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Sevilla-Salamanca in June?

Via2010

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
06/07 & 12 Camino Francés, 08-10 Via de la Plata, 13/14 & 17 Camino Portugués, 18 Camino Primitivo
Hi,

I would like to go back on the VdP next year, starting in Sevilla and trying to get to Salamanca in 3 weeks.
Due to circumstances at work and family business I do not see a chance to get there before the beginning of June.
Has anyone ever walked the southern section of the VdP at that time of the year?

I expect it to be rather hot, but that does not really frighten me. I had 35-40°C on the Portugues in August 2017 and some days with about 35° C on my Camino Primitivo this year. I could cope with that, rising early and trying to finish by 2'o clock in the afternoon. Any suggestions/recommendations?

I am also looking for company on the first three stages from Seville. Anyone else planning to be there next June?

I am fifty year old, from Germany, speak German, Englisch, Spanish, French and am recently learning Italian. I am used to walk distances between 20 and 35 km at an average speed 4 km/h.

BC
Alexandra
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I walked the VDLP -Camino Sanabres this year from May 29th -July 6th. This year was unusually cool and wet in Spain. The first 2 weeks I had more issues with being chilly in the morning vs. being too hot. Of course, the weather is different every year.

Eventually the hot weather did arrive. In addition to starting at 6-ish like you mentioned, I would also suggest bringing a reflective trekking umbrella as well as the usual advice to stay well-hydrated and consider an electrolyte powder if it gets to be really toasty. Of course, I can already hear a few cranky voices dissing the concept of electrolytes but they sure helped me. And yes, I ate a lot of bananas and nuts and salted my food.

Before I left one of my concerns was having others to walk with, given my relatively late start date. It was a pleasant surprise to find a number of others were on the trail at the same time. Don't be too concerned about lining someone up in advance. Being able to speak several languages as you do should make it easy to find walking companions.

Buen Camino.
 
I would not walk it at that time, but I do not cope with heat. Just bear in mind that people died this year on the VdlP - two directly from heat stress. I’m not saying it can’t be done, obviously lots do, but plan carefully and have a backup plan. Never let yourself run out of water, and yes, a reflective umbrella is very wise.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Hi,

Has anyone ever walked the southern section of the VdP at that time of the year?
Alexandra

Hi Alexandra,
We arrived in Sevilla on 2nd June (2015). It was already between 36 and 38 deg. then which is quite early. My husband doesn’t like heat so we changed our plans and instead started walking from Mérida - fewer days in the heat.
I must admit it was a struggle in Extremadura - long stretches - and the heat there seems to be different than everywhere else! :D Harder to bear somehow....
My advice would be to take an umbrella, it made all the difference. Also to stay (when you can) in air-conditioned hotels. It never went below 33 deg at night and it was impossible to get some sleep in the albergues....
In Carcaboso, the weather turned, it rained and... we were cold! 12 deg. in Salamanca!
If you’re OK walking in high temperatures, you’ll be fine - if you take precautions:
PLENTY of water and we also bought some ‘rehydration powder’ in Sevilla. Vile to drink when the water is warm but does the job.
Hope that helps? :)
 
Just bear in mind that people died this year on the VdlP - two directly from heat stress.
Good reminder, @Kanga . At the infamous ‘albergue’ near the embalse (sorry, exact name escapes me) one fellow arrived in very poor shape indeed. He had run out of water and it was a loooooong stretch that day. I was worried about him but I never saw him again as he left the following morning at 4am. (And the hospitalera was up too to prepare his breakfast :eek:)
 
