Via de la Plata: Small Group Walking Tour in the Footsteps of Pilgrims

Upon arrival at Seville, we will make our own way to the hotel. Remainder of the day is free. In the evening, we will come together to enjoy a welcome dinner.

After a hearty breakfast, we will head out to view the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site of Seville, the monumental complex in the heart of the city consisting of the Seville Cathedral with the Giralda minaret, the Alcázar (fortress), and the Archivo de Indias. The Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world with its Giralda tower standing at 96 meters. Once an Almohad mosque, it was turned into a Catholic Cathedral following the Reconquista in 1248 and now holds the remains of Juan of Aragon, son of Ferdinand and Isabella, and Christopher Columbus. The Alcázar (fortress) of Seville, imbued with Moorish influences, is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. The Lonja, which became the Archivo de Indias (General Archive of the Indies), contains valuable documents illustrating the reach of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and in Asia.

Today we begin the walking stages of the tour. We will cross the bridge over Guandalquivir River, the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, and enter Santiponce to view the 14th century San Isidoro del Campo Monastery, listed by Spain as a Historic Artistic Site of National Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural) in 1872. Built on the site of a Mozarab hermitage, it was said to be where San Isidoro was buried until he was moved to Leon in 1063. We will continue our walk and visit the ruins of the ancient Roman settlement of Italica, with its beautiful mosaic floors and an impressive and well-preserved Roman theatre (7 km).

We will have lunch after the tour and drive back to Seville to enjoy the rest of our day at our leisure.

We will travel from Seville to the municipality of Monesterio and walk to Arroyo del Bodion Chico (14 km), passing by picturesque grazing and cereal fields. From Arroyo del Bodion Chico we will drive to Fuente de Cantos for lunch (own arrangements) and if time allows, stop for a brief visit at the Casa Museo de Zurbaran, the house-museum of Francisco Zurbaran, a major painter of the Spanish Baroque era and an artist well-known for his religious artwork. After lunch, we will drive to Calzadilla de los Barros to visit the Parish Church of El Salvador which has one of the most beautiful and intricate Gothic altarpieces in the Extremadura region. From there we drive to Puebla de Sancho Perez for wine-tasting at the Bodegas Toribio. Finally we leave Seville and travel to the next stop on the Silver Way: Zafra.

We will take a pleasant stroll around Zafra in the morning, visiting the historic 16th century Colegiata de la Candelaria with its altarpieces created by Zurbaran, whom we’ve encountered in Seville, and renowned sculptor José Benito de Churriguera. We will walk around the Plazas Grande and Chica and view Zafra’s 15th century Alcázar, once used by the Dukes of Feria and now restored and converted into a hotel (the Parador de Turismo).

We will continue our walk to Los Santos de Maimona (5 km) to explore the town, enjoy some lunch (own arrangements), and visit the French Gothic Church of Nuestra Señora de los Angeles. We will hop on our touring coach and drive to Villafranca de los Barros, also known as the “City of Music” due to its long musical tradition, to view the local churches and the Plaza de Espana. We drive to Alange and end the day with a three-course dinner.

From Alange we drive for a brief stop at the small and peaceful town of Torremejia, which has just a little over 2,000 residents. We continue on to the beginning of the walking path to Merida. From this starting point, we pass through agricultural fields and take the Puente Romano (9 km). The Puente Romano is an important Roman bridge built in the first century over the Guadiana River. The granite bridge stretches nearly a kilometre (or half a mile) and is supported by 60 arches.

We check in at our hotel and have lunch at a local restaurant. We take the afternoon off to nap, chat, or explore, until we meet again for dinner.

We spend the whole day exploring the city of Merida. We will view the Roman theatre built in the Classical style of theatres in Rome, for an audience of 6,000. Connected to the theatre through a tunnel is the Amphitheatre, which once witnessed gladiatorial combat and chariot races during the city’s days as a Roman territory. Another well-preserved Roman monument we will visit is the Roman Circus of Merida, which used to house 30,000 spectators. Near the river is the archaeological area of Moreria, which will give us an idea of the evolution of the city from Roman to modern times.

We will visit the Alcazaba, the Moorish fortification near the Puente Romano, to get a taste of Merida’s Islamic influences. We will view the mosaics and mural paintings inside Casa del Mitreo, the ruins of a Classical Roman house with connections to the cult of Mitra, followers of a secret religion which flourished in the Roman Empire from the 1st to 4th centuries. The nearby Los Columbarios will take us on a journey through the funerary rites and burials throughout the history of Mérida.

We will also visit the crypt of Santa Eulalia, the city’s patron saint.

Following breakfast, we will walk from Merida to Proserpina along the aqueduct called Los Milagros (“the miracles”) because of its impressive construction. The 10-km aqueduct was used to transport water from the Proserpina dam, an earth dam built by the Romans in the 1st century, to Merida. The end of our walk will allow us to view the earth dam so exquisitely built that it still stands today.

From Proserpina we will drive to Santa Lucia del Trampal in Alcuescar and visit its 7th century basilica, one of the few surviving Visigothic churches in the world. We will walk from the basilica to the town, where we will have free time for the rest of the afternoon. We then drive to Caceres and have dinner at the hotel.

