Starting from Sevilla in September

[Peter Nordberg]

Hola! I´m planning for my third camino. This time from Sevilla all the way to Santiago (hopefully). I plan to start September 23 and hope it will not be too hot. Would be interesting to hear from you who have walked Via del la Plata before and also from you who plan to start this fall.

Best regards
Peter

 

[nathanael]

Hola! I´m planning for my third camino. This time from Sevilla all the way to Santiago (hopefully). I plan to start September 23 and hope it will not be too hot. Would be interesting to hear from you who have walked Via del la Plata before and also from you who plan to start this fall.

Best regards
Peter

great Camino, enjoy Sevilla a grand city.

 

[lt56ny]

Hola! I´m planning for my third camino. This time from Sevilla all the way to Santiago (hopefully). I plan to start September 23 and hope it will not be too hot. Would be interesting to hear from you who have walked Via del la Plata before and also from you who plan to start this fall.

Best regards
Peter

I started from Sevilla in mid October of 2021. It was really hot every day for about the first 7 or 8 days. I carried 3 liters of water. I kept one frozen to help keep my food cold and fresh. There was very little shade. There were times I sat against a stone wall to rest and get partially out of the sun. If you like Olive trees there are millions of them. We were coming out of the Pandemic so virtually all kitchens were closed. So it ended up costing more than I thought it would. Very few other pilgrims. Saw a few each night but there were many days I did not see one as I walked. You need to do a little planning to know when you will need to bring food and how much as there are stages with no towns in between. Also depending on how far you are comfortable walking you need to do some planning to break up the longer stages. I always called ahead to make sure albergues were open. I do not want to walk 30K days. I always wore a hat with a cape on the back that covered my neck. I wore long sleeve shirts and long pants. They were quick dry and wicked sweat and I never felt I was hotter than if I wore short sleeves or shorts. I didn't want to expose my legs face and arms to that sun. Even when it cooled off I wore the hat. It is a solitary and reflective camino to be sure. It is not for the inexperienced pilgrim or someone with no hiking experience. In my opinion at least. I was planning to walk the Sanabia but by the time I got to Salamanca I was warned that it would be hard to find open albergues and I may have to walk long distances. But that was due to the pandemic. I am sure it would be different now. But as you get closer to November I would be sure to call to see if things are open. If you love history you will love this camino. If you love solitude you will love this camino. There are some really special towns and cities that you walk through. There are also some not so special ones either. Later in my camino, since kitchens were closed I ate at some pretty bad bars as there was nothing else open and they didn't serve until after 9PM. The towns on this camino do not look at the pilgrims as economic engines. It is not like they are not nice and kind to pilgrims it is just that they do not do anything to cater to Pilgrims and it is perfectly understandable.
I see you have walked the CF and CP. The VDLP could not be any more different. I sound like I am down on it. Nothing could be further from the truth. I will walk it again. Next time I will probably start on the Mozarabe in Cordoba and meet up with the VDLP in Merida. Last time I had to go through Astorga. Believe me even in late November it was kind of a shock to see so many pilgrims every day and night after being on the VDLP. Buen Camino.
P.S. I used the Buen Camino/Wise Pilgrim apps as well as Gronze to get as large a number of albergues to choose from. No one source has them all. At least they didn't when I walked. No one is 100% accurate on open/close dates as it is often left to the whim of the owners or towns as when albergues will be open. That is why I always called ahead. Stay hydrated.

 

[dbeatriceb]

I wouldn’t start from Sevilla until at least mid to late October. The walk could definitely be miserable and the heat around there can be deadly. I met some folks one year in the autumn, in Cebreiro, who had started in Seville in early September. They were from Texas and said they were accustomed to dealing with heat, but it was so hot leaving from Sevilla, they barely made it.
I walked the VdlP starting in February, if that tells you anything… but my heat tolerance is pretty much zero, so I guess it depends on the individual.

 

[Rita Flower]

Hola! I´m planning for my third camino. This time from Sevilla all the way to Santiago (hopefully). I plan to start September 23 and hope it will not be too hot. Would be interesting to hear from you who have walked Via del la Plata before and also from you who plan to start this fall.

