What if the next Camino a Santiago started in Zamora? This Friday, November 13, the Provincial Tourism Board presents at INTUR, in Valladolid, a commitment to its five Jacobean itineraries. With the “Zamora, your Interior Way” campaign, the province claims some 500 kilometers of routes and prepares activities to publicize this heritage before Xacobeo 2027.
According to the schedule published by Zamora24horas this morning, the institutional presentation of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 12:00 today at the Valladolid fairgrounds.
Five itineraries to discover Zamora before Xacobeo 2027
The campaign focuses on five traditional paths that the Provincial Council had already claimed in the 2025 days dedicated to the routes of the province: Vía de la Plata, Camino Sanabrés, Camino de Levante, Camino del Sureste and Camino Zamorano-Portugués. They are not five completely independent routes. Some converge, share routes or link with other itineraries, something that should be kept in mind when preparing the stages.
The Vía de la Plata is the great axis that arrives from Salamanca and crosses Zamora capital. It continues through towns such as Montamarta and Granja de Moreruela towards Leonese lands, until joining the French Way in Astorga. Along this route, the pilgrim discovers the contrast between the Duero, the agricultural landscape and the small towns of the plateau.
The Camino Sanabrés offers another possibility. From Granja de Moreruela it heads west, through Tábara, Santa Marta de Tera, Rionegro del Puente and Puebla de Sanabria, to enter Galicia through the mountains. It is an especially significant alternative for walkers who come from Andalusia or Extremadura and wish to continue towards Ourense.
The Caminos de Levante and del Sureste complete the network, bringing pilgrims from the Mediterranean coast and the interior of the peninsula closer to Zamora.
The Zamorano-Portuguese Way adds an international dimension. It leaves Zamora towards Alba and Aliste, passes through Alcañices and reaches the Portuguese border. After crossing the lands of Trás-os-Montes, it returns to Spain and connects with the Sanabrés in Verín. The Federation of Associations of the Historical and Traditional Caminos de Santiago of Castilla y León includes this route and its stages on its portal.
These connections explain the interest of the recent Astorga meeting on the Vía de la Plata, which addressed signaling and cooperation between associations.
A heritage that tells the story of the pilgrimage
There are places where the pilgrim can discover much more than a yellow arrow. Santa Marta de Tera, in Sanabrés, preserves in its Romanesque church a medieval representation of Santiago dressed as a walker, with staff and bag. It is one of the most emblematic images of Jacobean iconography.
In the Sanabria mountains, Puebla de Sanabria preserves its historical complex and the castle. It is a change of scenery for those who have spent days walking through open terrain. The following stages require paying attention to altitude, weather and accommodation availability, especially outside of peak months.
Neighbors and schoolchildren, protagonists of the campaign
One of the most interesting ideas of the provincial strategy is that its inhabitants know the itineraries they have close to home. According to the information published this Friday, the Board of Trustees prepares outings for schoolchildren with the collaboration of the Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago. The intention is to use short routes to bring them closer to the history of the pilgrimage and its relationship with the towns, religious establishments and the welcome of travelers.
Interpretative excursions for the local population and promotional actions aimed at communicators and tourism professionals are also contemplated. The details of the dates, registrations and specific routes of these activities should be known when their programs are announced; It is not yet a closed calendar of pilgrimages.
The initiative continues previous efforts, such as the Jacobean meeting held in Zamora in 2025, focused on the conservation of routes and their services.
What the pilgrim who chooses these routes in 2027 should know
The first tip is to study the entire route before booking transportation. On inland roads, the distance between towns, services and overnight stays may be different from those found on busier routes. It is advisable to check the stages with local associations and directly check the establishments' schedules.
The Holy Year 2027 offers an opportunity to discover other Paths. Zamora remembers that Santiago does not have a single entrance door and that each route keeps its own history.
Featured photo: Imonsalvo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized image).
Sources: Zamora24horas, news of November 13, 2026; INTUR programming; Zamora roads day 2025; Federation of Roads of Castilla y León, Vía de la Plata; Sanabrés Road; Portuguese Way of the Vía de la Plata; Tábara City Council.
Images: Photo: José Antonio Gil Martínez · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized image) | Photo: Ciudadano Pucelano · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons (resized image).
