La Via Del La Plata

The Via de La Plata is the longest of the Camino pilgrimage routes that cross Spain to take walkers to Santiago de Compostela and the shrine of Saint James. Although today’s Camino takes you on a 1000km walking route from Seville to Santiago de Compostela, historically the Via de la Plata formed an important trade road for the Romans, starting at Seville and ending in the northern region of Asturias. There is a lot of Roman history to see – towns with a rich Roman heritage such as Merida and Caceres lie on the route – as well as spectacular medieval cities as the route passes north from the Andalucían coast and through the regions of Extremadura and Castile & Leon before reaching Galicia in the north and its capital, Santiago de Compostela.  The modern route doesn’t entirely follow that of the old Roman road but where it does some sections are supposedly as they were two thousand years ago. 

Although the Via de la Plata (Spanish for ‘the silver route’) is said to derive its name from being the path for Roman silver passing from mines in Asturias to the southern coast historians would tell you otherwise.  Instead, the name is believed to derive from Arabic meaning ‘cobbled paving’ which describes the Roman road as the Moors would have found it as they used it to advance north during their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in the seventh century AD.

In its modern guise the route is far less frequented than the more famous Camino Frances with only about three percent of walkers who arrive at Santiago de Compostela having walked via the Via de la Plata. It is not only longer, it is more isolated - particularly in the region of Extremadura. Fewer facilities in general, and even fewer specifically for Camino walkers, together with the longer distances between towns and villages makes this route more challenging and it requires a little more planning as some legs have no facilities whatsoever between the day’s start and end. 

Notwithstanding that today’s Camino officially begins in Seville, I had it in mind to firstly walk from the southern coast before picking up the Via de la Plata Camino and then follow that to Santiago de Compostela.  Although the original path followed by the southern part of the Roman road doesn’t seem to extend to the coast in any marked way there is a recognised walking route between Cadiz to Seville and from there I could join the start of the modern Camino. This route follows part of yet another Roman road, the Via Augusta, the longest and busiest in the Iberian Peninsula at the time. This addition to the itinerary would add about seven days and 200 kilometres to my journey but from what I have read it would be seven days of panoramic views and interesting history. Furthermore, I would have the satisfaction of having walked more or less the length of Spain in the process of reaching Santiago de Compostela.

My bag is now packed. In addition to the tangible things I carried with me five years ago I also, rightly or wrongly, carry memories and expectations from that previous trip. In the coming days I will see how these might have coloured my hopes for this, my latest journey.