Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Vía de la Plata app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
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The ground behind you: what the walk into Aljucén crosses, and where it could have been broken.
Tomorrow from Aljucén
Nothing says you have to stop here, or there. These are simply the towns within a comfortable day's walk, so you can decide tonight.
| Town | km from here | Shared | Private | The walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcuéscar | 19.2 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | The walk from Aljucén to Alcuéscar |
| Aldea del Cano | 33.9 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Aljucen is a small village that dates to the Al-Andalus period and has served travelers on this road for centuries. There's a shop, but the opening hours (10:00-14:00) make it impractical unless you time it right. Both bars do food, and they're your most reliable option.
The real draw here is the Termas Aqua Libera, a reconstructed Roman bathhouse that offers pilgrims discounted entry. The baths have four spaces with three pools at different temperatures and a tepidarium between them for conversation and rest. If you're a pilgrim, they'll lend you a towel and bathing suit. After days of walking through the Extremaduran heat, soaking in waters that echo what the Romans built here is a fine way to spend an afternoon.
Aljucen's name has Arabic roots, and the village was absorbed into the lands of Merida after the Reconquista. Its position on the Via de la Plata made it a natural rest stop for merchants, soldiers, and pilgrims long before the current village took shape.
The camino follows a paved road out of town and joins the N-630 before crossing the Rio Aljucen. Once over the river, it leaves the road (before the gas station) to follow a long path through the countryside.
Along the way to Alcuescar, there are two detours. The first is to the Basilica de Santa Lucia del Trampal but it is not well signposted. From the Basilica you can simply follow the road 3 km to Alcuescar. Of course, if you are not comfortable with the trails and signage you can always walk that same road from Alcuescar to visit the 7th-century Visigothic temple. Admission is free (but closed on Mondays) and there is a small exhibition explaining the archaeological findings.
The second detour is mentioned below.
21. March 2026 - 8:28
Quiet, sweet town. There were just five of us last night in the albergue. Clean and orderly, decent kitchen with equipment.
21. May 2025 - 23:45
Stayed there in March 2025. Very pleasant if quirky (it’s laid out like a traditional ancient Roman house). The people are lovely, the food was good, and the room very comfortable. It is a nice stop, if you want to treat yourself. They also have a thermal bath which they will prepare for you if you are so inclined (I was not)
20. April 2019 - 9:46
Only one Albergue in town and it was full by 1 pm. I had to go to Alcuescar to find a place to stay
April 19, 2019
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.
