The Silver Way – only at Easter
Light-walking Easter pilgrimage · Seville to Santiago along the Vía de la Plata
March 25 – April 2, 2027
An 8-night Easter Camino from Seville to Santiago, with gentle optional walks on the Vía de la Plata, Holy Week and Easter processions, outstanding food and wine, and time for worship and reflection without needing to be a long-distance walker.
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Overview
The Silver Way is Insider’s Camino’s signature Easter pilgrimage – a once-a-year, light-walking journey that follows part of Spain’s historic Vía de la Plata from Seville to Santiago de Compostela. Rather than focusing on long distances, it weaves together Holy Week and Easter liturgies, short optional walks, and time in some of Spain’s most beautiful historic cities.
You begin in Seville for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, watching the famous Holy Week processions from a private balcony and visiting the Alcázar and cathedral. From there, you travel north by private coach through Zafra, Mérida, Cáceres, Salamanca and Braganza, staying in paradors, former convents and country houses, with chances to walk short stretches of the Roman Vía de la Plata and quiet country paths in Galicia. The pilgrimage ends with a gentle Camino approach into Santiago de Compostela, time in the cathedral and its museum, pilgrims’ mass, and a farewell dinner in the Parador overlooking Obradoiro Square – a Holy Week and Easter journey that walkers and non-walkers can truly share together.
Key Facts
Route: Seville → Zafra → Mérida → Cáceres → Salamanca → Braganza (Portugal) → Ourense / Cea / Bendoiro → Santiago de Compostela
Style: Light-walking pilgrimage – a mix of coach travel and optional shorter walks
Duration: 8 nights / 9 days, over Easter
Walking level: Suitable for novice walkers and mixed mobility; walks typically around 4–6 miles (6–10km) with plenty of breaks
Season & availability: Easter only, once per year
Group size: Designed for church groups of around 16–30 people
Who it’s for: Churches and Christian groups wanting a deep Holy Week and Easter experience with light walking instead of a full 100km Camino
Why this Camino – highlights & who it’s for
Tour highlights
Maundy Thursday in Seville, watching Holy Week processions from a private balcony as they pass below
Guided visit to Seville’s Alcázar Palace, cathedral and historic Santa Cruz quarter
Good Friday in Seville and the white-washed town of Zafra, with local wine and cheese tasting
Guided visit to Mérida’s Roman theatre, amphitheatre and museum, discovering Spain’s Roman past on the Vía de la Plata
Witness the local Good Friday processions in Mérida
Easter Sunday in Cáceres, a UNESCO World Heritage city, with the chance to witness the Procesión de Encuentro in the main square
Time in Salamanca, Spain’s oldest university town, with a guided visit to its old and new cathedrals and historic university buildings
Opportunity for a private Eucharist with Bishop Carlos López Lozano in Salamanca’s Anglican church, followed by tapas in the Plaza Mayor
Crossing into Portugal to stay in Braganza, with dinner at the Michelin-starred G Pousada
A 6-mile / 9.5km optional country walk in Galicia near Ourense and Cea, plus a shorter Camino walk into Santiago de Compostela
Pilgrims’ mass in Santiago Cathedral, with the botafumeiro when scheduled, plus a guided visit to the cathedral and its museum
Farewell dinner in a private room at the Parador de Santiago de Compostela, overlooking Obradoiro Square
Who this Camino is for
This itinerary is especially well suited to:
Churches seeking an Easter pilgrimage that blends worship, culture and travel, without a demanding walking schedule
Mixed-mobility groups, where some pilgrims enjoy gentle walking and others prefer to travel mainly by coach
Pilgrims who love history, architecture and food, with time in Seville, Cáceres, Salamanca, Braganza, Ourense and Santiago
Individual pilgrims who are happy to join a church group and prefer a supported, light-walking itinerary at Easter (subject to space on specific departures)
This is a once-a-year journey for churches who want to walk a little, but experience a great deal.
