CAMINO KOALA
Via de la Plata · Itinerary

Salamanca to Santiago de Compostela

Starts at one of Spain's most beautiful cities. Joins the Sanabres variant or continues to Astorga to merge with the Frances.

19 stages458 km17-21 days7,920 m ascentBest May - Jun, Sep - Oct
Build my Camino from SalamancaSee all 19 stages
Back to the Via de la Plata and its other starting points
to Santiago de Compostela
458 km
walking days
19 stages
with the arrival night
20 days
total ascent
7,920 m
places to stay
939
OverviewStage by stageElevationOther startsPlan it
Overview19 stages · 458 km

Walking the Via de la Plata from Salamanca

From Salamanca it is 458 km to Santiago de Compostela along the Via de la Plata, walked here in 19 stages at an average of 24 km a day. Most pilgrims arrive the afternoon before, sleep in Salamanca and set off early on day one, so plan for 20 days plus any rest days you want.

Day one goes from Salamanca to El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino, 36.5 km with 310 m of climbing. The last day into Santiago de Compostela starts in O Pedrouzo, 19.5 km. The longest stage is Salamanca to El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino at 36.5 km, and the biggest climb is 1,180 m on the way to O Cebreiro.

The walk passes through 3 regions: Castilla y León - Mountains (3 stages), Galicia (3 stages), and 100 km to Santiago (5 stages). It covers more than the 100 km on foot the Pilgrim Office needs to issue your Compostela.

Week by week3 weeks · 19 stages · 458 km

The walk from Salamanca in weeks

Each block on the strip is one stage, sized by distance. The cards below group the stages into weeks, with the climb and the time each day takes. Flip a card for that week on the map.

19 stages, 458 kmEach block is one stage, sized by distance. Move along the strip.
Week 1 · days 1 to 7Salamanca to La Bañeza7 stages · 180 km · up 1,450 m
1El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino310 m280 mabout 7-9 hours36.5 km2Zamora200 m390 mabout 6-8 hours32 km3Montamarta140 m100 mabout 3-5 hours19 km4Granja de Moreruela230 m220 mabout 4-6 hours23 km5Benavente210 m200 mabout 5-7 hours26.5 km6Alija del Infantado210 m190 mabout 4-6 hours22 km7La Bañeza160 m100 mabout 4-5 hours21 km
Week 2 · days 8 to 14La Bañeza to Sarrià7 stages · 162 km · up 3,850 m
8Astorga230 m150 mabout 4-6 hours24.5 km9Rabanal del Camino270 m100 mabout 3-4 hours15.5 km10Ponferrada760 m1,180 mabout 7-10 hours32.5 km11Villafranca del Bierzo350 m350 mabout 4-6 hours22.5 km12O Cebreiro1,180 m850 mabout 7-9 hours28 km13Triacastela590 m1,130 mabout 5-7 hours21 km14Sarrià470 m660 mabout 4-6 hours18 km
Week 3 · days 15 to 19Sarrià to Santiago de Compostela5 stages · 115 km · up 2,620 m
15Portomarín580 m630 mabout 5-7 hours22.5 km16Palas de Rei610 m450 mabout 5-7 hours25 km17Arzúa610 m760 mabout 6-8 hours29 km18O Pedrouzo440 m480 mabout 4-6 hours19 km19Santiago de Compostela370 m440 mabout 4-6 hours19.5 km
ElevationFrom Salamanca to Santiago de Compostela, with the route before your start in grey

458 km of ups and downs

Move along the profile to read the height at any point.

Elevation profile7,920 m up and 8,670 m down from Salamanca, high point 1,510 m
Before SalamancaSevillaSalamancaSantiago de Compostela
Biggest climbsPlan a short day before or after
12Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro1,180 m10Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada760 m16Portomarín to Palas de Rei610 m17Palas de Rei to Arzúa610 m13O Cebreiro to Triacastela590 m
Longest daysOr split them with a bed in between
1Salamanca to El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino36.5 km10Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada32.5 km2El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino to Zamora32 km17Palas de Rei to Arzúa29 km12Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro28 km
Other starting points1 more way to walk the Via de la Plata

Fewer days, or more?

Pick a start further along for a shorter walk, or earlier for the whole road.

Compare them all on the route page
Full RouteSevilla to Santiago de Compostela40 stages · 955 km · 38-42 daysOpen itinerary
Build my Camino

Turn this route into your plan, night by night.

Reading about the Via de la Plata is the easy part. Build my Camino gives you a day by day plan with a bed to book for each night, so the only thing left is to walk it.

  1. Pick a start and a dateAny of the 2 starting points, or any town on the route. Day 0 is the night you arrive.
  2. Shape your daysShorten a long stage, add a rest day or split a hard climb in two. The plan redraws as you go.
  3. Book a bed for each nightLive prices for the dates you chose, in one tap. Walk-in albergues and donativos are marked, so you know where you can simply turn up.
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Then the trail

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Your saved Camino opens in the app with every town, date and stay exactly as you left it, and keeps working when the signal does not.

Day by day itinerary, offlineLive trail map and your positionToday: distance and climb leftBook a bed from the pathReplan mid walk, rest days includedDaily Cast, one episode per stage
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