VdlP April 2025

[ChappyNS]

Hey everyone. My plan is to walk the VdlP from Seville to Santiago via the Sanabres commencing 10 April (plus or minus a day or two). This will be my 4th camino and I'm really looking forward to getting away from the "busy" Frances and Portuguese ones.

That being said, good company is always good! So if you think you may be walking the VdlP around the same time frame, feel free to drop me a line! (Mark from Canada)

 

[OzAnnie]

Hi Chappy
You’ll find enough company walking out of Sevilla at your chosen date. (Or at least further along the way / but not crowds !!!).
There will be many preparations in Sevilla before you leave there as Semana Santa 2025 starts 13 April.
It is a great time to walk on the Vdlp - you will find most villages etc will have their own Easter processions etc. Many people around in the evenings. The procession in Mérida was wonderful.
The spring flowers will greet you along the way too.

Buen camino

Edit: not a bad idea to get your Sevilla accommodation chosen due to the closeness to Easter / it’s a popular destination at any time of the year.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Hey everyone. My plan is to walk the VdlP from Seville to Santiago via the Sanabres commencing 10 April (plus or minus a day or two). This will be my 4th camino and I'm really looking forward to getting away from the "busy" Frances and Portuguese ones.

That being said, good company is always good! So if you think you may be walking the VdlP around the same time frame, feel free to drop me a line! (Mark from Canada)

Hi Mark. I am hoping to do the VDLP from around middle of April, although it’s proved to be elusive so far as everytime I have it planned something else comes up to stop me!!! But if all goes well I hope to travel from south of France to Seville on 11 April, so would start on 12th! I have actually done the first stage before (on a long weekend in Seville when I wanted to get away from the crowds) but my knowledge beyond that is limited! I normally turn up and walk (Frances, Norte, Portuguese), at a moments notice without any prep at all, but I know I need to ‘up my game ‘ for his one and do some planning and research!! Your post have prompted me to book some accommodation which I have just done (best rate with cancellation on booking. Com) is €29 pppn near railway station - Bambu Hostel Capsules depending on your standards (mine are low!).

I am a slow walker but can crack on the with the KMs so will try and catch up with you!

 

[ChappyNS]

Hi Chappy
You’ll find enough company walking out of Sevilla at your chosen date. (Or at least further along the way / but not crowds !!!).
There will be many preparations in Sevilla before you leave there as Semana Santa 2025 starts 13 April.
It is a great time to walk on the Vdlp - you will find most villages etc will have their own Easter processions etc. Many people around in the evenings. The procession in Mérida was wonderful.
The spring flowers will greet you along the way too.

Buen camino

Edit: not a bad idea to get your Sevilla accommodation chosen due to the closeness to Easter / it’s a popular destination at any time of the year.

Thanks OzAnnie!

I have heard from friends that the Semana Santa is both crazy and somber, and that I should plan to be in Seville at that time and experience it. My original plan is to be well and clear of the mania, but maybe I should rethink this? What are your thoughts?

PS. I leave for Australia in a week (my first time there) and will eventually get to your home town in early November! Can't wait!

 

[ChappyNS]

Hi Mark. I am hoping to do the VDLP from around middle of April, although it’s proved to be elusive so far as everytime I have it planned something else comes up to stop me!!! But if all goes well I hope to travel from south of France to Seville on 11 April, so would start on 12th! I have actually done the first stage before (on a long weekend in Seville when I wanted to get away from the crowds) but my knowledge beyond that is limited! I normally turn up and walk (Frances, Norte, Portuguese), at a moments notice without any prep at all, but I know I need to ‘up my game ‘ for his one and do some planning and research!! Your post have prompted me to book some accommodation which I have just done (best rate with cancellation on booking. Com) is €29 pppn near railway station - Bambu Hostel Capsules depending on your standards (mine are low!).

I am a slow walker but can crack on the with the KMs so will try and catch up with you!

Hi TM!

My departure date from Seville is a work in progress as well. I want to visit Morocco and Gibraltar before the camino but that needs more planning. And if you note my conversation with OzAnnie, I am still trying to decide if I should depart Seville before Semana Santa or actually experience it. Decisions, decisions. Anyway, thanks for reaching out. Keep in touch if you like and let's see how this goes

Cheers

 

[OzAnnie]

. My original plan is to be well and clear of the mania, but maybe I should rethink this? What are your thoughts?

…my thoughts …it depends … as always, ie it’s horses for courses. Many people make this the highlight ., to experience Semana Santa in Sevilla ; but being there alone … and excited to walk (I’d visited Sevilla previously on a sightseeing trip of spain - so I wasn’t going to miss any sights by leaving early ) …my preference was to be gone.
I was really surprised to realise that even tiny villages will have a procession each night so you won’t miss out and it was more enjoyable for me to experience this with other peregrinos from the albergues/accommodations at which I stayed.
I’ve also seen the peregrinos invited to help carry the procession in smaller villages (in 2019 Aljucen which is after Mérida) .

Are you planning to stop and have a look at Italica ? Not far out of Sevilla at Santiponce. Worth looking at …. Not as impressive as the Roman ruins at Mérida tho; which will blow you away.

So envious of you walking this route. I returned and re-walked a section of it earlier this year from Mérida, but it was soooooo wet. Still good memories and met new friends.
I’d hope for weather in 2025 to be perfect again as it was in 2019.

Buen camino.

