Via de la Plata
Self-Guided Tour 2
Mérida ⇒ Carcaboso
Starting in the impressive city of Mérida, this tour guides you through the dry landscape of the Extremadura with its very special charm.
Tour Type: Self-Guided
Duration: 10 Days Total / 8 Days Walking
Total Distance: 158 km. (98 mi.)
Difficulty: easy/ moderate
Average distance: 19.8 km. (12.3 mi.) / Day
Prices (per person):
Double Room:
Starting from € 580
Single-Occupancy Room:
Starting from €770
What’s Included:
11 nights in single / double room
En-suite facilities
English-speaking emergency assistance
Your full digital Travel Info Package
Details ⇒
We are proud to be working together with hand-picked, high quality and mostly locally owned and operated service providers.
Your journey will be booked through, and your Travel Package will include all the information you will need to access your lodging locations and to process your check-in.
Optional Add-ons:
Breakfasts (subject to availability)
Lodging for additional night(s) stays
Airport transfers (by taxi)
Details ⇒
Breakfasts are not available everywhere, and they are often served late, starting around 8 am. However, if you wish to include brekfasts, we will be happy to do so, where possible.
Spending an extra night in a given town throughout your journey is often a good idea: you give your body a rest, relax and enjoy exploring the town. In Santiago, two nights are included in most of our Tours by default as we believe it’s the least a Pilgrim would need to enjoy the City; however, you have the option to opt out of it.
We will be happy to arrange for an airport shuttle transfer for you from your airport of arrival to the starting point of your journey. The same goes for the departure, unless you end your journey in Santiago and fly out of Santiago Airport. In that case, a taxi can be easily arranged for the time of your choice directly at the Reception Desk at your Hotel.
What’s not Included:
Flights
Luggage transfer on walking days
Travel Insurance
Tour guide
Meals
Details ⇒
We do not book flights, nor organize any rail or commercial bus-line travel. However, if you need assistance in deciding how to get to and back from your Camino Tour, we will be happy to assist you with tips and ideas!
There are no companies that provide luggage transfers on the Vía de la Plata. If you wish to make use of this service, you can organize it directly on site through a local taxi company. The accommodations will be happy to help you with the organization.
We strongly recommend to all our travelers to get a Travel Insurance; however, we do not sell any such policies. For our international clients, it is best to get a policy in their country of residence, as some countries offer insurances only to their own residents.
This is a date-flexible tour; therefore, it is self-guided – no Tour Guide will be accompanying you. If you are interested in joining a Group Tour with a Tour Guide, please check our Guided Tours page. (Note: our Guided Tours take place on set dates that are planned ahead.)
Highlights
You start in the impressive city of Mérida and continue to follow the Vía de la Plata through the autonomous community of Extremadura. The landscape here is dry and extreme sometimes, but it usually has a very special charm.
The special culture of the region is often clearly noticeable as you follow the old trade route, fortified by the Romans. You can look forward to exciting encounters with the special people of this region and experience a rich natural and animal world that enjoy so much space here. The intense cheese of Extremadura is not to be missed.
Impressions from the Camino
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Mérida
Independent arrival in Mérida. We booked your hotel room. Proceed to your room, explore Mérida, and prepare mind and body for the Camino.
Day 1: Arrival in Mérida
Independent arrival in Mérida. We booked your hotel room. Proceed to your room, explore Mérida, and prepare mind and body for the Camino.
Day 2: Mérida – Aljucén •15.9 km. (9.9 mi.)
Today, the Proserpina Dam, located a few kilometers/miles past Mérida, offers a welcome change from the endless plains of the previous days. Given that today’s stage is not that long, take a short break on one of the small sandy beaches. Once in your final destination, you can also enjoy the Roman thermal baths and admire the church and its beautiful Renaissance portal.
Distance: 15.9 km. (9.9 mi.) | Difficulty: Easy
Day 3: Aljucén – Alcuésar • 19.7 km. (12.2 mi.)
Today, you will hike through the Cornalvo Natural Park, where rockroses, holm, and cork oaks define the landscape of the plateau.
Distance: 19.7 km. (12.2 mi.) | Difficulty: Easy/ Moderate
Day 4: Alcuésar – Aldea del Cano • 14.7 km. (9.1 mi.)
At the beginning of your stage, you will still be hiking past vineyards and olive groves until you reach the national road and highway, which you will have to walk parallel to for a part of the way. Pay attention to the remains of Roman milestones scattered along the roadside.
Distance: 14.7 km. (9.1 mi.) | Difficulty: Easy
Day 5: Aldea del Cano – Cáseres • 23.6 km. (14 mi.)
The landscape looks more and more like a steppe today, sparsely covered with holm oaks and broom. Your destination is Cáseres and its historic old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We recommend a walk in the evening, when the old town is sparsely lit by the street lights.
Distance: 23.6 km. (14 mi.) | Difficulty: Easy/ Moderate
Day 6: Cáseres – Casar de Cáseres • 11.3 km. (7 mi.)
Since today there is only a very short hike through a barren treeless landscape, it is recommended to visit Cáseres in the morning and its numerous sights, such as the late Gothic Co-Cathedral of Santa María or the Plaza Mayor with the Torre de Bujaco.
Distance: 11.3 km. (7 mi.) | Difficulty: Easy
Day 7: Casar de Cáseres – Cañaveral • 33 km. (21 mi.)
Your destination for the day, Cañaveral, at the foot of Sierra Pequeña, can be seen shortly after Casar de Cáseres. The place, however, does not seem to be getting any closer. About halfway, you will reach the Alcántara Dam (Embalse de Alcántara), one of the largest dams in Europe. Along the way, you will also cross the Tajo via the Puente de Alcántara, a masterpiece of Roman architecture built entirely of granite.
Distance: 33 km. (21 mi.) | Difficulty: Moderate, longer stage
Day 8: Cañaveral – Riolobos • 20 km. (12.4 mi.)
The landscape becomes more diverse again. You will hike along paths through cork oak dehesas until you reach Riolobos.
Distance: 20 km. (12.4 mi.) | Difficulty:Easy/ Moderate
Day 9: Riolobos – Carcaboso • 20 km. (12.4 mi.)
First, you will walk to Galisteo, whose walls, built in the ninth century, are almost completely preserved in their original state and whose tower (torre del homenaje [keep]) is visible from afar. Shortly after Galisteo, the valley of Río Jerte begins, where poplars, willows, and lush bushes grow, and the landscape finally becomes a bit greener again.
Distance: 20 km (12.4 mi.) | Difficulty: Easy/ Moderate
Day 10: Departure from Carcaboso
Farewell, Carcaboso; farewell, Camino – and safe travels on your journey back home or to your next adventure! Or, here is another option well-worth considering: to continue onto our next Part 3 of the Via de la Plata, from Carcaboso to Zamora.
¡Buen Camino!
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Tour Combination Options
Our Via de le Plata: Self-Guided Tour 2 can be easily combined with:
Via de la Plata
Self-Guided Tour 1
Seville ⇒ Mérida
Starting from € 590
Duration: 12 Days Total / 10 Days Walking
Distance: 214 km. (133 mi.)
Difficulty: moderate
Via de la Plata:
Self-Guided Tour 3
Carcaboso ⇒ Zamora