Walking & pace on The Silver Way
On this Silver Way pilgrimage, walking is light, optional and always supported by a private coach. The focus is on Easter and the landscapes and cities of the Vía de la Plata, rather than on completing a long-distance pilgrimage. Across the journey there are a handful of gentle walks, typically around 4–6 miles (6–10km), including stretches on the Roman Vía de la Plata near Aldea del Cano and Cáparra, a country walk in Galicia near Ourense and Cea, and a shorter Camino approach into Santiago de Compostela. Paths are generally good tracks and lanes with plenty of pauses for rest, photos and reflection.
Each day you can decide how much, if any, walking you would like to do. Some pilgrims choose to walk every available section, covering roughly 18–20 miles (29–32km) over the whole pilgrimage, while others dip in and out, or ride the coach and enjoy more time in towns, hotels and cafés. There is room within the rhythm of the day for prayer and reflection, shaped with church leaders and offered as an invitation rather than an obligation. Because this itinerary focuses on light walking and coach travel across several regions, it normally does not qualify for the Compostela certificate, but it does offer a rich Holy Week and Easter Camino experience that walkers and non-walkers can share together.
Day by day on Easter on The Silver Way
A brief overview – details and hotels may vary slightly by year, while keeping the overall structure and feel.
Day 1 – Maundy Thursday: Candlelight in Seville
Home → Seville
Overview
Arrive independently in Seville and check into your hotel in the historic centre, within walking distance of the cathedral and Alcázar. In the afternoon you meet your host and guide and walk through the old streets to visit the Alcázar Palace and Seville’s Gothic cathedral, with its Giralda tower built on the former minaret. In the evening you move to a private balcony overlooking one of the main Holy Week routes, where you watch the Maundy Thursday processions as your guide explains the symbolism behind the pasos processions and cofradías.
Today’s highlights
First meeting with your fellow pilgrims in Seville
Guided visit to the Alcázar Palace and cathedral
Introduction to Holy Week traditions in Andalusia
Maundy Thursday processions from a private balcony with tapas and wine
Day 2 – Good Friday: Little Seville and Roman stones
Seville → Zafra → Mérida → Cáceres
Overview
After breakfast, you leave Seville by private coach and travel north to Zafra, often called “Little Seville” for its white-washed streets and plazas. There is time to explore the town and enjoy a local wine and cheese tasting at lunchtime. In the afternoon, you continue to Mérida for a guided visit to its Roman theatre, amphitheatre and museum, a vivid reminder of Spain’s Roman past on the Vía de la Plata. You then travel on to Cáceres, where you check into the parador for two nights and have the chance to see Good Friday processions passing through the old town.
Today’s highlights
Journey from Andalusia into Extremadura
Time to wander Zafra’s squares and streets
Guided visit to Roman Mérida – theatre, amphitheatre and museum
Good Friday atmosphere and processions in Cáceres
Day 3 – Holy Saturday: Milestones on the Silver Road
Cáceres → Aldea del Cano → Cáceres
Overview
This morning you travel a short distance by coach to Aldea del Cano for your first optional walk on the Vía de la Plata – a gentle 4-mile / 6.5km stretch past Roman milestones, including the well-known mailbox milario, through open countryside and farmland. After a simple lunch, you return to Cáceres for an early evening walking tour of its walled historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose streets and towers have featured in films and TV series. Dinner is at the parador.
Today’s highlights
Optional first walk on the Vía de la Plata
Roman milestones and quiet Extremaduran landscape
Guided walking tour of Cáceres’ old town
Dinner and overnight at the Parador Cáceres
Day 4 – Easter Sunday: Encounter in Cáceres and the Roman arch
Cáceres → Cáparra → Salamanca
Overview
On Easter Sunday morning, you have time to witness the Procesión de Encuentro in Cáceres, as statues of Jesus and Mary are carried from different parts of the city to meet in the main square, accompanied by music, bells and the release of doves. Later you travel north by coach to a picnic spot on the Vía de la Plata and walk a second optional 4-mile / 6.5km stretch of Roman road towards the abandoned Roman city of Cáparra, with its striking four-arched gate. You then continue to Salamanca, checking into a former Dominican convent. In the evening there may be a private Eucharist with Bishop Carlos López Lozano in the nearby Anglican church, followed by tapas in the Plaza Mayor.
