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Stage 4 · Vía de la Plata y Camino Sanabrés
Almadén de la Plata → Monesterio
Before you set off
No water, no food
Between Almadén de la Plata and Almadén de la Plata. — Leave with 2.5 litres of water.
No water, no food
Between Almadén de la Plata and Monesterio. — Leave with 2.1 litres of water.
Farewell to Andalucía
The longest stage of the Vía de la Plata in Andalucía: 34.7 kilometres with 760 metres of ascent and 540 of descent, high difficulty. You leave Almadén de la Plata on dirt tracks through dehesas of holm oak and cork oak, with constant switchbacks and a great many gates. This is the country of Iberian pigs and fighting bulls, beautiful at dawn and with nothing to buy for many kilometres.
After some 14 kilometres you reach El Real de la Jara, the last Andalusian village, with its castle above and everything you need for a halt: breakfast, a stamp and a refill. Shortly after, you cross into Extremadura, the border marked by a stream and a ruined castle, and the route continues across dehesa towards the hermitage of San Isidro, which appears after a good while, already close to the road.
The second half feels long: open tracks, a section or two beside the N-630 and a steady, easy-angled climb towards Monesterio, which stands high and takes its time to appear. Monesterio is a large village famous for its ham, with every service and a real pilgrim atmosphere.
Tips
Leave at night or at first light: this is a seven or eight hour day and the last part has no shade.
If your legs are not up to it, El Real de la Jara is a good place to sleep and leave half of it for the next day.
Stamp your departure in Almadén, a stamp along the way in El Real de la Jara and your arrival in Monesterio: this stage lends itself well to the parchment.
Monesterio has a ham museum and you eat well there; it is the place to recover properly.
From El Real de la Jara to Monesterio there are some 20 kilometres with no water and no services at all.
Where am I?
Your phone says where you are; the guide tells you how far is left and where the next water is.
Create the free account It is free and forever. An account is needed for the guide to place you. I already have an account
Your position is used to answer you and is not stored anywhere.
Walk with me
It crosses where you are with the time, the daylight left, the water, the beds and the notice board. Three things at most: the ones that actually change your afternoon.
Create the free account It is free and forever. An account is needed for the guide to place you. I already have an account
It checks GPS every 6 min while you keep it open. GPS drains the battery: if yours is low, switch it off.
Your position is used to answer you and is not stored anywhere.
Profile and services
The elevation for this stage has not been loaded yet.
The weather
17°C
Clear
- Feels like
- 15 °C
- Wind
- 4 km/h
- Daylight
- 08:30 – 19:50
It reaches 31 °C today and there are 13,4 km with nowhere to restock. Leave with plenty of water.
- Today ⛅ 31° 16°
- Wed ⛅ 29° 17°
- Thu ⛅ 28° 17°
- Fri ⛅ 30° 15°
- Sat ⛅ 27° 15° 13 %
- Sun ⛅ 22° 12° 19 %
- Mon 🌦️ 18° 9° 16 %
Data from Open-Meteo, refreshed every half hour.
What's there today
Nobody has reported anything on this stage.
Tips from people who walked it
The things that do not expire: where the fountain actually is, which bar opens at six, where not to go in the rain.
None here yet. If you have just walked this stage, you know something tomorrow’s pilgrim does not.
Emergencies
Call 112112 is the same number in Spain, in Portugal and across the European Union. It works with no credit, with no SIM, and over any operator's network, not just yours.
Say where you are I am walking the Vía de la Plata, on the stage from Almadén de la Plata to Monesterio.
- Farmacia Cabrera Pharmacy km 0,1
- Farmacia Real de la Jara Pharmacy km 14,1
- Farmacia Pardo Camacho Pharmacy km 33,8
- Farmacia García Porras Pharmacy km 33,8
The map
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What to see on this stage 6
- Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church km 0,0
- Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Church km 14,0
- Iglesia de San Bartolomé Church km 14,2
- Ermita de San Isidro Church km 25,0
- Iglesia Church km 25,9
- Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol Church km 33,8