• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

LIVE from the Camino Via de la Plata - shorter stages

Time of past OR future Camino
Frances, '12; Frances, '14; Port, '15; Frances, Norte, Fisterre, '16; Ingles, Fisterre/Muxia '17
Started today to do ~2 1/2 weeks on the Via de la Plata trying to stay under 20K days. The guide says 10K to Santiponce but I think from Hotel Simon close to the cathedral, it adds a couple of K’s. This is not scientific, so please don’t ask me to prove. 🥴
We mis-read an arrow coming into Santiponce & overshot Hotel Los Girasoles & had to back track a bit. Nice hotel but very basic - their cafeteria is closed & no restaurants close by. A supermarket but no way to cook food! We will get our act together tomorrow! Kathi
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Hi Kathi - yes, it’s very doable to do stages around the 20km mark - some days are a bit over that mark though.

I’m currently on the VDLP at Almendralejo which is a variant between Villafranca de los Barros and Torremejia. My daily stages have been:

Day 1 - Seville-Santiponce - 15kms
Day 2 - Santiponce-Guillena - 13.8kms
Day 3 - Guillena-Castilblanco de los Arroyos - 18kms
Day 4 - Castilblanco-Almaden - 13kms as I shared a taxi to the entrance of Finca el Berrocal which took 16kms off the day’s stage of 29kms
Day 5 - Almaden-El Real de la Jara -23kms
Day 6 - El Real-Monasterio - 22kms
Day 7 - Monasterio-Fuente de Cantos - 23kms
Day 8 - Fuente de Cantos-Zafra - 27kms but partly due to Google’s route into Zafra and location of my hotel.
Day 9 - rest day in beautiful Zafra but still walked nearly 8kms exploring.
Day 10- Zafra-Villafranca de los Barros - 21.5kms
Day 11- Villafranca los Barros-Almendralejo - 22.2kms

Still to walk till Day 14 -

Day 12- Almendralejo-Torremejia - planning for 13kms
Day 13-Torremejia-Merida - planning for 15kms
Day 14- Merida rest day

I can thoroughly recommend a rest day in Zafra - it’s really historic, very interesting and there’s heaps to see and do. It’s also a chance to catch up on a “proper” laundry wash. Check everything first with the very helpful staff at the Tourist Information Centre in Plaza de España.

Buen Camino!

Jenny
 
Hi Kathi - yes, it’s very doable to do stages around the 20km mark - some days are a bit over that mark though.

I’m currently on the VDLP at Almendralejo which is a variant between Villafranca de los Barros and Torremejia. My daily stages have been:

Day 1 - Seville-Santiponce - 15kms
Day 2 - Santiponce-Guillena - 13.8kms
Day 3 - Guillena-Castilblanco de los Arroyos - 18kms
Day 4 - Castilblanco-Almaden - 13kms as I shared a taxi to the entrance of Finca el Berrocal which took 16kms off the day’s stage of 29kms
Day 5 - Almaden-El Real de la Jara -23kms
Day 6 - El Real-Monasterio - 22kms
Day 7 - Monasterio-Fuente de Cantos - 23kms
Day 8 - Fuente de Cantos-Zafra - 27kms but partly due to Google’s route into Zafra and location of my hotel.
Day 9 - rest day in beautiful Zafra but still walked nearly 8kms exploring.
Day 10- Zafra-Villafranca de los Barros - 21.5kms
Day 11- Villafranca los Barros-Almendralejo - 22.2kms

Still to walk till Day 14 -

Day 12- Almendralejo-Torremejia - planning for 13kms
Day 13-Torremejia-Merida - planning for 15kms
Day 14- Merida rest day

I can thoroughly recommend a rest day in Zafra - it’s really historic, very interesting and there’s heaps to see and do. It’s also a chance to catch up on a “proper” laundry wash. Check everything first with the very helpful staff at the Tourist Information Centre in Plaza de España.

Buen Camino!

Jenny
Thanks - that is pretty much our route to a T! We made it to Guillena today. We are only going as far as Caceres this trip so we are not taking any rest days. Buen Camino!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Hi Kathi - yes, it’s very doable to do stages around the 20km mark - some days are a bit over that mark though.

I’m currently on the VDLP at Almendralejo which is a variant between Villafranca de los Barros and Torremejia. My daily stages have been:

Day 1 - Seville-Santiponce - 15kms
Day 2 - Santiponce-Guillena - 13.8kms
Day 3 - Guillena-Castilblanco de los Arroyos - 18kms
Day 4 - Castilblanco-Almaden - 13kms as I shared a taxi to the entrance of Finca el Berrocal which took 16kms off the day’s stage of 29kms
Day 5 - Almaden-El Real de la Jara -23kms
Day 6 - El Real-Monasterio - 22kms
Day 7 - Monasterio-Fuente de Cantos - 23kms
Day 8 - Fuente de Cantos-Zafra - 27kms but partly due to Google’s route into Zafra and location of my hotel.
Day 9 - rest day in beautiful Zafra but still walked nearly 8kms exploring.
Day 10- Zafra-Villafranca de los Barros - 21.5kms
Day 11- Villafranca los Barros-Almendralejo - 22.2kms

Still to walk till Day 14 -

Day 12- Almendralejo-Torremejia - planning for 13kms
Day 13-Torremejia-Merida - planning for 15kms
Day 14- Merida rest day

I can thoroughly recommend a rest day in Zafra - it’s really historic, very interesting and there’s heaps to see and do. It’s also a chance to catch up on a “proper” laundry wash. Check everything first with the very helpful staff at the Tourist Information Centre in Plaza de España.