Best regards
Peter

Hi Peter
I started on 22 September last year. It was very hot but manageable for the first week(s).
The sun is highest and the day hottest after 2 pm and later - due to Spains time zone - and sunrise is late.
Suggestions -
Start early - 6.30 am or earlier - it will be dark so a good headlamp is a blessing. Others will be on the road at that time. The scenery is pretty much the same all day but the stars and sunrises are spectacular. Some people in some sections started at 5.00 am. (I took a bus for that one 30 Km section).
Finish before 1.00 pm before the temp gets too high. I walked In the afternoon a couple of times. It was really hard but also showed me I was stronger than I thought. But would definitely avoid this if possible next time.
Sun protection- I had a reflective umbrella which was a lifesaver. I met two Swedish sisters who had these literally cool caps that you put in the fridge overnight and they stay cool on your head all day.
Late September is great - hot, passionate, challenging … I actually missed it when I got to the hills.
And finally, you arrive in Galicia before the weather gets too cold.
Buen Camino

Edit- I didn’t experiment any shortage of accommodation (except for weekends in tourist towns like Mérida) and most albergues were open. With Gerard Kelly’s guide and gronze it wasn’t too hard to plan my days.
I loved this Camino even though I did hate it a bit at the start.

 

[Portach]

Hola! I´m planning for my third camino. This time from Sevilla all the way to Santiago (hopefully). I plan to start September 23 and hope it will not be too hot. Would be interesting to hear from you who have walked Via del la Plata before and also from you who plan to start this fall.

Best regards
Peter

Walked Seville to Salamanca in 2017, started 29th Sept. It was hot. We aimed to have most of the walking done by 12 midday, and tried to finish by 2 pm latest. This involved starting to walk while it was still dark, so a good head torch was very useful. Temp dropped abruptly around 12th Oct with frost in the fields until mid morning as we approached Salamanca. I was so sorry I hadn’t brought gloves. We did the second half Apr 2018 so can’t comment re what it’s like in late autumn.

 

[Pilgrim Patricia]

Like @Portach I walked the Via de la Plata in two parts, but walked from Zamora to Santiago in October, 2008, then went back in March/April of 2009 to walk from Seville to Zamora. There was some rain in Galicia which was no big deal. Otherwise the weather was very pleasant, not too hot.

 

[Roger0704]

Hola! I´m planning for my third camino. This time from Sevilla all the way to Santiago (hopefully). I plan to start September 23 and hope it will not be too hot. Would be interesting to hear from you who have walked Via del la Plata before and also from you who plan to start this fall.

Best regards
Peter

hei Peter to Bad we will not catch up..
I am starting 30/9 from Almería ( camino Mozarabe ) and will Join VLP in Merida around 02/11...
Enjou the trip and lets hear if you enjoy it !!

 

[Rita Flower]

Hola! I´m planning for my third camino. This time from Sevilla all the way to Santiago (hopefully). I plan to start September 23 and hope it will not be too hot. Would be interesting to hear from you who have walked Via del la Plata before and also from you who plan to start this fall.

Best regards
Peter

Hi @Peter Nordberg
I realised my previous comment was all about the early weeks of the Via. At Granja de Mureruela you choose between the Sanabres or straight ahead to Astorga on the Frances. I heard the Camino to Astorga had very few pilgrims.
The Sanabres is beautiful, interesting, and will be pleasantly cool if not cold (one frosty morning) as you move into late October/November. I had gloves and for the evenings I purchased additional track pants and fleece vest at the Decathlon in Zamora. In Galicia I was lucky with weather and only had two horrendous downpours for a few hours - the rest was just light rain/drizzle for a few moments/hours a day. It sometimes rained heavily in the night, and some of the trails - and they were trails - were wet, slippery and a bit flooded. But there were always plenty of warnings and info in Gerard Kelly's guide and alternate routes are available.
I have been hankering after the Via again and look forward to your September posts (hopefully) so I can travel with you in Spirit.

