The Primitive Way (or Camino Primitivo)

Stages of the Camino Primitivo (313 km away)

The Camino Primitivo has 194,5 miles, divided in 14 stages on foot and 6 stages by bike.

From Oviedo (Asturias)

Stage 1
Oviedo – San Juan de Villapañada (16.7 miles / 27 Km)

You will take the same steps as Alfonso II the Chaste, the King of Asturias, and as other pilgrims who arrived along the Camino del Norte. You will start in the old Oviedo and continue, towards San Juan de Villapañada, passing through Grado. While you're in the Asturian part of this route, don't forget to try the fabada, the callos a la asturiana, the bollos preñados, the cider and the frixuelos as dessert. With this route, you will discover many natural and historic wonders, but also a great gastronomy.

Stage 2
San Juan de Villapañada – Salas (11.3 miles / 18.2 Km)

In this stage you will travel between two rivers - the Nalón and the Narcea. You will start the day in San Julián de Villapañada traveling towards El Fresno, where you can visit the Virgen del Fresno Sanctuary, a monument from the 16th century, one of the most visited in Asturias despite the difficulty of access. From there you can see the Mount Naranco. Then you will descend to La Doriga, on the right bank of river Narcea. If you still have time, try the pote (also known as potaxe de berces), one of the most traditional dishes in Asturian cuisine.

Stage 3
Salas – Tineo (12.3 miles / 19.8 Km)

You will arrive to Salas, the "Gate to the West", as many tourist guides say. You will then continue towards the town of La Espina, where there were several pilgrim hospitals and where the famous crossroads of Alto de la Espina is located. There you will be able to go towards Tineo, crossing small inhabited nuclei, visited by thousands of pilgrims during centuries.

Stage 4
Tineo – Pola de Allande (16.4 miles / 26.4 km)

In this stage you will ascend and descend several times, through forests and valleys bathed by rivers. On this route you will arrive at Pola de Allande (or La Puela), one of the places where the Eonaviego language (or Galician-Asturian language) is still spoken. This is a variety of a Romance language, spoken (as its name suggests) between the Eo and Navia rivers. Another highlight in this parish is the Palace of Cienfuegos de Peñalba, a monument of cultural interest from the 14th century. You may like to try the pitu caleya, a kind of native chicken, naturally and freely bred, and served with cider, tomato, etc.

Stage 5
Pola de Allande – La Mesa (13.4 miles / 21.6 Km)

This is one of the most beautiful stages of the Primitive Way. You will climb to the top of Puerto del Palo, over 70 feet (1,000 meters) high, from where you will have a spectacular view of the Nisón valley and the nearby Lugo mountains. This rise, with slopes of up to 5 %, will be the price you have to pay to appreciate all the beauty of the borderlands from the top. And since you have spent a lot of energy, you can recover by tasting the Oscos cheese or the mantecadas.

Stage 6
La Mesa – Grandas de Salime (9.4 miles / 15.2 Km)

After climbing during the previous stage, you will now have to descend down the Salime reservoir, created withe the retaines waters of the Navia river. The construction of this reservoir completely changed the orography, flooding several inhabited areas. After crossing the reservoir, you will ascend towards Grandas, the last stop in Asturias.

Stage 7
Grandas de Salime – A Fonsagrada (15.6 miles / 25.2 Km)

You will enter Galicia by the Alto del Acebo, the starting point chosen by those pilgrims who choose to do the Primitive Way only through Galicia. With this change of communities, the signposting will also change. In Asturias, the scallop signs point the route with their narrow part. In Galicia, the open part of the scallops is the one that points towrds tha path. Then you can rest in A Fonsagrada, the most extensive municipality in Galicia. If you have time, you can recover with a butelo, a smoked sausage typical of the Lugo mountains, made with pork rib, paprika and other condiments. Its size is considerable and its taste, unforgettable.