Today’s highlights
Easter Sunday in Cáceres with the Procesión de Encuentro
Optional walk on the Roman road to Cáparra
Arrival in golden-stone Salamanca
Private Eucharist and tapas (when Bishop Carlos is available)
Day 5 – Easter Monday: Golden Salamanca and a taste of Portugal
Salamanca → Portuguese border → Braganza
Overview
In the morning you explore Spain's oldest university city of Salamanca, often called the “golden city” for the colour of its sandstone. With your guide, you visit the old and new cathedrals, dating back to the 12th and 16th centuries, and the historic university buildings, where you hear about the role this city has played in Spanish intellectual and church life. After some free time and a countryside lunch, you continue by coach across the border into Portugal and the hilltop town of Braganza, where you take a visit of the town and check into a comfortable pousada overlooking the city, and enjoy dinner at the Michelin-starred G Pousada.
Today’s highlights
Guided tour of Salamanca’s cathedrals and university
Free time to enjoy cafés and squares in Salamanca
Crossing into Portugal and arriving in Braganza
Guided visit of Braganza
Dinner at the Michelin-starred G Pousada
Day 6 – Into Galicia: Woods, bread and a country house
Braganza → Ourense → Cea → Bendoiro
Overview
After breakfast, you travel to Ourense in Galicia for coffee and a short orientation, then continue by coach to the start of a 6-mile / 9.5km optional walk through wooded countryside and small villages to the small town of Cea, known for its traditional bread, pan de cea. Later you travel on to Pazo de Bendoiro, a restored Galician country hotel, where you stay the night and enjoy a relaxed Galician dinner with regional wines.
Today’s highlights
First impressions of Galicia in Ourense
Optional 6-mile country walk to Cea
Stay in a peaceful Galician country hotel
Dinner with local wines and produce
Day 7 – Final footsteps into Santiago
Bendoiro → Camino approach → Santiago de Compostela
Overview
Today you walk your final stage into Santiago de Compostela. Starting near a small rural hermitage, you follow paths and lanes past stone crosses and chapels, passing near Santa María a Real do Sar constructed by Maestro Mateo, with its Romanesque cloister, before entering the city itself. You arrive together in Praza do Obradoiro, in front of the cathedral, and check into the Parador de Santiago, your home for the last nights of the pilgrimage. In the evening, we attend Eucharist for our group in the church of San Fiz, founded before the 9th century . Afterwards, we enjoy dinner at a favourite local restaurant., and to share dinner in a local restaurant showcasing modern Galician cuisine and wines.
Today’s highlights
Final Camino walk into Santiago de Compostela
Views of cloisters, cruceiros and the cathedral towers
Eucharist for our group in the pre-9th century San Fiz church
Evening dinner in a restaurant serving modern Galician cuisine
Day 8 – Santiago in depth & farewell table
Santiago de Compostela (on foot)
Overview
Your final full day is dedicated to Santiago de Compostela. In the morning you take a guided tour of the cathedral and its museum and go on to visit to the Anglican Pilgrim's Centre that your pilgrimage helps support. You attend the Pilgrim's Mass at the Cathedral (when available with the botafumeiro).The afternoon is free to wander, rest or shop before gathering in a private room at the Parador for a farewell dinner overlooking Obradoiro Square.
Today’s highlights
Guided visit to the cathedral and museum
Visit to the Anglican Centre in Santiago
Pilgrims’ Mass with Botafumeiro (when scheduled) and farewell dinner at the Parador
Free time to reflect, pray or explore
Farewell dinner in a private room at the Parador
Day 9 – Carrying Easter home
Santiago de Compostela → Home
Overview
After breakfast at the Parador, your Silver Way pilgrimage comes to an end. Some pilgrims head directly to the airport, while others choose to stay longer in Spain or Portugal. Many find that travelling from Seville to Santiago over Easter continues to shape their faith and imagination long after they return home.