 

[Peter Nordberg]

Hi Peter
I started on 22 September last year. It was very hot but manageable for the first week(s).
The sun is highest and the day hottest after 2 pm and later - due to Spains time zone - and sunrise is late.
Suggestions -
Start early - 6.30 am or earlier - it will be dark so a good headlamp is a blessing. Others will be on the road at that time. The scenery is pretty much the same all day but the stars and sunrises are spectacular. Some people in some sections started at 5.00 am. (I took a bus for that one 30 Km section).
Finish before 1.00 pm before the temp gets too high. I walked In the afternoon a couple of times. It was really hard but also showed me I was stronger than I thought. But would definitely avoid this if possible next time.
Sun protection- I had a reflective umbrella which was a lifesaver. I met two Swedish sisters who had these literally cool caps that you put in the fridge overnight and they stay cool on your head all day.
Late September is great - hot, passionate, challenging … I actually missed it when I got to the hills.
And finally, you arrive in Galicia before the weather gets too cold.
Buen Camino

Edit- I didn’t experiment any shortage of accommodation (except for weekends in tourist towns like Mérida) and most albergues were open. With Gerard Kelly’s guide and gronze it wasn’t too hard to plan my days.
I loved this Camino even though I did hate it a bit at the start.

View attachment 145274

View attachment 145275

Hi @Peter Nordberg
I realised my previous comment was all about the early weeks of the Via. At Granja de Mureruela you choose between the Sanabres or straight ahead to Astorga on the Frances. I heard the Camino to Astorga had very few pilgrims.
The Sanabres is beautiful, interesting, and will be pleasantly cool if not cold (one frosty morning) as you move into late October/November. I had gloves and for the evenings I purchased additional track pants and fleece vest at the Decathlon in Zamora. In Galicia I was lucky with weather and only had two horrendous downpours for a few hours - the rest was just light rain/drizzle for a few moments/hours a day. It sometimes rained heavily in the night, and some of the trails - and they were trails - were wet, slippery and a bit flooded. But there were always plenty of warnings and info in Gerard Kelly's guide and alternate routes are available.
I have been hankering after the Via again and look forward to your September posts (hopefully) so I can travel with you in Spirit.

Hi Rita, Thanks for sharing your experiences. A headlamp seems like
a good investment. The heat the first weeks is what I fear most. I walked from Lisbon last year and had a week with 30-35 degrees. And it was really hard. Early start is a must.

 

[Peter Nordberg]

Walked Seville to Salamanca in 2017, started 29th Sept. It was hot. We aimed to have most of the walking done by 12 midday, and tried to finish by 2 pm latest. This involved starting to walk while it was still dark, so a good head torch was very useful. Temp dropped abruptly around 12th Oct with frost in the fields until mid morning as we approached Salamanca. I was so sorry I hadn’t brought gloves. We did the second half Apr 2018 so can’t comment re what it’s like in late autumn.

Thanks for sharing. Good I´m an early bird.

 

[Peter Nordberg]

hei Peter to Bad we will not catch up..
I am starting 30/9 from Almería ( camino Mozarabe ) and will Join VLP in Merida around 02/11...
Enjou the trip and lets hear if you enjoy it !!

Hi Roger, Yes, let´s keep in touch. I will post here from time to time during my camino.

 

[Peter Nordberg]