Don't do it, way too risky dealing with that kind of heat and long, long distances in remote areas with not so much infrastructure. Also, in my opinion leaving so early each morning and then sitting in a sweltering oven of an albergue all afternoon and evening defeats the purpose of enjoying the amazing scenery, towns and people along the way.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I walked the VdlP last fall, starting in Seville on Oct. 3 with the expectation of missing the heat. I did not. High temperatures in the mid 30's all the way 500 km to Salamanca. I cannot recommend against the walk, as I do not know your personal situation. But make sure that you have some sort of gps device and a way to advise the security officials of your location. The second walker who died last summer ( a German) was able to call his wife but could not be found until too late. Carry lots of water, plan carefully, and do not count on albergues being open, whatever you are told. The aforementioned pilgrim had good reason to expect that the albergue on the embalse where he planned to stop would be open, but it closed without notice, forcing him to walk on in the heat. Carry more water than you expect to need and drink lots before you set out. The heat will certainly be worse in June than it was in September. I did not have a reflective umbrella, but would second the advice to carry one, as others have said that it significantly decreased the temperature beneath the umbrella. Buen camino.
 
I have already walked the VdP several years ago, so I know what to expect and that I have to carry lots of water as there are only few villages/facilities on the route. I started in Sevilla mid-september with high temperatures (35° C) and ended in Salamanca with very low temperatures, rain and frost in the morning. Overall the weather in June seems to be more constant. If it is really too hot, I would take a bus and Switch to another route.
 
Hi,

I would like to go back on the VdP next year, starting in Sevilla and trying to get to Salamanca in 3 weeks.
Due to circumstances at work and family business I do not see a chance to get there before the beginning of June.
Has anyone ever walked the southern section of the VdP at that time of the year?

I expect it to be rather hot, but that does not really frighten me. I had 35-40°C on the Portugues in August 2017 and some days with about 35° C on my Camino Primitivo this year. I could cope with that, rising early and trying to finish by 2'o clock in the afternoon. Any suggestions/recommendations?

I am also looking for company on the first three stages from Seville. Anyone else planning to be there next June?

I am fifty year old, from Germany, speak German, Englisch, Spanish, French and am recently learning Italian. I am used to walk distances between 20 and 35 km at an average speed 4 km/h.

BC
Alexandra
Hi,

I would like to go back on the VdP next year, starting in Sevilla and trying to get to Salamanca in 3 weeks.
Due to circumstances at work and family business I do not see a chance to get there before the beginning of June.
Has anyone ever walked the southern section of the VdP at that time of the year?

I expect it to be rather hot, but that does not really frighten me. I had 35-40°C on the Portugues in August 2017 and some days with about 35° C on my Camino Primitivo this year. I could cope with that, rising early and trying to finish by 2'o clock in the afternoon. Any suggestions/recommendations?

I am also looking for company on the first three stages from Seville. Anyone else planning to be there next June?

I am fifty year old, from Germany, speak German, Englisch, Spanish, French and am recently learning Italian. I am used to walk distances between 20 and 35 km at an average speed 4 km/h.

BC
Alexandra
770CEBFA-68E5-49B9-91C1-6D223F76351B.jpeg

Be very very careful. It is advised NOTvtovwalk that section in summer. I walked mid September and it was over 40 degrees. As you can see from the photo, I had my life saving sun reflective umbrella. I was unaware of how dangerous it would be. It was 40 degrees by 10.30 - 12. Check weather conditions first and carry lots of water if you do it !!
 
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We planned to start from Seville on August 27, 2014 but decided to bus it to Almaden de la Plata because of the heat. Much of the 30km stretch into Almaden is off road and without services and we thought it prudent to avoid that. Since then two peregrinos have died on that section.

From Almaden we spent 54 days (three of them for sightseeing) walking to Santiago. Up to and beyond Salamanca it was very hot but we were never in trouble and we were already in our 70s in 2014. It was often tough but it was one of the great experiences of our life and I would recommend it to anyone.

Liam
 
I stongly recommend against walking the southern half of the Via in summer. As other people have pointed out here several people have died in recently years doing this. If you're not used to walking in 40 degrees C and above you shouldn't be heading off on a long-distance hike in those kind of conditions. That's besides the fact that it's not going to be very enjoyable.

