El Camino de Santiago Trekking Tour

Camino de Santiago

The original spirit of the Camino, St James

The Primitive Way. It is the one that we could understand as the first that were used for pilgrimage after having knowledge that the remains of the Apostle Santiago were in this city. In the 9th century, King Alfonso II reigned in Asturias and had his Court in Oviedo, from there he decided to head towards Santiago and chose this route to do so. He spent many years in oblivion in favor of his older brothers, the French Way and the Northern Way. but it is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and appealing choices. And why do we say this ?, because for some mountaineers, hikers and adventurers like us, the other Roads have lost a little the initial spirit, precisely that spirit of adventure that we love, in which you do not spend the day surrounded by hundreds of people. The infrastructures are much smaller than on the other roads and it also runs through the less communicated, more beautiful and authentic regions of Asturias and Lugo. We have the ingredients to live a good adventure: few people, some asphalt, many roads, quite unevenness and lots of different landscapes, without forgetting the typical food and accommodation run by passionate people.

The Camino de Santiago is that, an adventure and the Primitivo offers it to us in greater doses than the others. Then the reasons can be very diverse: religious, personal, spiritual, sports. What we can assure you is that it does not leave anyone indifferent, whatever their motivations.

Thirteen stages to complete a total of 307 kilometers from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela and around 8309 meters of accumulated elevation gain. In addition, we offer you the option of completing it in its entirety or, if you do not have enough days, in two parts. We offer you the opportunity to complete the most important walking tour in the world, on one of the most authentic and least traveled roads of all.

Day 1 From Oviedo to Grado

We will leave Oviedo where we will put our first seal on our pilgrim accreditation. This stage will be a day of contact, warm-up, but we will already begin to familiarize ourselves with the landscape. We will begin to mix with some pilgrims, not all of them start today as we do, some already come from the Northern Way or have crossed from León to Oviedo on the Camino de San Salvador.

Some ups and downs will help us to get used to this path. The most important will be the Alto del Escamplero, which we will reach surrounded by meadows and cattle. We will descend through the valley until we find the Nalón River (the most important salmon river in Asturias) and after walking a few kilometers along its banks, we will reach the destination of our first stage, Grado. A great little town where a large weekly market is held on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Distance: 26 kilometers
Climb difference: 503 meters
Descent height: 684 meters

 

Day 2 Grade - Salas

We leave Grado and ahead of us is the top of La Cabruñana, always walking along trails and passing through towns such as El Fresno or San Marcelo. From here we will go down to Cornellana and we will resume a good climb on a beautiful forest path that crosses a narrow valley. Always on an upward trend and changing paths for tracks and very little asphalt, we will arrive surrounded by many meadows, green and cattle to Salas, our destination today.

Distance: 22 kilometers
Climb difference: 750 meters
Descent height: 565 meters

 

Day 3 Salas - Samblism

We start the day with the beautiful climb to Bodenaya in the direction of the town of La Espina, first on a smooth forest path that gradually rises. Some asphalt will give us a break and having arrived in Bodenaya things will relax, but not entirely, since the trend of ups and downs will not stop during this day. With the Primitive Way, you cannot get bored, when you think that you relax you do the opposite and the other way around. Take note: the last bar in La Espina has the best pinchos in the world and a supermarket where you can buy good bread and cold cuts.

One last climb and one last good descent will bring us closer to the town of Tineo, located halfway up the slope and almost made up of a single main street. The exit is by concrete track, but soon we will enter a fantastic mountain path. Paths by which many local countrymen go to their land, crops or to care for their livestock.

We will meet and talk with them, but we must not forget that we must mix, soak up what surrounds us, but always in a respectful way. Many of us pass by and do not always want to chat or be photographed.

After our first climb, the descent arrives and it will bring us closer to the Campiello crossing, where we can regain strength. From there a section of road and we will arrive at Borres to quickly go through Samblismo. Right here the Hospitals route begins; the original path that corresponds to the most mountainous, greenest, natural variant and where we will find the remains of ancient monasteries for pilgrims. Today we will stop at Samblismo, to regain strength. Tomorrow a beautiful mountain route awaits us without any technical difficulties.

