de la Plata from Africa

[Johan van der Hoven]

Good day
I have a sort of "of the track" question. I have done 4 Camino's already, and next year I want to do the Via de la Plata. Being from South Africa, I was thinking of starting in the Africa continent at Ceuta. Then I will take a ferry to Tarifa.... From Tarifa I want to hike to Cadiz, and start the actual Camino there.
My question: It doesn't seem that there is an official hiking trail between Tarifa and Cadiz. I do not mind walking that distance on a road - BUT
1) Are one allowed to walk on the N-340?
2) Are there any alternative hiking trails / paths between Tarifa and Cadiz?
Thank you in advance for your advice!
Regards
Johan

 

[Tincatinker]

You may find this thread helpful: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/estrecho-augusta.80052/#post-1129400

 

[Marcus-UK]

Good day
I have a sort of "of the track" question. I have done 4 Camino's already, and next year I want to do the Via de la Plata. Being from South Africa, I was thinking of starting in the Africa continent at Ceuta. Then I will take a ferry to Tarifa.... From Tarifa I want to hike to Cadiz, and start the actual Camino there.
My question: It doesn't seem that there is an official hiking trail between Tarifa and Cadiz. I do not mind walking that distance on a road - BUT
1) Are one allowed to walk on the N-340?
2) Are there any alternative hiking trails / paths between Tarifa and Cadiz?
Thank you in advance for your advice!
Regards
Johan

It is possible to take the camino del estrecho westward to Cadiz and then take the via Augusta to Seville. alternatively take the estrecho westwards to La Linea (option to visit Gibraltar) then take the camino Via Serrana North to Seville. The Serrana is a tougher route. There are frequent buses traveling the coastal route from La Linea to Cadiz and visa versa.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I see that a number of tracks located in this area have been submitted to Wikiloc. I found them using my Wikiloc app with filters of "hiking" and distances greater than 65 km. I had better luck entering the keywords "tarifa jerez" than "tarifa cadiz". You can also do searches at https://wikiloc.com but you can't download the tracks until you register an account. An account is free but paid membership gets you a few perks that probably aren't helpful as a new user.

 

[Willdtrout]

I would recommend the Via Serrana from Gibraltar (La Linea in Spain) to Seville. I just finished it two weeks ago. It’s a beautiful walk.

Google shows a ferry from Ceuta to Gibraltar

 

[ward4e]

hey mate, in May i started my walk in Gibraltair. Before hand I took the fast ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta and back. It was fun and the the bus to La Línea de la Concepción is super easy. Theres a good hostel above a pizza place but the name escapes me. Anyway the Via Serrana is a fantastic hike and Ronda is well worth the say! I will be about over Christmas for questions if need.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Via Serrana maps and GPS routes.

Via Serrana

Via Serrana Gibraltar Ronda Olvera Utrera Seville Viewranger GPS GPX Routes and Maps

douglasajohnson.com

 

[Madrood]

Before you get browbeaten into doing the Via Serrana (I kid) I do think the Estrecho (as I did it) is quiet nice and much better for accommodation. The sand can be a slog when it's soft but you also get a cool sea breeze, pine forests, and a great Roman site.

As for your specific questions; yes you can walk on the N-340, I did it either side of Tarifa for a while and passing police cars didn't seem bothered. The hard shoulder is wide enough for 1 west of Tarifa there is also a beaten path (slightly overgrown) just off some of it. There are some sections though where the hard should disappears on one side.

There are many hiking trails around this area, wikiloc is useful here. There is also an ongoing construction project which will build improve a EuroVelo cylicing road (EV8) down to Tarifa on the west side which you can step on and off of, assuming they aren't actually working on it in the moment. Some of it is dedicated cycling road, some of it is car road.

Then there is also the camino estrecho itself, which you can find more about on the cadiz amigo website. However you do it, I strongly recommend using GPS and prebooking accommodation.

If you do decide to stick with this side of the strait ask me what you want and I'll try to help as best I can.

 

[Skinnybiker]

Good day
I have a sort of "of the track" question. I have done 4 Camino's already, and next year I want to do the Via de la Plata. Being from South Africa, I was thinking of starting in the Africa continent at Ceuta. Then I will take a ferry to Tarifa.... From Tarifa I want to hike to Cadiz, and start the actual Camino there.
My question: It doesn't seem that there is an official hiking trail between Tarifa and Cadiz. I do not mind walking that distance on a road - BUT
1) Are one allowed to walk on the N-340?
2) Are there any alternative hiking trails / paths between Tarifa and Cadiz?
Thank you in advance for your advice!
Regards
Johan

Some good info from others so a couple of different points;

• from SA can you fly to Casablanca or Rabat then train to Tangier?
• the ferry from Ceuta goes to Algeciras, if you want Tarifa then catch the fast cat from Tangier
• from Tarifa you will have to walk the N340 to Valdevaqueros but there are roadside trails
• then follow the coast via Punta Paloma on the newly built EV8 which is mostly finished to Cadiz
• in my (cycling) experience Cádiz to Sevilla is pretty flat & mundane through the Guadalquivir plain
• maybe following the river would be more interesting?

