THE "VIA DE LA PLATA" 

MAY BE DIVIDED UP INTO 4 PARTS:

* Sevilla - Mérida (Provincias de Sevilla & Badajoz) (215 kms)  

* Mérida - Baños de Montemayor (Provincia de Cáceres) (208 kms)  

 * Astorga - Santiago de Compostela (León, Bierzo, Galicia) (251 kms) 

 ITS TOTAL LENGTH IS 970 KILOMETERS

UPDATES 2011 - 2012 - 2013

CAMINO MOZARABE: UPDATES

Málaga: Hostal Terminus in centre of town: good

Granada:  Hotel Montecarlo in centre of town: good & good breakfast.

Credentials are sold in an office behind the cathedral.

Pinos Puente: the Albergue de la Congregación de los esclavos de

María y los pobres is good (donativo). A bit difficult to find?

Moclín: the Albergue turns out to be an expensive Casa rural!

Alcala la Real: Hostal de Oro is good.

VIA DE LA PLATA:

Sevilla - Guillena (22 kms)

Sevilla: all services provided, including an Albergue.

Another cheap option: Living Roof Hostal

Guillena:

Albergue: OK

Hostal Francés: good 

Guillena - Castilblanco de los Arroyos (18 kms)

Castilblanco:

Albergue: so so

Castilblanco - Almadén de la Plata (30 kms)

Almadén:

Albergue: so so (luke warm showers)

Casa Concha: good menu

More Albergues in: El Real de la Jara, Fuente de Cantos,

Calzadilla de los Barros and in Puebla de Sancho Pérez. (No recent info available)

New in 2012: a good albergue in Monesterio.

Zafra:

Albergue: OK

Hostal Arais: good

Zafra - Villafranca de los Barros (20 kms)

Villafranca:

Albergue: basic, when open

Casa Perín: good!

 Villafranca - Torremejía (28 kms)

Torremejía:

Albergue: OK

Hostal Turismo: good

Torremejía - Mérida (16,5 kms)

Mérida:

All services provided

Albergue: 617 15 73 06 (Open all year) (good)

Hostal Al Andaluz: good

Europa Bar: not great

Mérida - Aljucén (16,1 kms)

Aljucén:

Casa Rural "La Bóveda" (also restaurant)   924 31 28 23 or  690 06 09 75

Albergue:  924 31 28 23 (yellow building on the right in main street; a fairly basic refuge)

Good bar also in main street.

Private Albergue: good!

Aljucén - Alcuéscar (19,9 kms)

Alcuéscar:

"Casa Grande de Extremadura"  927 38 44 78

Various restaurants / shops

Albergue:  927 12 00 24 (Large white building on carretera; good albergue; donativo; dinner served)

Good bar opposite albergue. Follow the arrows to the carretera and do not climb to the village. There MAY be

drinkable water in a creek on the border of the Provinces of Badajoz / Cáceres (look for the border stone)

Alcuéscar - Aldea del Cano (15 kms) - Valdesalor (26,4 kms)

Aldea del Cano:

"Casa Rural Vía de la Plata"  666 43 14 20

Restaurante "Las Vegas"

Albergue:  927 38 30 04 (Info: Restaurante "Las Vegas") or   927 38 31 72 (Council)

(Good albergue; kitchen; some cleaning might be required; cheap supermarket nearby)

Valdesalor: 

bar/restaurant on the carretera at 800 meters from Valdesalor

Albergue:  927 12 97 11 (bad albergue)

Bar for the elderly in the village. Sometimes food is sold on plaza

Valdesalor - Cáceres (12 kms) - Casar de Cáceres (25 kms) 

Cáceres:

All services provided

Albergue:  927 10 20 01 (Municipal) or  927 21 12 10 ("Albergue Turístico")

Casar de Cáceres: bars / restaurants

Casa Rural "La Encarnación"  927 29 07 01

Albergue:  927 29 00 64 (Info: Restaurante "Majuca") or 927 29 00 02 (Council) 

Restaurante Majuca: so so.

Casar de Cáceres - Albergue de Alcántara (22,1 kms)

"Albergue de Alcántara" 680 63 15 43 or 927 47 60 34

Albergue:  680 63 15 43 or  927 47 60 34 (Good!)

Restaurant / Hotel Lindamar may not be open   927 19 20 04 / 658 56 84 10

Albergue de Alcántara - Cañaveral (13 kms) - Grimaldo (20 kms)

Cañaveral:

Hostal "Málaga"  927 30 00 67 (cheap)

Restaurants, shops

Albergue:  927 30 00 06 (Council) (Basic albergue)

Grimaldo: Asador Grimaldo: good food !

Albergue:  927 30 00 06 or  927 30 01 06 (Council of Cañaveral) (Albergue not great)

Grimaldo - Galisteo (29 kms)

Galisteo:

good restaurant / bar

Hostal "Los Emigrantes"  927 45 20 74 or  627 50 46 92

Hotel "Medina Ghaliayab"  927 45 22 87

Albergue:  927 45 22 60 (Info: Restaurante "Las Pizarras" or  927 45 21 70 (Council) (Good albergue)

Galisteo - Carcaboso - Cáparra (29,3 kms)

Cáparra

does not have an albergue. Pilgrims are advized to ring Hostal "Asturias" (good!)

