© José Manuel Guerrero · Fotografía propia · © Todos los derechos reservadosDe Alicante a la Plata
From the Mediterranean shores of Alicante, it crosses the deep heart of La Mancha before joining the Vía de la Plata: long, solitary and little known.
✦ Historic↑ Ascent
+6335 m
↓ Descent
−5638 m
The Camino del Sureste sets out from Alicante and heads for Benavente or Santa Marta de Tera, where it links up with the Vía de la Plata and the Sanabrés. It was described in 1546 in Villuga's directory of roads.
A long, solitary route from the Mediterranean, crossing the deep heart of La Mancha. For the long-distance pilgrim seeking a little-known historic path that begins in the southeast.
Who it's for
For veterans looking for a long, solitary Camino.
The itinerary
Classic division into stages. Distances are approximate and for guidance; each pilgrim adjusts their days to their own pace.
Cumulative: 24 km
↑443 ↓224 m⏱ 6 h 27 min
Alicante
You leave the Mediterranean coast and head inland into the Alicante backcountry, among dry hills.
View stage →Cumulative: 40 km
↑444 ↓216 m⏱ 4 h 33 min
Alicante
Cumulative: 62 km
↑219 ↓169 m⏱ 5 h 36 min
Alicante
You reach Villena, with its magnificent castle and the famous Visigothic treasure.
View stage →Cumulative: 86 km
↑175 ↓77 m⏱ 6 h
Alicante · Murcia
You cross into Murcia through the vineyards of Yecla, a land of fine wine.
View stage →Cumulative: 116 km
↑243 ↓48 m⏱ 7 h 33 min
Murcia · Albacete
You enter Castilla-La Mancha across very peaceful steppe landscapes.
View stage →Cumulative: 141 km
↑278 ↓214 m⏱ 6 h 25 min
Albacete
A gentle Manchegan stage among lagoons and grain fields.
View stage →Cumulative: 177 km
↑189 ↓376 m⏱ 8 h 53 min
Albacete
A long day's walk to the Manchegan capital, flat and full of wide horizons.
View stage →Cumulative: 214 km
↑72 ↓46 m⏱ 8 h 56 min
Albacete
Cumulative: 230 km
↑56 ↓43 m⏱ 3 h 54 min
Albacete
Cumulative: 261 km
↑42 ↓65 m⏱ 7 h 27 min
Albacete · Cuenca
You cross into the province of Cuenca through very silent landscapes.
View stage →Cumulative: 278 km
↑32 ↓51 m⏱ 4 h 6 min
Cuenca
Cumulative: 305 km
↑77 ↓65 m⏱ 6 h 33 min
Cuenca · Toledo
Cumulative: 329 km
↑50 ↓71 m⏱ 5 h 48 min
Toledo
Cumulative: 358 km
↑84 ↓121 m⏱ 7 h 3 min
Toledo
You draw near Tembleque, with its beautiful Manchegan main square.
View stage →Cumulative: 392 km
↑229 ↓152 m⏱ 8 h 29 min
Toledo
A long day among olive groves on the way to the Montes de Toledo.
View stage →Cumulative: 416 km
↑179 ↓380 m⏱ 6 h 1 min
Toledo
Arrival in Toledo, city of the three cultures above the Tajo.
View stage →Cumulative: 450 km
↑366 ↓322 m⏱ 8 h 42 min
Toledo
Cumulative: 471 km
↑136 ↓230 m⏱ 5 h 14 min
Toledo
Cumulative: 490 km
↑470 ↓129 m⏱ 5 h 18 min
Toledo · Madrid
You cross into Madrid among vineyards, with Gredos already appearing in the distance.
View stage →Cumulative: 515 km
↑367 ↓409 m⏱ 6 h 34 min
Madrid · Ávila
You enter the wine country of Ávila, a gentle landscape of vineyards.
View stage →Cumulative: 532 km
↑620 ↓347 m⏱ 5 h 5 min
Ávila
A brief day among pine woods with Gredos as a backdrop.
View stage →Cumulative: 556 km
↑637 ↓548 m⏱ 6 h 47 min
Ávila
You reach Ávila, walled city and birthplace of Santa Teresa.
View stage →Cumulative: 585 km
↑219 ↓421 m⏱ 7 h 16 min
Ávila
Cumulative: 614 km
↑41 ↓138 m⏱ 6 h 58 min
Ávila
Cumulative: 649 km
↑38 ↓144 m⏱ 8 h 24 min
Ávila · Valladolid
Cumulative: 674 km
↑115 ↓135 m⏱ 6 h 9 min
Valladolid
You reach Tordesillas, where the famous treaty of 1494 was signed.
View stage →Cumulative: 699 km
↑174 ↓129 m⏱ 6 h 15 min
Valladolid
Cumulative: 737 km
↑210 ↓269 m⏱ 9 h 24 min
Valladolid · Zamora
A long day crossing into Zamora, into the land of Tierra de Campos.
View stage →Cumulative: 768 km
↑130 ↓99 m⏱ 7 h 36 min
Zamora
Final stage: you reach Benavente, where you join the Vía de la Plata.
View stage →Plan your daily stages
Choose which stage you start from, how many days you have and at what pace; we split the stages into days balanced by effort (distance and elevation). You can save, share or print your plan.
29 days · ≈ 768 km in total
One or more days exceed 32 effort units (kilometres plus climb: 100 m of ascent count as 1 km). Doable if you are fit, but consider adding a day.
An indicative split by effort (distance + elevation). It does not guarantee accommodation at each stop: check each stage and its hostels before finalising your plan.
✦ Add stamps to your digital credential
Save this route to your account, mark each stage you complete and earn your virtual Compostela when you reach Santiago. Free.
The stamps and the digital credential are a keepsake from Santiago Plan, with no official validity: they are not the pilgrim credential and do not replace the physical stamps collected at hostels and churches to obtain the Compostela at the Cathedral.
🛡 Travel insurance for the Camino
Insurance with medical assistance, baggage cover and cancellation protects you against the unexpected: an injury, a mishap or a stage you can't walk. IATI specialises in travel and offers cover valid for the Camino de Santiago.
See IATI insurance ↗Affiliate link: taking it out through it costs you no more and helps keep this guide independent.
The route
Approximate track of the route with the towns it passes through.
Layers
Use two fingers to move the map; Ctrl + scroll to zoom.
Download and offline navigation
Download the GPX track and open it in your hiking app (OsmAnd, Wikiloc, Locus…) to navigate without coverage.
Where to sleep
A selection of pilgrim hostels (albergues) along the Camino, ordered from the start towards Santiago. The municipal and parish ones are usually the cheapest and many cannot be booked (you arrive and check in in order). Confirm beds, price and opening times before relying on them.
Hostel data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). It does not include beds or price, which are not always in the source; check with the hostel. Is one missing or wrong? Write to us.
Accommodation
On the Camino, pilgrim hostels (municipal, parish and private) are the cheapest option, and many cannot be booked: you arrive and check in in order of arrival. The links below search for hotels and guesthouses, for those who prefer to secure a bed in advance.
Affiliate links to Booking.com: booking through them costs you no more and helps keep this independent guide running.
When you reach Santiago
When you finish your Camino, make the most of Santiago: a guided tour of the cathedral and the botafumeiro, a trip to Finisterre and Muxía (the end of the world), or the corners of the old town.
Affiliate link to GetYourGuide: booking through it costs you no more and helps keep this guide running.
🧭 How to get there
Find out how to travel from your city to Alicante by train, bus, car or plane.
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