Camino de Cadiz

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Cádiz (Old Town, a few minutes from the cathedral) → Seville (the cathedral is located at km 181.1)
• Length: 182.4 km — with only 99.1 km as the crow flies: a detour factor of 1.84, and the first 15 kilometers head south because Cádiz is located on a headland
• Terrain: flat — coastal and marshland around the Bay of Cádiz, then open countryside along the A-4; no mountains, hardly any shade
• Elevation gain: approx. 610 m of ascent (GPS track of the route) — an average of just over 3 m per kilometre; pilgrim routes in Spain hardly come flatter
• Stages: 7 (the organizing association divides it into smaller segments, up to 10); duration: 7–8 days — the eighth day is best spent resting in Jerez
• Provinces: Cádiz and Seville — Change at km 84.5 in El Cuervo
• Namesake: the Via Augusta, built between 8 and 2 B.C., stretching about 1,500 km from Gades to the Pyrenees—the longest Roman road in Hispania
• Organisation: Cádiz-based St. James' Way Association “Vía Augusta,” Cádiz, since 2009 — Federation Code ES36a
• Waymarking: Not fully verified for the Cádiz section; starting from Utrera, there are additional official signs from the Diputación de Sevilla (2022). A GPX track is required, not optional.
• Pilgrim hostels: Exactly one—Utrera, opening on June 15, 2023, with its own Credencial, including a “credencial canina” for pilgrims traveling with dogs
• Pilgrims: about 300 per year — on this route and the Camino Serrana combined (City of Utrera, 2023)
• Rail: The first 57.7 km run entirely along the Bay Railway line—five stations from Cádiz to Jerez, each a possible boarding point
• Best time: October through April — temperatures in the Campiña exceed 40 degrees in July, with no shade; July and August are out of the question
• Connections: Camino del Estrecho (joins the route at km 30.4, Puerto Real) · Camino Serrana (joins the route at km 144.7, Utrera) · Via de la Plata (merges with the route at km 181.1, Seville)

Overview

This path has two names, and they are fairly distributed: Camino de Cadiz is the way, Vía Augusta is the street on which it lies — built between 8 and 2 B.C., about 1,500 Kilometers From Gades to the Pyrenees, the longest Roman road in Hispania, documented in the Vicarello Cups and in the Itinerarium Antonini. The sponsoring association in Cádiz refers to the Mile Marker Zero this street in his city: a street that led to Rome. You're going the other way. The road is two millennia old; the Way of St. James along it dates back to 2009—and its first pilgrim's bed was built in 2023.

182.4 Kilometers from the Old Town of Cádiz to the cathedral in Seville, just 99 kilometers as the crow flies—and you'll run the first fifteen kilometers to South, because Cádiz is practically an island and the only way out is via the isthmus. From there, the route takes in the entire far south: At Puerto Real flows into the Camino del Estrecho from the Africa Ferry, at Utrera the Camino Serrana from Gibraltar, and at the Cathedral of Seville, he hands everything over to the Via de la Plata. Around 300 pilgrims a year The town of Utrera combines these two routes—you won't see anyone wearing a scallop shell here for days on end, but you'll be walking along the oldest route that any Camino de Santiago in Spain could have.

Built in 8 B.C., revived in 2009, first guest in 2023 — the Funnel of the South

Other routes along the Way of St. James are steeped in legend. This one has none— He has a street, and it's dated. Between 8 and 2 B.C., Augustus had the Vía Augusta expand: approximately 1,500 kilometers from Gades all the way to the Pyrenees, the longest Roman road on the Iberian Peninsula, documented on the silver Vicarello Cups and in the Itinerarium Antonini. Its stops are named after the towns along your route: Gades is Cádiz, Hasta Regia was near Jerez, Orippo near Dos Hermanas, Hispalis is Seville. However, no medieval pilgrim record for the Cádiz–Seville route has surfaced to date—admitting this honestly is more powerful than inventing a miracle story. The verifiable figure associated with this route is not a 13th-century pilgrim, but rather the person who restored it: the Asociación Gaditana Jacobea „Vía Augusta”, founded in Cádiz in 2009, with its headquarters in a church just a few minutes' walk from the starting point. The Vía Augusta was its inaugural project; the Camino Serrana and the Camino del Estrecho came next—and of the club's three paths, this is the only one with an official Federación abbreviation: ES36a.

