The Vía de la Plata is one of the most fascinating and least crowded routes for touring Spain by motorhome. This ancient Roman road crosses the western peninsula from north to south, linking some of the country's most impressive heritage cities through landscapes of dehesa woodland and authenticity. It's a journey through time. Here's the route and the tips.
What the Vía de la Plata is
A historic route that ran from Gijón to Seville (or originally to Mérida), following the line of a Roman road. Today it's both a hiking and pilgrimage route (one of the Caminos de Santiago) and a magnificent driving route through Spain's western interior.
The heritage cities along the way
- Salamanca: the golden stone (see Castilla y León).
- Cáceres, Mérida and monumental Extremadura (see Extremadura).
- Zamora and its Romanesque architecture.
- Seville, the final Andalusian flourish.
An impressive concentration of heritage, almost free of mass tourism.
The landscapes
Between one city and the next, the Extremaduran and Castilian dehesa: holm oaks, livestock, clear skies and a calm that's part of the journey. A land of Ibérico ham, cheese and wine.
How to travel it
- North to south or the other way round: choose according to the season (best to avoid the extreme heat of summer in the south and inland).
- No rush: it's a route to savour, not to race through.
- Plenty of motorhome areas in the villages along the way.
- Spring and autumn are the best times.
In summary
The Vía de la Plata is a fascinating north-south route through Spain, linking heritage cities (Salamanca, Cáceres, Mérida, Seville) through dehesa woodland, almost free of crowds. The step to take today: plan to travel it in spring or autumn and without rushing, linking its heritage cities with stops in the dehesa; it's one of Spain's great routes and one of its most authentic. Combine it with routes through Spain.