Pilgrimage walk along Camino Primitivo

Arrival in Oviedo and check-in at your hotel which is centrally located and from where you can easily experience the atmosphere of the old city center with its cafés, restaurants, bodegas and cider houses. Visit the Gothic cathedral, dedicated to San Salvador, an important saint for pilgrims on their way to Santiago.

Accommodation in Oviedo

Through Oviedo's narrow alleys you make your way out into the green Asturian landscape. Country roads and old hiking trails take you past small villages, some of them with hostels for pilgrims and historic inns. From Puerma you continue along the main road to Grado. From here a transfer is included to your charming countryside hotel in Sama de Grado. Time approx 6.5 hours.

Accommodation in Sama de Grado

Today's route begins with a taxi transfer to La Espina to avoid roadworks. You walk a short distance on country road before entering a beautiful landscape to hike to Tineo and today's accommodation. Time approx 4 hours.

Accommodation in Tineo

After a hearty breakfast in Tineo you hike through forests to reach the peaceful environment of Obona with its historic Monasterio de Santa María la Real. Then you continue on to Campiello and your next accommodation which is a welcoming family-run business. Time approx 6 hours.

Accommodation in Campiello

After a short taxi transfer to La Mortera (included) you follow the original high road - "ruta de los hospitales" over the steep slopes of the mountains towards Puerto del Palo. Here you will find several pilgrim hospitals that were built hundreds of years ago. These were built on either side of the mountain passes due to the extreme weather conditions that winter brought. From Puerto del Palo down to your hostel in Berducedo you have fantastic views. Time approx 7-8.5 hours

Accommodation in Berducedo

Today the path takes a small detour after the village of Berducedo where the historic camino route "disappeared" when a modern reservoir was built in the mid-1900s. You then follow the steep descent down to Lake Salime which offers fantastic views. Then hike in the shade of chestnut trees to reach the last asphalt road that goes the final 2.5 km over the dam to your hotel in Grandas de Salime. Time approx 6.5 hours.

Accommodation in Grandas de Salime

You begin with a taxi transfer to Poboa (included) to avoid a long stretch on asphalt road. On the way you cross the regional border into Galicia. From Póboa de Burón you get on the oldest Camino Primitivo route, a high-altitude trail through green meadows and fields that passes the old pilgrim hospital in Montouto. The day ends with a shorter transfer to your simple, traditional pilgrim hostel in Paradavella. Time approx 4.5 hours.

Accommodation in Paradavella

This final hiking day you experience a typical Galician landscape at its best. You walk from village to village on quiet country roads and agricultural tracks and pass plenty of fine examples of traditional architectural style along the way. From Gondar a taxi takes you (included) the final stretch to Lugo and your accommodation for the evening. One hundred meters from the accommodation is the beautiful Roman wall which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Accommodation in Lugo

The trip ends after breakfast. It is possible to book extra nights in Santiago de Compostela to walk the final stretch to the cathedral.

NOTE! This trip does not qualify for the Compostelana as the official pilgrim certificate requires that the last 100 km be done on foot (or 200 km by bike). If you want to qualify for the certificate you can extend this trip with an additional 4 days of hiking (with luggage transfers but without transfers) from Lugo to Santiago.