And it is not a side road, but a Funnel — You won't find this in brochures; it's in our route database, ID-verified: At Puerto Real (km 30,4) ends the Camino del Estrecho, which comes from Algeciras and Tarifa—that is, from the ferries from Africa—the last seven kilometers or so follow the same route in both directions; anyone coming from the Strait is already on the Vía Augusta before they even realize it. At Utrera (km 144,7) ends the Camino Serrana, which starts in Gibraltar and passes through Ronda. And in Seville (181.1 km) the path leads to the Via de la Plata. Three paths from three directions, one shared final stretch: Whether you set out from Morocco, Gibraltar, or Cádiz—once you reach Utrera, you’re all on the same path.

The Revival has specifications and price tags: February 2022 Prodetur, the tourism agency of the province of Seville, presented, as part of the “Caminos Jacobeos del Oeste” 59 official signs along 69.9 kilometers in — including Utrera, Dos Hermanas, and Seville, the last three stops on this route. On the June 15, 2023 Utrera opened the event at Plaza Enrique de la Cuadra, the The first and only pilgrim hostel along the route, accessible, for 59,006.36 euros — with about 300 pilgrims a year on the Vía Augusta and Vía Serrana combined. At the same time, the Asociación Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Utrera was founded, which issues its own credencial, including a"credencial canina" For pilgrims with dogs. The road is 2,000 years old, the trail dates from 2009, its first bed from 2023—and its first stamp for the dog, too.

Other Names

In Spain, this trail is known almost everywhere by the name of the street: Vía Augusta — that is the name of the sponsoring association itself (“Asociación Gaditana Jacobea”) Vía Augusta“), and that’s how you’ll find it in stage lists and tracks. You’ll also come across it written out in full as The Way of St. James: Via Augusta, occasionally The Gaditan-Augusta-Jacobean Route (that's what they called it) Cádiz Portal 2024 (the province's road project); in German, it would be the The Way of St. James from Cádiz, and the Vía Augusta is never translated. Making this distinction will save you from confusion, and it’s not just a matter of semantics: The The Via Augusta as a Roman Road is about 1,500 kilometers long and ran from Gades to the Pyrenees — the The Way of St. James Of the roads bearing this name, only the first section—from Cádiz to Seville—is actually used. If you see “Vía Augusta, 1,500 km” anywhere, it refers to the road, not the trail.

Who It's Ideal For—and Who It's Not So Ideal For

This path is for you if you want to start where Europe ends: in Cádiz, on a headland in the Atlantic, on a road whose origin point points toward Rome—and you're heading northwest. It's for you if you one week You'll have: seven stages, eight days including a rest day in Jerez, and at the end you'll find yourself at the Seville Cathedral, at the Kilometer 0 on the Via de la Plata. It's for you if you don't mind being alone — around 300 pilgrims a year, which converge in two ways. And it has a feature that no other Spanish Way of St. James in our network has: The first 57.7 Kilometers They are all located along a single rail line, with five stations between Cádiz and Jerez. If you just want to get a taste of it, start with day trips and head back in the evening.

To be honest, though, it's not for you if you're looking for the hostel experience: There's one There is one pilgrim hostel at the 182.4-kilometer mark, located in Utrera, 38.8 kilometers from the finish line—all the others are hotels, hostales, and guesthouses, which are plentiful along the coast but few and far between between Jerez and Utrera. It’s not for you either in the Summer: In July, temperatures in the Campiña exceed 40 degrees, and there’s almost no shade along this route. And it’s not for you if you’re expecting wilderness—as you walk through the Bay of Cádiz, you’ll pass salt flats, suburbs, and shipyard areas, and between Jerez and Utrera, the route follows the axis of the A-4/N-IV: Lots of dirt roads and paved roads alongside a major traffic corridor, no mountain scenery. If you know this ahead of time, you won't be disappointed along the way.

Route & Landscape

You'll start in the Old Town of Cádiz and the first thing you do is run to South — That's not a mistake; that's the bay: The southernmost point of the entire route is eight kilometers away more southern as your starting point. Crossing the isthmus, you'll reach San Fernando (km 16.2), then the route continues through the salt flats and marshes of the Parque Natural Bahía de Cádiz according to Puerto Real (km 30.4), which the Catholic Monarchs founded as a port in 1483 — Chiclana de la Frontera It lies a good five kilometers to the west; the trail does not pass through it. Via El Puerto de Santa María (km 40.7) You leave the bay and reach Jerez de la Frontera (km 57.7), the largest town between the start and finish. The fact that so many things here are called “de la Frontera” is a reminder of centuries as a borderland—the old Banda Morisca across from the Kingdom of Granada.