Today’s highlights
Final moments in Obradoiro Square
Journey home or onward travel
Accommodation & meals
Accommodation on the Silver Way is chosen for comfort, character and location, with a mix of 4★ and 5★ hotels, historic paradors, convents and country houses.
You begin in Seville, staying in a central 4★ hotel close to the cathedral and Alcázar. In Cáceres, your base is the parador in the World Heritage old town. In Salamanca, you sleep in a converted 5★ Dominican convent; in Braganza, you stay at a pousada with views over the Portuguese town; and in rural Galicia you spend a night at a peaceful Galician country house hotel. The journey ends in Santiago de Compostela, where you stay at the Parador de Santiago (Hostal dos Reis Católicos) on Obradoiro Square, just a few steps from the cathedral.
As a premium Easter pilgrimage, the Silver Way includes most meals:
Breakfast daily
6 hosted lunches across the itinerary
7 dinners, many in specially selected restaurants or hotel dining rooms, with wine included at dinner
Any meals not listed, and any extra drinks, are at your own expense, giving you freedom to try local cafés and bars when there is free time.
Your hosts & guides on this pilgrimage
Joanna Wivell
Your Insider’s Camino host
Originally from Yorkshire, UK and based in Spain for over 20 years, Joanna has walked multiple Camino routes since 2004. She combines her love of walking, Spanish culture, food and music to create pilgrimages that are joyful, deeply rooted and pastorally sensitive.
Gerard McCullough
Camino guide
Gerard brings years of experience in logistics and group travel. He oversees bookings, coaches, hotels and on-the-ground problem-solving, so things run smoothly behind the scenes and leaders can focus on their people.
Practicalities, pricing & FAQs
What’s included
For church leaders
We handle the bookings and logistics for your Camino, so your team can focus on leading the pilgrimage
Private online pilgrimage page for your church, with full trip details and a registration link you can share with your congregation.
Pre-trip online Q&A sessions for your group, plus ongoing support as questions arise
Pre-trip information about arrival and departure timings, meeting points and what to expect during Holy Week and Easter
Support with rooming lists, dietary needs and mobility information before you travel
A dedicated point of contact in the Insider’s Camino team before and during the pilgrimage
Option to add pre- or post-pilgrimage travel with Insider’s Tailored Travel
For pilgrims
4★ and 5★ hotels and high-quality, comfortable accommodation throughout, including the Parador in Cáceres, a former convent in Salamanca, a pousada in Braganza and the Parador de Santiago
Breakfast daily, 6 lunches and 7 dinners, with wine included at dinner
Comfortable private coach from Seville to Santiago de Compostela for the entire itinerary
Insider’s Camino tour host and Camino guide travelling with the group (for larger groups, an additional guide may be added)
Guided visits and entrance fees as specified in the final itinerary (for example: Alcázar and cathedral in Seville; Mérida’s Roman sites; cathedrals and university in Salamanca; cathedral and museum in Santiago)
A $200 USD donation per pilgrim to the Friends of the Anglican Pilgrim Centre in Santiago de Compostela, built into the tour cost
All applicable taxes
Not included
Flights and airport transfers
Any meals not mentioned above
Travel insurance (required)
Gratuities for guides and driver
Notes
All walks are optional; a private coach is always available if you prefer to ride instead of walk.
As this itinerary does not focus on walking the final 100km / 62 miles of a single Camino route, it normally does not qualify for the Compostela certificate.
Pricing
Indicative pricing, based on the current example itinerary:
Price per person (shared room): $6,600 USD
Single room supplement: $1300 USD
Non-refundable deposit per person: $750 USD
Final pricing for your church will depend on the year of travel, group size, hotel availability and any adjustments you choose to make to the programme.
