Cycling the Ruta Via de la Plata

Guidebook to cycling the Ruta Via de la Plata through western Spain, covering the 924km route from Seville to the coastal city of Gijón and a pilgrimage variant to Santiago de Compostela. With road and off-road alternatives (the latter suitable for gravel bikes), the route offers fantastic cycling and rich cultural and historical interest.

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Overview

This guidebook to cycling the Ruta Via de la Plata through western Spain describes the 930km route from Seville to the coastal city of Gijón in around 2 weeks (14 stages). A pilgrimage variant, the Camino Sanabrés, to Santiago de Compostela is also described (16 stages in total). Empty roads and gentle climbs make the route accessible to a wide range of bikes and cyclists. Both road and off-road versions are presented, and the guide shows how they can be combined to create a perfect touring, hybrid or gravel cycling trip.

The guide includes leg-by-leg route descriptions, 1:150,0000 colour mapping, elevation profiles and helpful ride planners to show where riders can swop from the off-road to the road route. There is advice on equipment, travel and transporting your bike, alongside a list of accommodation contacts and a useful Spanish glossary.

The Ruta Via de la Plata is one of Spain's most important pilgrim routes. The 2-week journey takes in 7 UNESCO world heritage sites (Seville, Mérida, Cáceres, Salamanca, Leon, Zamora, and Oviedo) with the famous pilgrimage site of Santiago de Compostela if the Camino Sanabrés is taken. There is lots of good-value accommodation available, from hostels to palaces, and plenty of chances to sample Spanish gastronomy.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
The route
The cycling
A ride through Spain’s history
Landscape
Wildlife
Choosing your route
Accommodation
Food
When to go
Getting there
What to take
Navigation
Using this guide
Ruta Vía de la Plata
Stage 1 Seville to El Real de la Jara
Stage 2 El Real de la Jara to Zafra
Stage 3 Zafra to Mérida
Stage 4 Mérida to Cáceres
Stage 6 Grimaldo to Plasencia
Stage 7 Plasencia to Béjar
Stage 8 Béjar to Salamanca
Stage 9 Salamanca to Zamora
Stage 10 Zamora to Benavente
Stage 11 Benavente to León
Stage 12 León to Pola de Lena
Stage 13 Pola de Lena to Oviedo
Stage 14 Oviedo to Gijón
Camino Sanabrés
Stage 1 Zamora to Tábara
Stage 2 Tábara to Puebla de Sanabria
Stage 3 Puebla de Sanabria to A Gudiña
Stage 4 A Gudiña to Ourense
Stage 5 Ourense to Lalín
Stage 6 Lalín to Santiago de Compostela

Appendix A Ride planners
Appendix B Accommodation
Appendix C Useful contacts
Appendix D Glossary

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