From Jerez, it's Campiña: open farmland along the A-4, across Guadalcacín and 19 kilometers without a single town along the way El Cuervo (km 84.5), where the route crosses from the province of Cádiz into the province of Seville. Next come Lebrija (km 95.1) on the edge of the Marismas del Guadalquivir, Las Cabezas de San Juan (km 112.7), the settlement village El Torbiscal (km 127.1) and Utrera (km 144.7), with its Church of Santiago, built in 1490, and the only pilgrim hostel along the route. The final 38.8 kilometers lead through Dos Hermanas — within whose municipal boundaries Orippo...which was a documented stop on the Roman Via Augusta—into Seville, where you'll be standing at the cathedral at kilometer 181. Two provinces, two regions, one Roman road.

Stages, Terrain & Difficulty

Seven stages are the DB-calibrated standard, averaging a good 26 kilometers—more than the number 182.4 would suggest—and they’re spread over two days: Stage 1 is 30.4 kilometers, and Stage 5 is 32.0. The organizing association breaks it down further into up to ten short stages—but there’s one spot where that won’t help you: The 32 kilometers to Utrera can’t be divided in a practical way, because El Torbiscal Halfway along the route, there’s exactly one store and not a single bed. You plan around gaps like that in advance, not while you’re on the road. From a technical standpoint, the route is as easy as a Way of St. James can be: It starts at the sea, stays through marshlands and the Campiña, and doesn’t cross a single mountain.

1. Cádiz → Puerto Real — 30.4 km — out of Fast Island: first 15 km south across the isthmus to San Fernando (km 16.2, train station a few minutes from the trail), then through the salt flats of the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park. You’ll share the last seven kilometers or so with the Camino del Estrecho. If you'd like to share: San Fernando.
2. Puerto Real → Jerez de la Frontera — 27.3 km — via El Puerto de Santa María (km 40.7, train station, the area with the highest concentration of accommodations after Cádiz) out of the bay and into the Campiña. Possible split: El Puerto (10.2 + 17.1 km).
3. Jerez de la Frontera → El Cuervo — 26.8 km — via Guadalcacín, then 19.3 km through the Campiña de Jerez, passing through no towns. In El Cuervo, you cross into a different province: Cádiz → Seville. Bring water.
4. El Cuervo → Las Cabezas de San Juan — 28.1 km — via Lebrija (km 95.1) on the edge of the Marismas del Guadalquivir. If you want to take it easier, split the route here: Lebrija is 10.6 km away.
5. Las Cabezas de San Juan → Utrera — 32.0 km — the longest stage, and it cannot be split up: El Torbiscal (km 127.1) has a store but no beds. In Utrera, the Pilgrim Hostel (since June 15, 2023) and the Santiago Church, dating from 1490; this is where the Camino Serrana one.
6. Utrera → Dos Hermanas — 19.6 km — the longest stretch of the trail without any settlements: 19.6 km of open, sun-drenched Campiña in one continuous stretch. In the municipality of Dos Hermanas lay Orippo, a stop along the Roman Via Augusta.
7. Dos Hermanas → Seville — 19.2 km — Entry into the suburbs; at km 181.1 You'll walk right past the cathedral, and then the path continues through the Old Town all the way to the Guadalquivir. The Via de la Plata begins at the cathedral.

If you have eight days, take the Day Off in Jerez — The city is located almost exactly one-third of the way along the route and is the only place along the way where spending a full day there is worth considering. If you have nine days, you can also split Stage 1 in San Fernando and Stage 4 in Lebrija—leaving only Stage 32 to Utrera as a challenging day. And thanks to the train stations in Cádiz, San Fernando, Puerto Real, El Puerto de Santa María, Jerez, Dos Hermanas, and Seville, this route can be broken down into sections like almost no other: Six of the fifteen towns along the route have a train station. There is also a documented eastern alternative route via Alcalá de Guadaíra Instead of Dos Hermanas — our route and the description here follow the western route.