Buen Camino!

Jenny
Gréât to see this post from you @JennyH94 yeah. And to see the shorter stages.

Up until very recently we have usually gone for high 20s to low 30s per day. But on the Piemont recently, when we had to make some tricky choices in stages - and there was a lot of climbing - we discovered the joy of days walking in the low 20s. Think this may be the way of the future for The French and me. We found we walked at a more natural pace - for us - not in any hurry, and felt we’d done a good day’s walking without being exhausted.

I’m going to keep your stages as reference for thé VdelP which, as you know, was going to be this year but now more likely 2023.

A teensy bit envious that you are approaching Merida. Love that town ❤️❤️❤️

Take care. Buen camino.
Xx
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Gréât to see this post from you @JennyH94 yeah. And to see the shorter stages.

Up until very recently we have usually gone for high 20s to low 30s per day. But on the Piemont recently, when we had to make some choices in stages - and there was a lot of climbing - we discovered the joy of days walking in the low 20s. Think this may be the way of the future for The French and me. We found we walked at a more natural pace - for us - not in any hurry, and felt we’d done a good day’s walking without being exhausted.

I’m going to keep your stages as reference for thé VdelP which, as you know, was going to be this year but now more likely 2023.

A teensy bit envious that you are approaching Merida. Love that town ❤️❤️❤️

Take care. Buen camino.
Xx
I have also copied these stages to a file for a future Camino!
 
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.
Hola @ JennyH94, I was just thinking about you and wondered how your Camino was going. From your post and checking my guide book you should either be in Merida or just about to depart. I had two great days in Merida - there was so much to see and do.
Now for future days walks - I had a short day Merida to Aljucen; Aljucen to Alcuescar.
From Alcuescar I would recommend stopping at Aldea del Camino and then walk to Caceres the next day. A rest day here is also a good idea (or at least a half day) before a short day to Casar de Caceres. There is an albergue in the middle of town - near the clock tower (it stops chiming at mid night) and there is (or was) a nice cafe just across the road. There is a supermacardo (recommended that you stock up on lunch supplies as there is not much (nothing) between CdeC and Alconetar or Canaveral.

Best wishes; Buen Camino
 
Buen Camino Kathi! I hope you find all goes really well.

Take joy in every step -

Jenny
I hope we meet up sometime Jenny. I’ve heard your name a few times. There are many Forum pilgrims on the Via. I’m in Caceres now.
Heather
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Hi Heather - thanks so much for your message.

We won’t meet, sadly, as I’m a day behind you in Valdesalor - a real camino snail!

I hope you’re having a wonderful camino.

I’ve met a few Forum members - such a treat to connect with members of our Forum family.

Enjoy beautiful Caceres and all that’s ahead to Santiago.

Best wishes and a huge and hearty Buen Camino!

Jenny
 
Hi Heather - thanks so much for your message.

We won’t meet, sadly, as I’m a day behind you in Valdesalor - a real camino snail!

I hope you’re having a wonderful camino.

I’ve met a few Forum members - such a treat to connect with members of our Forum family.

Enjoy beautiful Caceres and all that’s ahead to Santiago.

Best wishes and a huge and hearty Buen Camino!

Jenny
Hi Jenny

re Cáceres - In 2011 I shared a room with Marjude on the forum ] in the Hotel Cerrato in Cáceres. It was right on the Plaza Mayor and our 2nd story room had a little balcony where we could sit. Late at night as we sat there and gazed at the ancient walled city lit up by flood lights on the other side of the square, Judy took another sip of wine and asked me "How did we get this lucky?" How indeed!

The Cerrato was 25 euro a room in those days, but that was a long time ago.

Always glad to hear of your progress - buen camino!
 
Hi Heather - thanks so much for your message.

We won’t meet, sadly, as I’m a day behind you in Valdesalor - a real camino snail!

I hope you’re having a wonderful camino.

I’ve met a few Forum members - such a treat to connect with members of our Forum family.

Enjoy beautiful Caceres and all that’s ahead to Santiago.

Best wishes and a huge and hearty Buen Camino!

Jenny
Hi Jenny was lovely to meet you the other morning. I’m in Casar de caceres today…. the long road tomorrow to canaveral!
Wishing you a Hugh Buen Camino!
Lynn
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
The hostel canaveral is such a treat. Wonderful place. Long walk today, beautiful scenery but not so lovely on the feet!
Hi Lynn, missing you. We are in Hostal Asturias tonight. Lovely walk today from Carcabosa. Lots of Forum members on the plata.
 

Most read last week in this forum

Hello, First time posting but as Google hasn't been helpful I was hoping others here might be able to help with an odd query. I am considering the Via de la Plata from Seville via Sanabres as my...
I am posting daily blog style updates on Facebook that anyone can see and follow: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.8095032397178476&type=3 There are also video format stories visible on...
Hey folks. I started the Mozarabe from Almeria and took time out in Salamanca to do a 3 week Spanish course in USAL. The course was fine. 4 hours a day. For the first week we had an excellent...
Y’all, one week from today I get on the plane to fly to Sevilla. Growing anxiety. I will start El Camino on April 6. I hope to report progress here and continue to look for advice. How does...
Does anybody have any good ideas about secure carparking whilst doing the Vía de la Plata from Sevilla to Merida please?

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top