stage from Santiago de Compostela or from the airport.
- Extra night at the beginning or end of the stage
Unlike the group trips, no bus service, guide or support vehicle is included between stages. But you will have a 24-hour hotline where you can contact us in case of any problem or unforeseen event, which we will solve quickly.
In your travel documents, you'll find an emergency telephone number where we're accessible while you're on the road. This ensures you'll journey with peace of mind, knowin our team members will assist you with any problems, incidents, or questions you encounter along your Camino de Santiago.
To make a reservation, you can follow these steps:
- Through our website: Select the route you want and follow the steps indicated in the form. Provide your personal information and that of your companions, choose the type of accommodation, room distribution, meals, transfers, bike rental, etc.
- By email: If you prefer to make the reservation by email or need a personalized trip, you can send us an email to [email protected]. We will provide you with the necessary information to complete the reservation via email.
It is important to note that if the routes or services available on the website do not meet your specific needs, you can request a personalized quote by sending an email to [email protected].
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