Distance: 36 kilometers
Climb difference: 969 meters
Descent height: 523 meters

 

Day 4 Samblism - La Mesa

Today the Hospital Route touches, the most mountainous part of the Primitive Way: 24 kilometers by mountain, green and wild, without bars or restaurants, surrounded by nature. It is the authentic layout, where we will find four pilgrim hospitals - Paradiella, Fonfaraón, Valparaíso and La Freita - that marked this inhospitable stretch. Some of them went as far as the 20th century, but now only the ruins of those historic places of refuge remain.

We will also discover spectacular mountain cuts, which originate from Roman mining for gold extraction. In fact, after Puerto del Palo, we will arrive at the first town, which is called Montefurado - a hollow mountain -, a town nestled in a beautiful hill and consisting of only about 10 houses.

We are still in Asturias, but in the constructions we have already begun to see that we are approaching Galicia. In fact, this is the area where Asturias and Galicia are totally mixed, as if customs, traditions, architecture, gastronomy had been dissolved.

We will pass by Lake, Berducedo, on a low rise that will bring us closer to our destination, La Mesa. A small town with a beautiful and very old chapel.

Distance: 28 kilometers
Climb difference: 966 meters
Descent height: 820 meters

 

Day 5 La Mesa - Grandas de Salime

The first part of this day begins with a hard climb that gives us as a reward, spectacular views in which the first views of the Grandas de Salime reservoir will appear at the bottom of the valley, to which we will have to go down and cross by the dam, to go back up before reaching the town of the same name.

Since 2017 the Primitive Way, along with the rest of the Roads, have been part of the World Heritage Site. This brings with it some requirements: there can only be one official route and the route of the dam was chosen. But it is interesting to know that there are plans to cross the reservoir in a boat, although today it is not yet active (we like this idea a lot).

We will arrive at Grandas after a good climb after the dam, first on asphalt and then on a path. Today we will rest here. Taking into account that the stage has not been very long, we will surely arrive soon and Grandas has a mandatory visit: the most important and complete ethnographic museum in the entire peninsula. Years and years of collecting material to create an ensemble where we can find the school, the house, the bar, the dentist, the doctor ... and everything from the early 1900s. We can see what life was like in a town like Grandas years ago. A spectacular museum.

Distance: 16 kilometers
Climb difference: 915 meters
Descent height: 1225 meters

 

Day 6 Grandas de Salime - A Fonsagrada

The day came when we will leave Asturias and enter Galicia. An intense day that we faced at the beginning with a climb of about 12 kilometers, almost all off the asphalt. The Puerto del Acebo will be the one that gives way to Galicia, and from there the trend is already downward. We will pass by Cabreira and Fonfría, where we can regain strength to continue to Paradanova and finally reach A Fonsagrada.

Distance: 25 kilometers
Climb difference: 895 meters
Descent height: 500 meters

It is up to here where the first of the parts in which we propose the Primitive Way of Santiago is completed. You can end your adventure at this point and continue the remaining days on another occasion, or enjoy the full experience and finish the last 150 kilometers that complete this challenge through Galicia to Santiago de Compostela.

 

 

Day 7 To Fonsagrada - O Cádavo

This first day in Galicia begins with a very beautiful stretch of forest and track. Past Montouto we will find the ruins of an old pilgrims' hospital, sanitariums that were spread throughout the path to care for pilgrims. A little later we will find the town of Pedrobella, with a super cool bar where we can buy some very tasty sandwiches.

We continue the path, going up, down and crossing the road on several occasions, but following a path that is separated from it. Once the population of Lastra has been overcome, we only have a small climb and the rest will be in descent until our final point, in the town of O Cádavo.