FAQs
Do I need to be a confident walker to join the Silver Way?
No, the Silver Way is a light-walking Easter pilgrimage designed for a wide range of fitness levels.
Walking is part of the journey, but not the whole focus. Across the itinerary there are several optional walks, usually in the range of 4–6 miles (6–10km), including stretches on the Vía de la Plata and a final approach into Santiago. A private coach is always available, so you can choose day by day whether to walk, walk part of the way or travel entirely by coach.
Will I receive the Compostela certificate on this pilgrimage?
In general, no – the Silver Way is not designed to meet the usual Compostela distance requirement.
This itinerary travels from Seville to Santiago over Holy Week and Easter, using a mix of coach travel and shorter walks across several regions. Because it does not focus on walking the final 100km (62 miles) of a single Camino route, it normally does not qualify for the Compostela certificate. If the certificate is a key goal for your church, a walking itinerary such as the French Way or Portuguese Way will be a better option.
Is this pilgrimage suitable for mixed-mobility church groups and non-walkers?
Yes, mixed-mobility groups are at the heart of what the Silver Way is designed for.
Each day includes options so that confident walkers can enjoy the available walks and less mobile pilgrims can travel by coach and still share the same cities, services and meals. The emphasis is on Holy Week and Easter liturgies, shared worship and rich cultural experiences, rather than on covering long distances on foot.
Is worship compulsory on the Silver Way?
No, worship and prayer are gently woven into the days but always offered as an invitation, not an obligation.
Because this is an Easter pilgrimage, there is more liturgy than on some other tours – for example, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday in Seville and Easter Sunday in Cáceres or another city on the route. Even so, people are encouraged rather than pressured to take part, and the tone is hospitable and inclusive for those at different stages of faith.
Why is the Easter on the Silver Way only offered once a year?
The Silver Way is a special, once-a-year Easter itinerary with limited availability by design.
It brings together Holy Week in Seville, overnight stays in carefully chosen paradors and historic properties, and a final approach into Santiago, all at a time of year when demand for accommodation and balcony spaces is very high. Offering it once a year allows us to keep the quality and pacing we want, and to give one church group (with a few additional pilgrims, where possible) a very focused and carefully hosted Easter Camino.
Still wondering about something? See our full Camino FAQ or contact us.
Gallery – Easter on the Silver Way
The Silver Way takes you from Maundy Thursday in Seville to Eastertide in Santiago. Use this gallery to show your church what that looks like: Holy Week processions seen from a balcony, Roman arches and roads on the Vía de la Plata, golden-stone Salamanca, hilltop Braganza, wooded country paths near Ourense and Cea, and the spires and squares of Santiago de Compostela at the end of the Way.
Explore Other Caminos
Looking for a different Camino experience? We offer walking routes from both France and Portugal, each arriving in Santiago with its own story.
The French Way Pilgrimage
The classic Camino route from the Pyrenees to Santiago.
Walk through medieval villages, rolling hills and Galician forests on the most famous pilgrimage path in the world.
Distance: 200km / 124 miles
Best for: Churches wanting the iconic Camino experience
The Portuguese Way Pilgrimage
Walk from Porto to Santiago through vineyards and forests.
Begin in Porto and walk through Portuguese vineyards into Galicia. Exceptional food and wine culture with beautiful riverside paths.
Distance: 127km / 79 miles
Best for: Churches valuing hospitality and scenic variety
Explore the Camino
Light-Walking Pilgrimage
A light-walking pilgrimage from Madrid to Santiago, combining selected walks on the French Way with Spanish art, worship, history and private coach support.
Distance: Five walking days
Best for: Churches wanting a richer Camino experience with coach support
Ready to explore Easter on The Silver Way for your church?
Because Easter on the Silver Way is an Easter-only, once-a-year pilgrimage for a single church group, places are limited and departures fill early.
If you’d like to explore bringing your church—or joining an existing group—on this light-walking Easter Camino, we’d be delighted to talk.
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