For the ninth day of the tour, we will explore Caceres. We will visit and view the vast collections inside Museo de Caceres. The museum is housed inside Casa de las Veletas (House of the Weather Vanes), a 16th century palace built on the site of a Moorish fortification, of which only the cistern (underground freshwater reservoir) remains. We will also visit the city’s religious centre, the Caceres Church Cathedral of Santa Maria, which has a 16th century altarpiece made of cedar and pine wood and dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It houses the chapel of the crucified Cristo Negro (Black Christ), the highlight of the Catholic procession in Caceres during Holy Week. We will view the Bujaco Tower, built by the Arabs in the 12th Century; the Arco de la Estrella, the entrance to the walled enclosure of medieval Caceres; and the Cave of Maltravieso , which has cave art dating back 64,000 years.

Today we enjoy a day-long break from the tour. We will take this time to rest our feet to get ready for the upcoming walks.

We return to the Silver Way on Day 11 with a drive from Caceres to Grimaldo, and a walk under the shade of cork oaks from Grimaldo to Riolobos (8 km). After a brief stop, we will drive to the charming Roman town of Baños de Montemayor, once the site of Roman baths with thermal waters said to provide remedy to those suffering from muscular and respiratory ailments. We will visit the modern spa Balneario Baños de Montemayor built on the old Roman baths, now with thermal swimming pools and a tropical shower and various beauty treatments on offer.

After a relaxing stay at the spa, we drive to La Calzada de Bejar where we can roam at our leisure, and finally travel to El Barco de Avila.

From El Barco de Avila, we drive to Miranda de Azan, the starting point of our walk to the city of Salamanca (9 km). Salamanca offers its own, albeit smaller, Puente Romano to visitors entering its city, but despite being less imposing than its Méridan counterpart, Salamanca’s bridge offers an exceptional skyline showcasing the Romanesque towers of its cathedral. With a guide, we will walk and visit the city’s main attractions, including the Old and New Cathedrals of Salamanca and the Convento de San Esteban.

We continue our tour of Salamanca, starting with the beautiful Plaza Mayor, the city’s large public square built in the Baroque style and lined with restaurants and shops. We will visit the aptly named Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells), its outer walls covered in more than three hundred shells which is a symbol associated with Santiago de Compostela. The Casa currently houses the city’s public library and an information office. Salamanca is home to the oldest university in Spain, the University of Salamanca founded in 1134, which we will visit as well to admire its architecture and know more about its history.

We will visit the Casa Lis Art Noveau and Art Deco Museum, which has a permanent exhibition of decorative arts dating from the end of the 19th century until World War II.

Finally, we will climb up the Puerta de la Torre, accessible through Salamanca’s New Cathedral, to enjoy a fantastic view of the city.

On Day 14 we will drive to Aldeaseca de la Armuna, where we will begin our walk to the small town of Castellanos de Villiquera (5 km) where we will visit the church of San Juan Bautista and view its 16th century paintings and Renaissance carvings. From there we will drive to El Cubo de Tierra del Vino, where we will visit the church of Santo Domingo de Guzman and enjoy some free time to go to the underground wine cellar restaurants. We then drive to Zamora and have dinner before retiring for the night.

In Zamora, we will enjoy a full-day city tour. We will visit the Zamora Cathedral, hailed as one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Spain, with its distinctive dome based upon Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia serving as a symbol of the city; the Castle of Zamora, dating back to the Middle Ages; and the Santa Maria Magdalena de Zamora, originally a church of the Templars dating back to the 12th century. We will also visit the seven-storey (with three floors built below street level) Castile-Leon Ethnographic Museum, a great way to learn about the culture, traditions, and history of the region.

We will bid goodbye to Zamora and drive to Castrotorafe to view the ruins of the Roman defensive site on the banks of the Esla River. This ancient town, with its castle well-preserved, is also known as “Zamora la Vieja” or “Old Zamora”. From here we walk and stop briefly at Riego del Camino (5 km), before driving to Granja de Moreruela to visit its 12th century monastery and to have lunch (own arrangements) in the town proper. After lunch, we drive to Astorga and enjoy the rest of the day at our leisure.

For the first half of the day we will explore Astorga’s many architectural marvels, including the late 19^th century Episcopal Palace designed by the Modernist architect Antoni Gaudi, famous for his design of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona. We will also visit the Astorga Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María de Astorga), its long process of construction (14th to 18th century) apparent in the blend of Renaissance and Baroque styles in the cathedral’s architecture. We will also visit the Museo del Chocolate where we’ll learn about the history of chocolate production, as well as the Roman Museum of Astorga.

After the tour, we will transfer to Leon.

We go on a tour of Leon, founded by the Romans, once the seat of an independent kingdom, and witness to the first ever Parliament in Europe. Its rich history is mirrored in its wealth of historic buildings. Among those we will visit is the French-Gothic Leon Cathedral, and the fortress-like Casa Botines, designed by Gaudi. Right next to Casa Botines is the the Palace of the Guzamanes, the seat of the provincial government of Leon. We will also visit the Leon Museum, the colourful Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, covered in sheets of glass, and the old convent of San Marcos that is now a stunning luxury hotel, considered to be one of the most important Spanish Renaissance buildings in Spain.

We will enjoy some leisure time which we can use to roam the city, do some shopping, or rest. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant near our accommodation.

The end of breakfast also marks the end of our services. Leon has good connections in terms of the main airports, with a direct train to Madrid and internal flights to both Madrid and Barcelona.