Archive of past updates to the Vía de la Plata guide

All of the following updates have been included in the 2020 Edition which is now on sale. If you bought an earlier edition and would like to get a PDF copy of the 2020 Edition just go to our Contact page and send us and email.

ERRARTUM

There's an error in the latest edition of the guide, the distance between Merida and Aljucén is given as 3km. This distance is completely wrong. When I removed El Carrascalejo from the guide last year I forgot to correct the distance. It should read:

6km to Prosperina

8km to Carrascalejo

3km to Aljucén

Making total 17km Mérida to Aljucén.

Rural map 1 covers Seville to north of Guillena. After crossing the river and before coming to Camas there is an alternative route which turns right and by-passes Camas. This is described in the text but is not shown on map 1. This will be corrected in the next edition.

Here is the corrected map:

Updates

This page just contains the details of changes / additions / corrections made since the publication of the 2019 Edition. If you'd like to see earlier entries please see our Updates Archive.

Updates on this page are organised by place which are presented in Camino order starting in Seville.

We also post news items to our Facebook Group. Don't forget to click LIKE and share it with everybody you know!

Fuente de Cantos

The municipal hostel has been closed since late 2018, there is currently no sign of it reopening.

Torremejía

The Municipal hostel, Palacio de los Lastra, is closed.

Mérida

The Municipal hostel, Molino de Pan Caliente, now has a full-time hospitalero and is in excellent condition.

Had the Carne con Tomate / Meat Stew in Mesón El Pestoreje on Plaza de España, and it was excellent.

El Carrascalejo

Both the municipal hostel and the community café next door are open at last! The hostel has 24 beds and costs 10€. The facilities are brand new and look excellent.

Alcuéscar

Casa Peregrina is closed in August 2019.

Albergue Casa Misericordia (Esclavos de María) is closed during July 2019.

Several new restaurant recommodations: Restaurante Casa Alejandro, on Calle Profesor Hernández Pacheco, has been recommended by several pilgrims, as has El Cortijo on Calle Almeida Corrales.

Casas de Don Antonio

The café in the Centro Social is behind the ayuntamiento (it's a bit hard to find).

Cáceres

A new restaurant recommendation: Restaurante Los Arcos on Plaza Mayor has good food at good prices.

And a lovely little guesthouse: Pensión Carretero on Plaza Mayor has nice singles from about 15€. Tel 927 247 482

Oliva de Placencia

The pilgrim hostel in Oliva de Placencia is reported closed (March 2019). Alternative accommodation is mentioned in the guide or here.

Zamora

In the walking instructions when leaving Zamora I added the following note: Portugal, there is some misleading signposting, if you see signs or arrows pointing left they may directing you to that Camino. Just before Roales del Pan there is a place where one sign tells you to go straight and another says right, go right!

Fontanillas de Castro

New albergue: Peregrino, on the main road at the north end of the village. Follow the Camino through the village past the church, where it turns left follow the signs for the Municipal hostel. Volunteer run hostel with communal evening meal and breakfast. New in 2019.

Riego del Camino

Casa Camino is reported to have closed definitively.

Faramontanos de Tábara

The description of the albergue is changed to: Private hostel (4, donative) Acogida La Casa Azul y Amarilla, on Calle Quintanal, shortly after entering the village you'll see a bench and a dustbin under a tree by a stone wall on the right, take the next right turn on to Calle Quintanal. Run by a pilgrim from Madrid. Breakfast. Tel 666 133 915

Also the food in Bar Nemesio is good.

Olleros de Tera

The descriptio of the albergue is changed to: Private hostel (6, 7€) Albergue La Trucha attached to Café Bar La Trucha, on the right on the Camino. In a disused section of the bar complete with 1970s decor. Basic. Tel 980 644 767 Open 14:00 closed Wednesdays

A Gudiña

Hostal A Madrileña on the left as you enter the town has single rooms for 20€. They also do good food. Tel 988 421 030

Alberguería

April 2019. The albergue here is reported closed.

Ourense / Orense

The new municipal albergue in Ourense opened its doors on 9 December. Here's the link to Gronze.

Outeiro

The shop and cafe near the Xunta hostel have closed. Stock up in Ponte Ulla.

Santiago de Compostela

The cathedral in Santiago will be partially closed for repair works for about a year. It will still be possible to visit it but some parts will be inaccessible. Masses will be held in various locations around the old city. See here.

General notes

AVE updates

The AVE is the Spanish high speed train. Spain is investing heavily in its high speed train network and currently lines linking Lisbon and Galicia are in construction. The Vía de la Plata passes both these lines and at times the construction works have cause disruption for pilgrims and long diversions.

Our latest information is that while construction is continuing (at a very slow pace) it is only causing minor inconveniences for pilgrims.

Between Casar de Cáceres and Cañaveral there is a diversion of about 1.5km but the new footbridge over the train track is reported to be basically ready but not yet officially open.

North of Zamora everything is fine.

After Requejo you are being diverted along a road, my advice is to follow these diversions, I tried in spring 2016 to follow the original route and it was tough going and I don't recommend it.

After A Gudiña the long diversion is now a thing of the past and you can follow the normal route of the Vía.