I started from Sevilla in mid October of 2021. It was really hot every day for about the first 7 or 8 days. I carried 3 liters of water. I kept one frozen to help keep my food cold and fresh. There was very little shade. There were times I sat against a stone wall to rest and get partially out of the sun. If you like Olive trees there are millions of them. We were coming out of the Pandemic so virtually all kitchens were closed. So it ended up costing more than I thought it would. Very few other pilgrims. Saw a few each night but there were many days I did not see one as I walked. You need to do a little planning to know when you will need to bring food and how much as there are stages with no towns in between. Also depending on how far you are comfortable walking you need to do some planning to break up the longer stages. I always called ahead to make sure albergues were open. I do not want to walk 30K days. I always wore a hat with a cape on the back that covered my neck. I wore long sleeve shirts and long pants. They were quick dry and wicked sweat and I never felt I was hotter than if I wore short sleeves or shorts. I didn't want to expose my legs face and arms to that sun. Even when it cooled off I wore the hat. It is a solitary and reflective camino to be sure. It is not for the inexperienced pilgrim or someone with no hiking experience. In my opinion at least. I was planning to walk the Sanabia but by the time I got to Salamanca I was warned that it would be hard to find open albergues and I may have to walk long distances. But that was due to the pandemic. I am sure it would be different now. But as you get closer to November I would be sure to call to see if things are open. If you love history you will love this camino. If you love solitude you will love this camino. There are some really special towns and cities that you walk through. There are also some not so special ones either. Later in my camino, since kitchens were closed I ate at some pretty bad bars as there was nothing else open and they didn't serve until after 9PM. The towns on this camino do not look at the pilgrims as economic engines. It is not like they are not nice and kind to pilgrims it is just that they do not do anything to cater to Pilgrims and it is perfectly understandable.
I see you have walked the CF and CP. The VDLP could not be any more different. I sound like I am down on it. Nothing could be further from the truth. I will walk it again. Next time I will probably start on the Mozarabe in Cordoba and meet up with the VDLP in Merida. Last time I had to go through Astorga. Believe me even in late November it was kind of a shock to see so many pilgrims every day and night after being on the VDLP. Buen Camino.
P.S. I used the Buen Camino/Wise Pilgrim apps as well as Gronze to get as large a number of albergues to choose from. No one source has them all. At least they didn't when I walked. No one is 100% accurate on open/close dates as it is often left to the whim of the owners or towns as when albergues will be open. That is why I always called ahead. Stay hydrated.

Hi, Thanks for your long and informative reply. Yes, I understand it will be different from Frances and Portugues, but that´s what alluring me to walk it. I hope the heat will not be to much trouble and the body will take me all the way to Santiago.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Good luck!

 

[alhartman]

I did the VdlP starting in late Oct 2010 after finishing the Vezelay in Pamplona--and taking a train to Seville. It was my toughest Camino by far: alone, poor Spanish, Alison Raju guidebook, few open bodega, maybe 5 other pilgrims until Zamora, most albergues locked so I had to find the nearby house with the key,. So the infrastructure for me was non-existent. That said, the walking was wonderful and the route from Sanabria spectacular--much like entering Galicia after Astorga. I was well prepared as it was my 6th walk--and I had spent my youth backpacking all over the Sierras. Definitely no hot weather!! but many days of horizontal rain. Times have changed for infrastructure (and guidebooks) over the intervening 13 years, but it definitely was an ADVENTURE. "The Way" was opening in SdC when I arrived just before American Thanksgiving. I would not hesitate to recommend it for solitary walking. And definitely not for a first camino, but you will be fine with it as your third; just prepare for a 4-season walk. buen camino

 

[thepacman]

Hi @Peter Nordberg. You mention that you leave Sevilla September 23. I assume that this is the 23rd Sept, and not simply "during September 2023"!! My wife and I will leave on 16th September, and plan to arrive into SdC on 7th Nov. Our planned daily average walk will be around 20klms, and we also have a few rest days scheduled . So depending on your plans and timing we may see each other at some point.

We're from Western Australia, and to some degree used to heat, but all the same @Rita Flower's suggestions are wise. And whilst I do plan and hope to walk the whole way, I'm not averse to finding a taxi if it all gets too hard. No point in killing myself for the sake of "purity".

Hopefully see you along the way ...

 

[Peter Nordberg]

Hi @thepacman I have slightly changed my plans and will most likely leave Sevilla 19th of September. So even more likely we might see each other somewhere on the Camino.

 

[WalkingInGers]

Hola! I´m planning for my third camino. This time from Sevilla all the way to Santiago (hopefully). I plan to start September 23 and hope it will not be too hot. Would be interesting to hear from you who have walked Via del la Plata before and also from you who plan to start this fall.

Best regards
Peter

That was my second intention after discarding the idea of hiking from Pamplona to Santiago via the Camino Frances, and because of family obligations, will try Via de la Plata in March 2024 if it is not decided to walk the 88 temples on Shikoku Island, Japan.