(927 47 70 57) to be picked up in Cáparra. Another option is to deviate from

the camino some 6 kms before reaching Cáparra, and stay overnight at the

"Albergue Turístico" in Oliva de Plasencia ( 927 45 47 75 or  647 40 18 77).

Just before Galisteo there is a variant to the right, passing San Gil. It joins the

camino at Carcaboso. San Gil offers an albergue and a restaurant.

Carcaboso:

Bar & restaurant

Hostal "Cuidad de Cáparra"  927 40 20 32 or  927 40 24 44 (Good menu)

Albergue:  927 40 22 10 (Hospitalera Helena; good albergue; breakfast; private rooms)

After Carcaboso there is a variant to the left. This one is recommended.

New Albergue (emergency only):

"Albergue de los Ganaderos"

situated between Hostal Asturias (past Caparrá)

and Aldeanueva del Camino

on the Vía de la Plata (Extremadura)

This albergue only provides shelter

and an open fire (with some firewood) No caretaker present!

 Cáparra - Aldeanueva del Camino (19 kms) - Baños de Montemayor (29,2 kms)

Aldeanueva del Camino:

El Hogar del Pensionista (on the Carretera)

In this Bar / Restaurant the pilgrim

will be served a very good Menú for

€ 8=, including a "Tarte Tatin" ! For once

the usual flans, natillas, frutas and helados

are complemented by this French classic!

Hostal "Roma"  927 48 40 38

Hostal "Montesol"  927 48 43 35

Casa Rural Posada "Tres Mentiras"   927 48 43 33

Albergue: Keys in house next door (OK; some cleaning needed)

Bar on Plaza: OK

Baños de Montemayor: restaurants, shops

Hostal "Alegría" 927 48 80 63

Pensión "Don Diego" 927 48 81 25

Hostal "Eloy" 927 48 80 02

Hostal "Montemayor" 927 48 82 81

Albergue:  679 22 82 08

Good shops, bars etc.

Baños de Montemayor - Calzada de Béjar - Fuenterroble de Salvatierra (32 kms)

You will cross the border between Extremadura and Castilla y León

Puerto de Béjar: Albergue and Posada "Real Jardín del Conde"  923 41 41 75

food provided in "Casa Adriano"

Albergue "Caliga":  923 41 42 12 or  649 75 85 06 or  628 12 34 05 (Open in summer)

Calzada de Béjar: in Bar "Club" food is served, also in the albergue.

Casa Rural "Alba Soraya" 923 41 65 05

Casa Rural "Finca la Gavia" 923 41 65 94

Albergue:  923 41 65 05 or  646 41 06 43 (Info: Casa "Alba Soraya")

This albergue is part of a Casa Rural and rather commercial. Basic menu: € 8= served by Mássimo

Basic breakfast € 3= also served by Mássimo

Bar in the village

Fuenterroble de Salvatierra: Restaurant and Casa Rural "Vía de la Plata"  666 61 50 98

Albergue:  923 15 10 83 (Blas) (Very good)

Fuenterroble de Salvatierra - San Pedro de Rozados (28,5 kms)

San Pedro de Rozados: shop and a few bars which provide food

Casa Rural "Miliario" (Phone numbers below)

Albergue:  923 34 40 24 or  600 89 89 09 or  600 75 84 87

New Albergue also open: good

San Pedro de Rozados - Morille (4 kms) - Salamanca (23 kms)

Morille: bar

Basic albergue (A new one has opened recently; also a Casa Rural)

Salamanca: all services provided 

Albergue:  652 92 11 85 or: Juvenil Youth Hostal: good

Salamanca - El Cubo de Tierra (22 kms)

El Cubo de Tierra

Good Albergue

El Cubo de Tierra - Villanueva (14 kms)

Villanueva:

Albergue: so so

Villanueva - Zamora (19 kms)

Zamora

Albergue: so so

Restaurante "Horno": very good

Tourist Office: very helpful

Zamora - Fontanillas (30 kms)

Fontanillas

small albergue

Bar

Fontanillas - Santovenia (20kms)

Reigo del Camino:

Bar on main road: very bad!

Santovenia

Albergue: ...

Hostal Elsa: good

Santovenia - Benavente (21 kms)

Benavente

Albergue: OK

Benavente - La Bañeza

La Bañeza

Albergue: good

La Bañeza - Astorga (25 kms)

Astorga:

Albergues: both good

 SOME GENERAL REMARKS:

* If it rains then the Vía de la Plata will become very muddy. You will have to cross creeks on foot.

* If it is sunny you will have to carry lots of water. Services are scarce, sometimes nothing for 28 kms.

* Drinking water from creeks MAY be safe. Or not. Check that there are no animals nearby.

* The Vía de la Plata becomes crowded from May onward.

   Groups of Turigrinos (with follow-up cars) quickly fill up hotels / albergues.

   (See the My Blog Page)