From A Fonsagrada

Stage 8
A Fonsagrada – O Cádavo (15 miles / 24.3 Km)

This is a hard stage, but it has beautiful roads and views to enjoy. The descent from Hospital de Montouto (which is named after the Pilgrims Hospital built by Peter the Cruel in the mid-14th century) will put your back to the test. You will continue down to O Cádavo, a route between woods and quiet and beautiful trails. Do not forget to try the cocido from the mountain of Lugo, the cottage cheese with honey and chestnuts (in season).

Stage 9
O Cádavo – Lugo (18.3 miles / 29.5 Km)

You are about 18 miles away from the Roman city of Lugo. To cover this distance, you will pass through several villages, including Castroverde. This municipality has a beautiful fortress from 14th century and a magnificent church from 15th century: the Church of Santa María de Vilabade, also known as the Cathedral of Castroverde. If you have enough stamina when you arrive at Lugo, you can go for a walk along the Roman Wall, visit the Cathedral of Santa María, or the Convent of San Francisco. Even more important is that you try the pinchos and tapas, for Lugo is one of the cities with the best Galician food and wines. Hence this well-known saying: "And to eat ... Lugo!".

From Lugo

Stage 10
Lugo – San Romao da Retorta (12.1 miles / 19.6 Km)

This stage is only 12 miles, so you can take it calmly. You can finish in San Román or continue to Ponte Ferreira, in the town of Palas de Rei. In this route, you will find both asphalt and dirt roads. You will see remnants of the Romanesque and unique medieval constructions, such as the sanctuary of Santa Eulalia de Bóveda. This is a late-Roman sanctuary (there are references from the 8th century) dedicated to the goddess Cybele, who later reconverted to worship Santa Eulalia. It is a unique monument in the Peninsula that is worth visiting. After this, you will enter dirt roads and forests of chestnut trees. You will see several pazos and other samples of Romanesque architecture, before arriving at A Retorta, in the area of Guntín.

Stage 11
San Romao – Melide (17.5 miles / 28.3 Km)

In this stage you will meet the pilgrims who arrive from the French Way, and you will continue with them until Santiago. The villages and roads you will cross have been trodden down for centuries by many pilgrims. In fact, on this route the Order of Malta established several pilgrim hospitals and this is also reflected in the toponymy, as for example in Hospital de Seixas, a village located in the Serra do Careón through which we will pass. When arriving at Melide, already in the province of A Coruña, don't forget to try the octopus. And for dessert, try the famous melindres- a sweet that is also perfect for breakfast.

Stage 12
Melide – Arzúa (8.7 miles / 14 Km)

Upon arrival in Arzúa, you will join the pilgrims coming from the French Way and the Northern Way. Before this, you must cover 8.7 miles through well-preserved (and not so well) rural roads. This is a demanding stage, due to its broken and irregular profile, but the land of Galician cheese with designation of origin (Arzúa-Ulloa) is waiting for you at the end.

Stage 13
Arzúa – Pedrouzo (12 miles / 19.3 Km)

You are only 25 miles from Santiago, and you can feel it in the air. This is a stage where 3 different ways have come together (the French Way, the Northern Way and the Primitive Way), so many other pilgrims will keep you company. Here you can choose between three options: to spend the night in Pedrouzo, to continue to Santa Irene (where there is a public and a private hostel, and the beautiful hermitage of San Pedro) or to continue until Monte do Gozo (right before Santiago, so you can arrive early the nex day). If you have not yet tried the fish and seafood, the protagonists of Galician cuisine, you can wait until you get to Santiago or try them all along the Camino.

Stage 14
Pedrouzo – Santiago de Compostela (12 miles / 19.4 Km)

Today is the big day: you will arrive at Compostela and the city is waiting for you. You will feel this in the athmosphere: some pilgrims walk swiftly and others take a relaxed pace, but all of them are eager to reach the end of this adventure. The majestic Praza do Obradoiro awaits at the end of the Camino, showing the baroque façade of the Cathedral. Ahead you have a short and simple stage, with moderate slopes. Go ahead, because your destination awaits!