The coastal route is scenic and is my favourite bike route to Tarifa; an advantage over the N340 is that there are more places to eat & stay overnight. The N340 gets busy around Chiclana & San Fernando. Its about 110km from Tarifa to Cadiz.

 

[Madrood]

When I was scouting out the Augusta it did seem quite boring after Jerez. A lot of that land used to be underwater not so many centuries ago and has been reclaimed for agricultural purposes, so it's flat and monotonous. I was going to go blast through as quickly as possible in 3 ~30km stages, Jerez to Lebija, to Los Palacios, to Seville, which is closer to the river than the official route. Depending on what time of year you walk you may have to contend with mosquito since a lot of those fields are for rice and those insects love that kind of water logged environment.

I was on the N340 all the way from El Colorado to a forested park called Pinar de Hierro south of Chiclana too come to think of it. But if I was doing again I would't stay in El Colorado again and keep following the coast, if I could make the logistics work.

 

[Skinnybiker]

We live in El Colorado, Conil; it is perfectly feasible to continue along the coast from Conil to Sancti Petri but you have to turn inland, pass through Chiclana then continue on the new Camino across the Salinas to San Fernando then on to Cádiz.

In my original post above I meant the Guadalquivir flood plains not valley. Apologies.

 

[Madrood]

I took that new camino, no flamingos unfortunately but lots of little crabs that would panic if they felt the vibrations of a passerby.

 

[JabbaPapa]

In your shoes, simply for variety, I would follow the coastal biking route, getting off it towards the end into Chiclana de la Frontera > tarmac over the river area > San Fernando > cycling/walking coastal route to Cádiz.

Then out from Cádiz > Puerto Real > then follow your plans.

Should all be waymarked.

 

[Rob Grashoff]

There is an organisation and a website with information about via Augusta, via Serrana etc. : https://www.asociacionjacobeacadiz.org/wikiloc-viaserrana.htm

 

[Johan van der Hoven]

hey mate, in May i started my walk in Gibraltair. Before hand I took the fast ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta and back. It was fun and the the bus to La Línea de la Concepción is super easy. Theres a good hostel above a pizza place but the name escapes me. Anyway the Via Serrana is a fantastic hike and Ronda is well worth the say! I will be about over Christmas for questions if need.

Thank you so much! I may contact you soon. It is good to know that this route is worth doing!

 

[Johan van der Hoven]

hey mate, in May i started my walk in Gibraltair. Before hand I took the fast ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta and back. It was fun and the the bus to La Línea de la Concepción is super easy. Theres a good hostel above a pizza place but the name escapes me. Anyway the Via Serrana is a fantastic hike and Ronda is well worth the say! I will be about over Christmas for questions if need.

Good day
Thank you for the advice! - I decided to take the route you recommended from La Linea.
Was it difficult to keep on track, or easy to get lost? Also, do you know about any Apps that covet this route?
Thanks in advance.

 

[VNwalking]

Late to this, but here is a wonderful thread to read:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/north-from-tarifa.51236/#post-561372

Here was the quick summary:

Last year I walked from Tárifa to La Línea (Gibraltar) and then on the Vía Serrana to join the VdlP at Seville. It was extremely lovely, although quite hard work in places - ~200m of ascent in 1km up (and down) the Cañon de las Buitreras, near Jimena de la Frontera, for example. Arriving in Ronda on foot was very special (and arriving that way in Seville, of course). I'd say it was a perfect prelude to the VdlP, or a perfect little winter camino in its own right.

You can go left from Tárifa and get to Seville by Cádiz, but it sounds very flat.

 

[Willdtrout]

Good day
Thank you for the advice! - I decided to take the route you recommended from La Linea.
Was it difficult to keep on track, or easy to get lost? Also, do you know about any Apps that covet this route?
Thanks in advance.

Have you seen this website?

Asociación Gaditana Jacobea "Vía Augusta"-página principal

Web de la asociacion gaditana de amigos del camino de Cádiz "Vía Augusta"

www.asociacionjacobeacadiz.org

I used the gps tracks from that site on wikiloc and they weren’t perfect but good enough

They also have a daily schedule and list of hotels for the route

They