Highlights Along the Way

• Cádiz — The tour starts in the Old Town, just a few minutes from the cathedral. The sponsoring organization is located in the Parroquia Ntra. Sra. de la Merced and points out the kilometer marker zero of the Gades–Rome Roman Road in his town; Credencial consultation hours are on Wednesdays.
• San Fernando (km 16.2) — A salt-mining town on the isthmus; the train station is just a few minutes off the trail. Here, the route finally turns north.
• Parque Natural Bahía de Cádiz (km 23–40) — Marshes, salt flats, and mudflats; the trail runs about 1.2 kilometers past the core area. The only section of the trail that passes through a nature park.
• Puerto Real (km 30.4) — Founded in 1483 by the Catholic Monarchs as a port. This is where the Camino del Estrecho one that comes from the ferries from Tangier and Ceuta.
• El Puerto de Santa María (km 40.7) — the exit from the bay: the train station and the area with the highest concentration of lodging along the route to Cádiz.
• Jerez de la Frontera (km 57.7) — the largest town between the start and finish, with a train station, bus station, and airport; this is where the Marsch ends and the Campiña begins. The suffix “de la Frontera” refers to the centuries-old border region with the Banda Morisca.
• El Cuervo (km 84.5) — a double transition: from the province of Cádiz to the province of Seville, after 19.3 kilometers without a single town.
• El Torbiscal (km 127.1) — A 20th-century settlement: one store, no beds. It’s on this list because it’s worth knowing about, not because it’s worth visiting.
• Iglesia de Santiago el Mayor, Utrera (km 144.7) — Start of construction 1490, Portada del Perdón um 1525, Site of Cultural Interest since 1977. Their bell ringers are called"Mochuelos" — Little Owls —, known as “Quícalos” in Santa María.
• Utrera Pilgrim Hostel — since June 15, 2023 Located on Plaza Enrique de la Cuadra, in the former tourist office; wheelchair accessible. The only pilgrim hostel along the 182.4-kilometer route—and it’s 38.8 kilometers from the finish line.
• Dos Hermanas (km 164.3) — was located within the municipal boundaries Orippo, a specifically identified stop on the Roman Via Augusta: The final leg of the route has been verified to follow the Roman alignment.
• Seville, Cathedral (km 181.1) — the trail runs right past it. This is kilometer 0 of the Via de la Plata: 701.2 kilometers to Astorga.
• The Railway Coast — Cádiz, San Fernando, Puerto Real, El Puerto de Santa María, Jerez: five train stations along the first 57.7 kilometers. No other Spanish Way of St. James route in our network is as convenient for day trips.

How Pilgrims Find Their Way onto This Path

This route is the meeting point at the southernmost tip, and two other Ways of St. James lead directly into it—both managed by the same association in Cádiz. At Puerto Real, Kilometer 30.4, comes the Camino del Estrecho In: 148.8 kilometers from Algeciras about Tarifa and Medina Sidonia, via the ferries from Tangier and Ceuta as a feeder route—those coming from Africa literally step onto this path from the ship, and the last seven kilometers or so before Puerto Real, both routes run together. At Utrera, Kilometer 144.7, the Camino Serrana in: 212.4 kilometers out Gibraltar and La Línea via Ronda, the southernmost Way of St. James on the European continent.

If you don't want to start at the beach, you can join in later—and it's easier to do that here than anywhere else: The first 57.7 Kilometers run entirely along the railway line around the Bay of Cádiz, with stations in Cádiz, San Fernando, Puerto Real, El Puerto de Santa María, and Jerez. Five stations, five possible starting points—and in the evening, you can return from any of them. The Credencial You can get it from the sponsoring organization in Cádiz (office hours on Wednesdays at the Parroquia Ntra. Sra. de la Merced) or in Utrera from the local St. James Association.

Continue the pilgrimage?

Seville isn't a destination, but rather the largest handover point in Spain: At the cathedral, right along your route, the Via de la Plata — 701.2 Kilometers via Mérida, Cáceres, and Salamanca to Astorga, where the Camino Francés will take over and bring you to Santiago. From Cádiz to Santiago, that’s a total of just over a thousand kilometers: Your 182.4 kilometers mark the starting point of the longest continuous pilgrimage route on the peninsula—and you began it at its kilometer zero marker.

And anyone who doesn't want to continue can stop with a clear conscience: Seville has an international airport and the AVE to Madrid — the most comfortable return journey a Camino de Santiago has to offer. This route is a full week with a beginning, a narrative arc, and a destination—not just an afterthought.

