you are here: the journey > roads to Santiago > in Spain

roads in Spain

The “Camino Francés”, from the border with France to Santiago de Compostela, is the most famous road through Spain. But the attention is also drawn more and more to other roads which also lead to Santiago from way back, like the coastal road (“Camino del Norte”), and the Vía de la Plata (from Seville).

the Camino Francés
The Camino Francés may become busier and busier, also because of new buildings and new motorways, the route is and stays fascinating: varied landscapes, a rich culture, a tight network of "albergues" and... the unmistakable consciousness that for more than 1,000 years millions of pilgrims have preceded. 

The Camino Francés has two starting points, both at the Spanish-French border in the Pyrenees:

1. •Roncesvalles, approximately 30 km south of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, and
   

2. •Col du Somport, approximately 40 km south of Oloron-Sainte-Marie which is connected to the road from Arles.
   

The two routes come together in Puente la Reina and after that follow the same track, to Santiago.

The Camino Francés follows a much older pilgrim’s route which was already used by the Celts (> the star road). 
This route went to the – in those days – end of the world. In the Middle Ages many Christian pilgrims followed this old example, by walking on to Cabo Fisterra after Santiago de Compostela: the Cape at the End of the World. This old tradition is followed by more and more pilgrims nowadays.

The last part of the Camino Francés is very busy. But there are alternatives:

1. •the “Camino de Invierno”, and
   

2. •parts of the Vía de la Plata.
   

The Camino de Invierno starts at Ponferrada (on the Camino Francés) and ends at Lalin (on the Vía de la Plata, two stages southwest from Santiago). This alternative is officially recognized as a "Camino de Santiago" also.

Or ... leave the Camino Francés at Astorga and walk along the northern closing alternative of the Vía de la Plata (see below) to the south, to Granja de Moreruela. There you switch to the western closing alternative of the Vía de la Plata, to Santiago.

the coastal road
In fact, it is not just one road, but several routes: “Los Caminos del Norte”. The routes distinguish themselves especially in the moment at which they part from the northern coast, to, via coastal mountains, get connected with the Camino Francés.

The shortest route is the Camino Vasco del Interior, from Irun (at the Spanish-French border), via Vitoria/Gasteiz, to Santo Domingo de Calzada (approximately 120 km after Puente la Reina). The longest route is the Camino de la Costa, from Irun, via Santander, Gijón and Ribadeo, to Arzua (approximately 40 km before Santiago). The alternatives inbetween are:

1. •the Camino Primitivo, from Oviedo (approximately 25 km south-west of Gijón), via Lugo, to Palas de Rei (approximately 70 km before Santiago), and 
   

2. •the Camino from Oviedo to León.
   

More > alongside: video Camino del Norte (Irun - Gernika and Muskiz - Santander)

the Vía de la Plata
The Vía de la Plata, from Sevilla to Santiago, is less walked and leads through the quiet interior of Spain. The route leads through beautiful, in the south sometimes Africa ressembling, landscapes and fascinating towns such as: Sevilla, Mérida, Cáceres, Salamanca and Zamora.

The Vía de la Plata splits in the village of Granja de Moreruela, approximately 40 km north of Zamora. So you have two possibilities to continue:

1. •the northern one is connected to the Camino Francés in Astorga, at approximately 100 km,
   

2. •the western one leads via Orense to Santiago, along a much lesser walked route.
   

More > alongside: video Vía de la Plata (via Orense)