From Seville to Santiago: Hiking Spain’s Via de la Plata

Over 50 days, Darren and I will hike over 1000 km from Seville to Santiago de Compostela.

Originally a Roman trade and military route, the Via de la Plata has been used for over 2000 years. It runs from Seville in the southwest to Santiago de Compostela in the northwest. Its architecture includes Roman, Visigoth, Morrish, Romanesque, and Mudéjar styles.

We will pass through the autonomous regions of Andalucia, Extremadura, Castilla y León, and Galicia. The Via de la Plata is path is quite rural, so we’ll be walking through a lot of farms. Some of the agriculture we will pass include olives, sunflowers, wheat, oranges, lemons, almonds, vineyards, figs, cherries, barley, walnuts, oak forests, chestnuts, and apples. Livestock will be Iberian pigs, Andalusian Retinta cattle, Merino sheep,

We are looking forward to sampling notable foods, wines and dishes as we chase spring, moving south to north. Specialties we are looking forward to are Jamón Ibérico de Bellota (cured ham made from acorn-fed pigs), Cochinillo asado (roasted suckling pig), Manzanilla wine, Hornazo (savory pastry filled with cured meats and eggs), Lentejas de La Armuña (lentils), Ribera del Duero and Toro wines, Pulto a la Gallega (octopus cooked with paprika, olive oil, and salt), numerous cheeses and Albariño wine.