 

[ChappyNS]

…my thoughts …it depends … as always, ie it’s horses for courses. Many people make this the highlight ., to experience Semana Santa in Sevilla ; but being there alone … and excited to walk (I’d visited Sevilla previously on a sightseeing trip of spain - so I wasn’t going to miss any sights by leaving early ) …my preference was to be gone.
I was really surprised to realise that even tiny villages will have a procession each night so you won’t miss out and it was more enjoyable for me to experience this with other peregrinos from the albergues/accommodations at which I stayed.
I’ve also seen the peregrinos invited to help carry the procession in smaller villages (in 2019 Aljucen which is after Mérida) .

Are you planning to stop and have a look at Italica ? Not far out of Sevilla at Santiponce. Worth looking at …. Not as impressive as the Roman ruins at Mérida tho; which will blow you away.

So envious of you walking this route. I returned and re-walked a section of it earlier this year from Mérida, but it was soooooo wet. Still good memories and met new friends.
I’d hope for weather in 2025 to be perfect again as it was in 2019.

Buen camino.

Thanks for helping me make my choice. I will stick with my original plan. I am allergic to crowds (especially large, festive ones) so I will flee Seville before Semana Santa! You informed me that this event occurs in smaller locations so I won't miss out. Oh, and yes Italica is on my list. I plan on spending a couple days in Seville to see the major stuff!

 

[Tom Conklin]

Thanks OzAnnie!

I have heard from friends that the Semana Santa is both crazy and somber, and that I should plan to be in Seville at that time and experience it. My original plan is to be well and clear of the mania, but maybe I should rethink this? What are your thoughts?

PS. I leave for Australia in a week (my first time there) and will eventually get to your home town in early November! Can't wait!

I finished during Semana Santa in 2022 and flew back to Seville for a couple of days (Holy Thursday and Good Friday) before flying home. The sheer number of people, the disruptions and the expense of staying in the "Capital of Easter" made my stay less enjoyable than I would have expected. What I found most incongruous was the joy and celebration throughout the supposed saddest period of Easter. The processions are something to see and the celebrations are also quite impressive. If you like that sort of thing I think Seville would be a great place to spend Easter. There wasn't enough Camino for me, even after I had finished my walk and was on my way home.

 

[Madamjoy]

Hi TM!

My departure date from Seville is a work in progress as well. I want to visit Morocco and Gibraltar before the camino but that needs more planning. And if you note my conversation with OzAnnie, I am still trying to decide if I should depart Seville before Semana Santa or actually experience it. Decisions, decisions. Anyway, thanks for reaching out. Keep in touch if you like and let's see how this goes

Cheers

If you have the time you should try and experience a day or two of Semana Santa. It’s truly an insight into the ethos of the region. Yes, it will be crowded and the processions can go on for ever, but it’s a once in a lifetime event. The opening possessions on day 1 are very important to the local people. You can hightail it out of town after a day or two.

 

[jflorez]

I think we conversed on the VdlP page on Facebook? But, if not, my plan is to walk out of and start from Sevilla on the 28th of March. I've already made reservations for private accommodation in Salamanca for Semana Santa: two nights, April 17th, and 18th, departing the morning of the 19th (Saturday). There were already, and this far out, very few options available on Booking. Understanding, of course, this doesn't represent ALL available accommodations, I made cursory direct calls to several other places, which booking said had no availability, and which were in my budget, and they also revealed no available rooms for that timeframe. Note: There may be plenty of rooms at greater expense, but I did not inquire to those. Very excited to get back on the Camino, and to be walking the VdlP for a different experience to the CF, which I love dearly. Cheers!

 

[Sandra Wolf]

Hi, Mark.
We might see you on the trail as our plan is to start from Salamanca the last week of April 2025. My husband and I started the Via on the 5th of April this year and I limped almost to Salamanca with hip pain. After a week's rest it still hadn't settled, so we bussed to Porto and walked the Portugues from there to Santiago.
We are trying our best to avoid all the celebrations and crowds.
We may bump into you somewhere along the way!
BTW, I grew up in Sydney, Nova Scotia and moved to Australia back in 1989.
All the best.
Sandra and Bill

 

[John Cook]

I've walked three different Spanish Camino's over the Easter period and to be honest, I don't remember any of the days being different to any other days of the week. I guess I was never in a big city over the holiday periods but I certainly didn't have any problems finding accommodation or food at the end of the day. I would have topped up on snacks on the Saturday though, just like any other weekend.

 

[Joe C]

Thanks for helping me make my choice. I will stick with my original plan. I am allergic to crowds (especially large, festive ones) so I will flee Seville before Semana Santa! You informed me that this event occurs in smaller locations so I won't miss out. Oh, and yes Italica is on my list. I plan on spending a couple days in Seville to see the major stuff!

If you want to visit Italica, be sure to check what days it's open. We walked by on a Monday, and were disappointed to find it closed.

 

[Robo]

Thanks for helping me make my choice. I will stick with my original plan. I am allergic to crowds (especially large, festive ones) so I will flee Seville before Semana Santa! You informed me that this event occurs in smaller locations so I won't miss out. Oh, and yes Italica is on my list. I plan on spending a couple days in Seville to see the major stuff!

That's what I did last year.
People said Sevilla in Semana Santa is crazy busy.
So I made sure to leave Sevilla a week before.

But I caught up with the parades in Merida which were impressive and a couple of small towns along the way.

 

[geraldkelly]

if you're planning to be in Seville around Easter next year you should probably be thinking about booking accommodation as soon as possible.
Buen Camino!