The historical Vía de la Plata (Silver Route) traces the Roman road that linked the city of Gijón in northern Spain with Seville in the south.

The route leads 914 kilometres (568 mi) through diverse territories, towns and villages. It guides you through centuries of history and immerses you in each region’s natural and cultural worlds.

In this Collection, I’ve divided the adventure into five long stages – each around 200 kilometres (124 mi) long – which will take between seven and 14 days of hiking. To simplify your organisation, the stages begin in large towns with public transport. This way, you can enjoy them as separate adventures or in one go.

There’s no official day by day breakdown, but usually people take around two months to complete the entire Vía de la Plata. As the route is popular, you can find plenty of information to help you organise it. In total, you’ll conquer over 10,000 metres (32,000 ft) of elevation gain.

The route is mostly well maintained and doesn’t present technical difficulties. To take on this adventure, you’ll need comfortable footwear, light and waterproof clothing and a large rucksack so you can carry plenty of water and food. You’ll pass through Gijón, Oviedo, León, Zamora, Salamanca, Mérida, Seville and countless other small towns along its extensive route.

I recommend taking on this adventure either in the months leading up to the summer, or immediately after. When choosing which direction to hike, bear in mind that the temperatures in the south tend to be milder in winter and higher in summer. In the north, it's the other way around.

Gijón and Seville are very well connected by train, bus and plane. Almost all sizable towns en route have bus or train stops, so it’s easy to organise possible transfers. Enjoy this impressive route as you follow in the footsteps of the Romans who crossed the peninsula from north to south so long ago!