Gerald
 
Not recommended. Walked the VDLP with my cousin this spring and experienced everything from constant wind flowing west to east, rain with mud and flooding, plus heat when it was dry. We both ran out of water on occasion and I was carrying a 1.5L bottle. It snowed on us 2 days south of Salamanca. We only saw 4 other Americans between Seville and Astorga. It's dangerous to walk this route in the summer. Seville is on record as being the 4th hottest city in Europe.
 
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Hi,

I am not interested in further warnings, that it might be too hot and too dangerous, to start in June.

I know that many pilgrims prefer to walk the Via de la Plata in spring or in autum because of the milder temperatures. I have also done some Caminos in March/April or in September/October and I did not like it because of the rain and low temperatures and the darkness which is coming too early. I really enjoyed the previous Caminos which I walked in June because of the long days.

I have already checked the average and Maximum temperatures for that section of the Via de la Plata at Aemet. There may be days with 35°C+, but the main heat is in July and August and may prevail until Mid-September.

I also know about the pilgrims who died before reaching Almaden de la Plata. The German pilgrim died from a sudden heart attack, not from dehydration (his widow has told me about the circumstances of his death). I know that this is one of the most demanding stages at the beginning. This is one of the reasons for which I would prefer to walk it in company.

Catching a bus forward if it is too hot, is still an option. I know that autobuses LEDA run a regular Service between Seville and Merida, stopping in many villages along the Via.

BC
Alexandra
 
Last edited:
Alexandra:

The difficulty will be finding someone who walks at your pace and enjoys the heat.

Any walk can be done safely with preparation.

Ultreya,
Joe
 
Hi,

I am not interested in further warnings, that it might be too hot and too dangerous, to start in June.

I know that many pilgrims prefer to walk the Via de la Plata in spring or in autum because of the milder temperatures. I have also done some Caminos in March/April or in September/October and I did not like it because of the rain and low temperatures and the darkness which is coming too early. I really enjoyed the previous Caminos which I walked in June because of the long days.

I have already checked the average and Maximum temperatures for that section of the Via de la Plata at Aemet. There may be days with 35°C+, but the main heat is in July and August and may prevail until Mid-September.

I also know about the pilgrims who died before reaching Almaden de la Plata. The German pilgrim died from a sudden heart attack, not from dehydration (his widow has told me about the circumstances of his death). I know that this is one of the most demanding stages at the beginning. This is one of the reasons for which I would prefer to walk it in company.

Catching a bus forward if it is too hot, is still an option. I know that autobuses LEDA run a regular Service between Seville and Merida, stopping in many villages along the Via.

BC
Alexandra
Well, you’re all sorted then! Buen camino.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Alexandra:

The difficulty will be finding someone who walks at your pace and enjoys the heat.

Any walk can be done safely with preparation.

Ultreya,
Joe

There were others walking the year we did, about 10 of us, all young apart from us (well, in their mid-thirties, that’s young to me 😁) and the only ones who enjoyed it were from.... Seville.
But I noticed one Sevillano I befriended is walking it again this year, in... March! 😉
 
I walked in the summer of 2010 started in Sevilla late May about the 27th. We carried lots of water about 2.5 liter each as we walked without any book only following the arrows, running out of water was a problem three times but we lived. We loved the route and the peace, few other pilgrims at the start but more the farther we walked.
 
I walked in the summer of 2010 started in Sevilla late May about the 27th. We carried lots of water about 2.5 liter each as we walked without any book only following the arrows, running out of water was a problem three times but we lived. We loved the route and the peace, few other pilgrims at the start but more the farther we walked.
I am very glad that you were ok and able to deal with running out of water, but I would strongly recommend that people walking in summer months on these hot routes have an understanding of where the next stops are. Last summer, two pilgrims died on different sections of the Vdlp/Sanabrés. While I do not want to revive the debate over their cause of death, I just wanted to pipe in here to say that trusting the arrows is fine, but knowing where the next stop is and having enough water is essential.
 
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I totally agree on the water thing. I am not saying we did it the right way, only that it is doable. We learned a lesson on the water and had so really good luck, on having no problems. If you don’t know where the next water is always fill up and carry 2-3 liters of water.
 

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