The Via de la Plata is an ancient Roman route, that crosses Spain from north to south along its western side, can now be explored in six languages and in sign language – completely free of charge. With the new audio guides, traveling along the Via de la Plata in Extremadura has never been easier. Hundreds of tourist attractions are presented in six different languages, each with subtitles and a sign language interpretation.
This new way of traveling along the ancient Roman road is every traveler’s dream. The route, which once linked Mérida and Astorga and from which it takes its name, bears witness to centuries of history and is now a major tourist attraction. In fact, it is one of the most iconic routes of the Camino de Santiago (the Saint James Way).
These new audio guides allow visitors to create customized itineraries through the Audioguías de Extremadura website.
In Extremadura, the Via de la Plata, stretches for more than 300 kilometers, from the Tentudía region to the Ambroz Valley. These new audio guides allow visitors to create customized itineraries through the Audioguías de Extremadura website. Guides are also available for the Mozarabic Way, which connects with the ¨Vía de la Plata¨ in Mérida.
Free audio guides of Extremadura, in six languages and sign language
Simply click on any of the tourist attractions included in the audio guides to locate them on the map and access a descriptive text, photos, and a video. The audio can be played in English, German, Italian, Portuguese, or French, and all are available with subtitles in each language.
The videos are accessible for people with visual and hearing impairments, as they also include sign language interpretation. All of this can also be downloaded from the Audio Guides of Extremadura website, a project by the Regional Government of Extremadura (Junta de Extremadura) highlighting two tourism brands steeped in history and co-funded by the EU’s Next Generation program.
Hundreds of tourist attractions-just a click away to enjoy the Vía de la Plata
The name of the road built by the Romans between Augusta Emerita (today Mérida) and Asturica Augusta (today Astorga) evokes the Vía de la Plata, passing by unique sites such as the only remaining quadriform arch in Spain, located in the Roman city of Cáparra near Oliva de Plasencia.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mérida is one of the best-preserved cities of the Roman Empire. At its heart stands the Roman Theatre, still used for performances every summer. Exploring Mérida is like strolling through ancient Rome without leaving Extremadura. The audio guides highlight each monument in turn, as well as notable sites beyond the cities, such as the thermal baths of Alange and the hot springs that gave birth to Baños de Montemayor in the Ambroz Valley, northern Extremadura.
Many other treasures of Roman origin are featured in the guides—though the journey doesn’t end there. During the Middle Ages, the Vía de la Plata became a pilgrimage route, and over the centuries it has remained a destination rich in natural beauty.
The route offers visitors monasteries, convents, castles, churches, and towers. It also boasts another World Heritage City: Cáceres, home to one of Europe’s most important monumental ensembles.
Other fascinating sites include the Monastery of Tentudía in Calera de León, in the south of the region. According to legend, during a battle against Moorish troops, the Master of the Order of Santiago prayed to the Virgin Mary, asking her to “stop the day.” The daylight miraculously lingered long enough to secure victory, and in gratitude he ordered the construction of the Santa María de Tudía—or Tentudía—hermitage.
Further north stands the tiny Palancar Convent in Pedroso de Acím, said to be the smallest in the world. Its founder, Saint Peter of Alcántara, was so tall he had to sleep sitting upright on a rock.
The Vía de la Plata can be experienced as a journey through time, allowing travelers to imagine themselves in historical scenes and to immerse themselves in landscapes as stunning as the Cornalvo Natural Park near Trujillanos.
The Vía de la Plata: a journey through time that evoques the ancient roman road
This is an exciting route with plenty of gastronomic and cultural stops: the Museo del Jamón in Monesterio; the whimsical Capricho de Cotrina in Los Santos de Maimona, a Gaudí-inspired fantasy by an Extremaduran artist; the world’s only bullring with a wine cellar beneath it, in Almendralejo; the avant-garde Museo Vostell in Malpartida de Cáceres; and the mysterious Floripes Tower, which appears and disappears with the waters of the Alcántara Reservoir.
The list of attractions along the Vía de la Plata is so extensive that the audio guides are the perfect way to explore them one by one—from the most remote villages to the most historic cities. The route encompasses up to 45 towns, a true jewel whose name, despite its “silver” sound, does not come from the precious metal but from the Arabic word “balat”, meaning “paved road.” Over time, phonetic shifts transformed balat into plata.
Original article by Planveando Comunicaciones SL
Translated by Susana Windt
Published in October 2025
© Planveando Comunicaciones SL