Distance: 24 kilometers
Climb difference: 782 meters
Descent height: 1017 meters

 

Day 8 O Cádavo - Lugo

A first climb at the beginning of the day will give way to a fantastic route. The path runs along an old path almost parallel to the highway with some steps of the river on small stone bridges. We will pass towns such as Castroverde, Vilar de Cas, Gondar and As Casas to Viña before arriving in Lugo and being able to enjoy its wall, its cathedral and the entire walled city. The return to the wall is only about two kilometers, but it is an essential experience for which we must reserve energy.

Distance: 30 kilometers
Climb difference: 584 meters
Descent height: 844 meters

 

Day 9 Lugo - Ferreira

A spectacular exit from Lugo where we will pass in front of the cathedral and below one of the gates of the wall. The descending path will take us to one of its medieval bridges and further on, a flat section to take a breath before facing the usual climbs and descents of this Path.

From now on, the asphalt sections will be more frequent, but it does not detract from any beauty to the environment that surrounds us: a Galician cultivation area where the landscape is precise. Meadows, towns, cattle and churches follow one another.

Distance: 27 kilometers
Climb difference: 589 meters
Descent height: 525 meters

 

Day 10 Ferreira - Mélide

Today we meet, at the end of the day, with the French Way, so we will find more pilgrims in our path. Bars and hostels also happen more frequently. This will be a more relaxed stage that begins with a very smooth climb to kilometer 9, after passing O Hospital. From there down and flat to Mélide. We will leave behind towns such as Augas Santas, A Seixas, Cascacamiño and Villamallor. Asphalt predominates, but always on secondary roads with a spectacular landscape that will make us forget that we do not step on as much land.

And once we get to Mélide, what do we do? Well, something essential, go to Casa Ezequiel to eat octopus with cheeks. A place arranged with lots of long wooden tables to accommodate all the pilgrims who make their stop there.

Distance: 20 kilometers
Climb difference: 390 meters
Descent height: 457 meters

 

 

Day 11 Mélide - Arzúa

Few days separate us from our goal. This is a short stage but we will face it calmly, letting ourselves be carried away by the spirit of the Camino, enjoying the people, the landscape and ourselves. We are not in a hurry, in fact, the way is to enjoy each step, savor it, and each one must be clear about what rhythm they need to do it. We will arrive soon in Arzúa, a town that offers there are opportunities almost at every corner to regain strength.

Distance: 15 kilometers
Climb difference: 281 meters
Descent height: 355 meter

 

Day 12 Arzúa - O 'Pedrouzo

We left the town and came to cross the As BarROSS gorge. After the Chapel of San Lázaro, we continue the descent to cross the ragged stream. We will cross the towns of Pregontoño, Cortobe, A Peroxa, A Calzada, Calle, Salceda, Xen. Brea, A Rabiña, O Empalme and A Rúa before completing the day's climb to reach O Pedrouzo, a small town that has all the services.

Distance: 21 kilometers
Climbing unevenness: 321 meters
Descent height: 418 meters

 

Day 13 O Pedrouzo - Santiago de Compostela

Last stage in which we will reach our destination, the Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela.

The ascent of Amenal and that of Lavacolla are still waiting for us to remind us that reaching Santiago has not been a quiet path, but after overcoming them, we will arrive at Monte do Gozo, where we will be able to see Santiago and the points of its Cathedral. Only 5 kilometers separate us from our goal, almost entirely through the city. First large avenues with the path marked on the ground, then small streets until entering the old town. A turn to the right and a downhill street bring us closer to the staircase under the arch that leads to Plaza del Obradoiro.

La Compostelana is a certificate that confirms that you have done the Camino, you have had to put at least two stamps at each stage on your Credential and with this they give you the diploma.

Distance: 20 kilometers
Climb difference: 363 meters
Descent height: 391 meters

Accompanying mountain guide throughout the program.
Bed and breakfast.
Compostela Credential
Compulsory civil liability insurance.
Basic accident insurance.

• Travel and transportation.
• Supplements for individual overnight stays (subject to availability)
• Drinks and food.
• Personal travel assistance and cancellation insurance.
• Unforeseen expenses caused by uncontrollable circumstances such as cancellations or delays, blocked roads, atmospheric conditions, natural disasters, etc 

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