Carcaboso makes an excellent stopping point for the day. Pilgrims report Restaurant Ciudad de Cáparra serves an excellent Menú del Día; the place also offers lodging. You can also find food at Bar Vía de la Plata, while kindly Sra. Elena runs a private albergue. The town’s church, Parroquia de Santiago Apostle, has a small miliario park next to it, worth a quick peek. If...
Casa Anita in Santa Croya de Tera gets rave reviews on pilgrim forums, and deservedly so. A spotless, well-decorated albergue, the place has everything you’d want: clean lodging, laundry services, free WiFi and dinner. There are 19 bunkbeds (38 beds) in the hostel’s two sleeping areas. The hostel also sometimes offers a three-bedroom inn on an upper floor. Massages and...
Visitors and residents alike say Casa Concha is the place to chow down in Almadén de la Plata. An inexpensive pilgrim’s meal is offered, which is pretty good, although everyone says the regular food is better. (I agree, but it’s also pricier.) The fairly extensive traditional menu features fish, meat, rice, stews and tapas; you can eat in the bar or...
Casar de Cáceres is a lively town of 5,000 that’s pretty darn cool. There’s a beautiful walkway leading you into the heart of the city. A brightly colored schoolyard. An architecturally-funky bus station. A touching memorial to victims of terrorism. And even El Museo del Queso, a museum dedicated to the famed local cheese, La Torta del Casar. One of the better inns...
Plan to take a pit stop in Castro-Dozón. This village of 1,200 has pretty much everything you’ll need, including a well-regarded albergue. There’s a spacious park in the center of town, near the grocery, with plenty of benches for resting — plus some exercise equipment if you think you’re not getting enough of a workout from hiking from the Camino. FYI...
San Cristovo de Cea, the town’s official name, is a cute little village. It’s best known for the striking clock tower in its spacious Plaza Mayor, and as the home of the famous Pan de Cea, or Bread of Cea. Cea’s albergue once received high marks from pilgrims, but recent reports say it’s routinely dirty. Luckily, there’s a wonderful, inexpensive casa rural...
Yes, El Albergue de Peregrinos is the hostal created by the famous Fr. Blas. According to locals, many people revere Fr. Blas. He is the priest for several area parishes. He runs this albergue, doing much of the work himself. Blas helps any people who come looking for food or emergency shelter or other assistance. And he created the VDLP/pilgrim...
El Cubo del Vino, population 500, has the distinction of being the first municipality in Zamora province. Not surprisingly, given its name, its roots are in viticulture. (And FYI, its full name is El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino.) This is a good spot to spend the night. A municipal albergue is in the town, plus Torre de Sabre,...
Mention Fuenterroble anywhere along the VDLP, and everyone responds with “Blas.” The town is synonymous with Fr. Blas, a hardworking priest who runs the local hostal, El Albergue de Peregrinos. You must stop and see this place even if you’re not staying overnight. It contains a tiny museum of sorts, chapel and special lodging for American pilgrims. Blas and his albergue...
Galisteo was long a popular detour for pilgrims walking the Vía de la Plata. As of 2012, it officially became part of the route. The town of 2,000, a declared Historic-Artistic Site, is famed for the impressive 13th-century stone walls that surround the city center. Arabs built the walls during their occupation of the town. They used pebbles and cylindrical...
The two-star Hostal D.P. El Pilar in Monesterio has a grand façade and prime placement right on the Camino. Its 16 rooms (all with private bath) are exceptionally clean, and you can even snag a real double bed, although ours had a saggy mattress and uni-pillow. Bathrooms are cramped, but the plentiful hot water makes up for it. There’s a...
Miliario del Verdinal is a government-run albergue in Aldea del Cano. It conveniently sits right across from Restaurante Las Vegas. The clean, attractive facility sleeps 12, in several bedrooms. It also contains a fully equipped kitchen, large living room with fireplace, bathroom and washing machine. Keys Inquire at either the ayuntamiento or Restaurante Las Vegas for entry into the albergue.
Monesterio is a town of about 4,500. But it seems larger. As soon as you enter town, you’ll pass a museum dedicated to Iberian ham, a product for which Monesterio is known. The city also has a Vía de la Plata Interpretive Center (free) that makes an informative stop. The Interpretive Center sits on the same plaza as the city’s impressive...
Like San Pedro, Morille (population 200) looks fresh and well-kept. Stone is quarried locally, so you’ll notice lots of stone buildings — no little, white houses here. There’s an albergue in town and a few places to eat, but not much else of note. Morille is 306.8 mi (493.8 km) from Sevilla and 319.1 mi (513.5 km) from Santiago. This town offers...
Outeiro isn’t much of a town. But it’s the locale of a popular municipal albergue, run by the Concello de Vedra. The area also features a little chapel and pilgrim’s fountain, which attractively tuck into the woods. Outeiro is 615.5 mi (990.6 km) from Sevilla and 10.4 mi (16.7 km) from Santiago. This hamlet offers the following service: lodging
It takes a heck of a lot of effort to walk up to this mountaintop town. And when you finally get here, it’s rather disappointing. Padornelo is strung along a highway (not very scenic) and features a hostel, small bar-restaurant-tienda and a large bar-restaurant, the latter on the outskirts of town. And that’s it, folks. Carry on. You are 479.5...
Ponte Ulla squats at the base of a giant V, meaning you walk down a steep hill to reach the town, then climb up a steep hill to leave. Its claim to fame are its bridges. There’s an old Roman bridge you cross to enter the quaint town, which is always fun. But as you’re descending into town, look to...
While home to just 155 residents, Requejo de Sanabria offers an eatery or two and the albergue Casa Cerviño, which pilgrims rate well. When you first enter town, you’ll spy a cute ermita, then the parish church sitting atop a small rise across the road. Although fountains dot the town, signs warn the water may not be potable. Your choice...
Rionegro del Puente, pop. 350, is a nice little town. The highlights are its bridge, from which it gets its name, and Nuestra Sra. de la Carballeda, which is the home church for the local bishop. (There’s another parish church a few blocks away.) The local albergue gets good reviews from pilgrims for being clean and spacious; get the key from...
San Pedro de Rozados, population 350, is a popular stopping point after Fuenterroble, as it offers plenty of amenities. Yellow arrows direct you off the Camino and right to the doorstep of VII Carreras. The private inn and bar-restaurant features laundry facilities and Internet access. Two other lodging options are the local El Miliario albergue and the related Casa Miliario. Tip The...