The opposite way?

[AKB]

Hi!

Have anyone walked the via de la plata the opposite way, and ended up in Seville or in Granada? I would like to do so, but am afraid to feel completely lonely. What do you think?

I also would like someone to compare the Camino Frances to The via de la plata, -in all kind of aspects. I have walked the Frances, it was great, but it had some boring streches (Palencia), I think. -Naturewise. And too many pilgrims at times. (June-july-08).

I love Andalucia, and to me Granada is a kind of sacred place.

I will appriciate all kind of reflections and experiences about the via de la plata.

Thanks!

AKB

[Leslie]

I have not walked the Via de la plata - but I would think that walking the opposite walk would be quite loney - I have met a few doing this on the Camino Frances and they were very much alone during the day - but not at night.

[Douglas]

Last year I walked the Camino Frances, and it was part of my original plan then to walk the Via de Plata 'in reverse' to Seville. I didn't for several reasons, primarily I was two months late setting out for Santiago, and by the time I got there it had drawn on too late in the year to attempt a winter walk through the Extremadura.

I might not have attempted it anyway, as I discovered on my way that trails where you depend on waymarking are often intended to be travelled in a particular direction, and the waymarking in the reverse direction is impossible to follow. There are forks in the path which are not points of decision when you walk in the 'right' direction (and therefore not signed), but require a choice when you travel in the other. On a busy trail like the Camino Frances you can sometimes be guided by looking to see where approaching walkers are coming from, but the VdP is not very busy.
I walked from home in Scotland, and an early part of the walk was down the Pennine Way from north to south. Although the walk is supposed to be waymarked in both directions, in fact it is obvious that you are expected to be walking south to north, so I had much resort to map & compass, and often had to improvise routes of my own.

I am sure that you could walk the VdP from north to south, but I think it would be essential to have good maps (not just walkers' guides) as you could expect to lose the trail here and there and be forced to do your own route-finding.