Preparation & Practical Information

The best time to visit is winter—October through April. This is unusual for a Camino de Santiago, but it’s just right for this one: In July, there are over 40 Degrees, and there's hardly any shade anywhere—no forests, no hills, just salt flats, stubble fields, and asphalt. July and August are not an option, June is also borderline. If you go in the spring, the marshes are full of water and the Campiña is green. And no matter the season: You have to bring your own water — There are two sections spanning more than 19 kilometers that do not pass through a single town (Guadalcacín → El Cuervo and Utrera → Dos Hermanas).

Be prepared to navigate on your own. There is no verified marking status for the Cádiz section; starting from Utrera, there are also the official signs installed by the province of Seville in 2022. A A GPX track on your cell phone is required equipment for this route, not an extra. The Credencial is published by the Asociación Gaditana Jacobea “Vía Augusta”—consultation hours are on Wednesdays at the Parroquia Ntra. Sra. de la Merced in Cádiz—and, in Utrera, additionally by the Asociación Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Utrera, which even has a"credencial canina" for pilgrims with dogs. Stamps are collected along the way at town halls, churches, and bars.

The bed is the real design challenge. One pilgrim hostel along the 182.4-kilometer route—in Utrera, 38.8 kilometers from the finish; the rest are hotels, hostels, and guesthouses. For the first 57 kilometers, accommodations are plentiful because of the coastal tourism there; between Guadalcacín and Utrera, they become scarce, and El Torbiscal doesn't have a bed at all — That's exactly why the 32-kilometer stage to Utrera can't be split up. So plan your daily stages in advance—the easiest way is to do it right in the Camino Ninja App, where you can plan your itinerary and book suitable accommodations right away.

What the journey will cost you

A frank statement up front (as of August 2026): There is not yet a reliable price list for this new route—the sponsoring association maintains stage-by-stage pages with lodging options for its sister routes, but this has not yet been done for the Vía Augusta. To put it bluntly: The only real pilgrim’s lodging along the route is the Utrera Municipal Hostel (opens June 15, 2023); everywhere else, you pay Hotel, Hostel, and Bed-and-Breakfast Rates — specifically, that of a tourist region: Cádiz, El Puerto de Santa María, and Jerez are the expensive part; starting from El Cuervo, it gets cheaper. Therefore, plan your budget more as you would for a week-long vacation in Andalusia with hotel reservations rather than for a Camino with hostels, and don’t count on saving much from that one night in a hostel in Utrera. As soon as the association publishes its list of accommodations for this route, we’ll update the figures here.

Getting Here

Taking the train is as easy as it sounds: Cádiz is the final stop. There are long-distance train services from Madrid and Seville, as well as the local line that runs along the bay through San Fernando, Puerto Real, El Puerto de Santa María, and Jerez—the very same towns you’ll be walking through during the first two days. The train station and Cádiz’s Old Town are just under a kilometer apart, and the route begins right in between: get off the train, head to the Old Town, get your stamp, and off you go. By plane, it’s Jerez (XRY) the nearest airport, located about 35 kilometers from the starting point and connected to Cádiz by train; Seville (SVQ) It's the larger one, and it's the airport you'll be using for your return trip anyway.

The Return trip from Seville It is the most convenient route in the Spanish transportation network: the AVE to Madrid, an international airport, and long-distance buses in all directions. And there’s a way to get there that no other European Way of St. James offers: by ferry from Africa — Tangier or Ceuta, then on the Camino del Estrecho Walk to Puerto Real, where this trail picks up. One last piece of advice regarding the time of year is also important when planning your trip: Book this trail for fall, winter, or spring—if you go in the height of summer, you’ll find yourself in the Campiña with temperatures over 40 degrees and no shade.

• Getting to the starting point: Cádiz by long-distance train from Madrid or Seville, or by local train from Jerez; Jerez Airport (XRY) is about 35 km away and has a rail connection. From the train station to the Old Town: just under one kilometer on foot.
• Intermediate entry: San Fernando (km 16.2), Puerto Real (km 30.4), El Puerto de Santa María (km 40.7), Jerez (km 57.7), and Dos Hermanas (km 164.3)—all of which have train stations.
• Return trip: From Seville-Santa Justa by AVE to Madrid, or from Seville Airport (SVQ); those continuing along the Via de la Plata won't be returning until much later anyway.