The Vía de la Plata (Silver Way)

Frequently asked questions about Silver Route

• How long does it take to travel the Silver Route?

  The Silver Route starts in Seville and has almost 1,000 kilometres to Santiago de Compostela. In terms of days and stages, it can be divided in two ways, as it depends on which Camino you end up on. This route shares the final stretch with the French Way from Astorga (León), or with the Sanabrés Way in Granja de Moreruela (Zamora):

  • For the French Way, it has 38 stages, therefore, 38 days;
  • For the Sanabrés Way, it has 36 stages, therefore, 36 days.

  Each stage is the distance you cover in one day, from the starting point to the end of the walk, where you will spend the night. The stages can vary in distance and difficulty, and it is important to note that they can be adjusted according to your pace and physical condition. Some pilgrims choose to divide certain long or hard stages, or lengthen those that are shorter or easier to walk. It all depends on having a place to sleep.

• How many stages does the Silver Route have?

  The Silver Route starts in Seville and has almost 1000 kilometres to Santiago de Compostela. As for the stages, it can be divided in two ways, as it depends on which Camino you end up on. This route shares the final stretch with the French Way from Astorga (León), or with the Sanabrés Way in Granja de Moreruela (Zamora):

  • For the French Way, it has 38 stages;
  • For the Sanabrés Way, it has 36 stages.

  Keep in mind that this distance may vary depending on the possible variants or complementary and alternative paths that the pilgrim decides to take during the route. Each stage would be the distance you travel in a day, from the town of beginning to the end of the walk, where you will spend the night. The stages can vary in distance and difficulty, and it is important to note that they can be adjusted according to your pace and physical condition. Some pilgrims choose to split certain long or hard stages, or to lengthen the stages to a longer distance.

• How many kilometers are there on the Silver Route?

  The total kilometers of the Silver Route from Seville depend on how you get to Santiago de Compostela. This historic route has two possible ‘endings’: By the French Way from Astorga (León): about 1000 kilometres; By the French Way from Granja de Moreruela (Zamora): about 970 kilometres. It should be borne in mind that this distance may vary depending on the possible variants or complementary and alternative paths that the pilgrim decides to take during the route.

• Which rivers does the Silver Route cross?

  The Silver Route, one of the historic routes of the Camino de Santiago, crosses several important rivers, streams, creeks, reservoirs and lakes along its route from Seville to Santiago de Compostela. Among the most prominent rivers crossed by pilgrims on this route are:

  • Guadalquivir (Seville)
  • Guadiana (Mérida)
  • Tagus (Cáceres)
  • Tormes (Salamanca)
  • Duero (Zamora)

  Continuing along the French Way:

  • Esla (Zamora)
  • Órbigo (León)
  • Sil (León)
  • Miño (Lugo)

  Continuing along the Sanabrés Way:

  • Miño (Ourense)
  • Ulla (A Coruña)
  • Sar (A Coruña)

• Who created the Silver Route?

  The Silver Route was not originally created as a pilgrimage route, but as a Roman road built during the Roman Empire. Its main purpose was to connect the cities of Emerita Augusta (present-day Mérida) and Asturica Augusta (present-day Astorga), facilitating trade, military transport and communications throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Over time, this route became a strategic route for trade, warfare and the pilgrims from southern Spain who used it to reach Santiago de Compostela. Silver’ has nothing to do with the transport of this material. The name of this route comes from the pronunciation of the Arabic term ‘balath’, which means ‘paved road’, in relation to the Roman road.

• Where does the Camino de Santiago begin and where does it end?

  Each Jacobean itinerary has its starting point in a different place. The French Way starts in Saint Jean Pied de Port (France), the Northern Way in Irun, the Primitive Way starts in Oviedo, the English Way starts in Ferrol. The Silver Route starts from Seville, the Central Portuguese Route from Lisbon and the Portuguese Coastal Route from Oporto.   The Camino de Santiago ends in Santiago de Compostela, with the obligatory visit to the Cathedral and the tomb of St. James the Apostle. However, there is a Jacobean route in which Santiago is the beginning and not the goal, it is the Camino a Finisterre, whose goal is to reach the "End of the World",  located in the lighthouse of Finisterre.