Camino Primitivo (Full Walk)

The Camino Primitivo is suitable for regular walkers with a good level of fitness and experience with long-distance walking. It offers a more challenging alternative to the popular Camino Frances, perfect for those seeking a rewarding trek.

Before your tour, we recommend walking regularly and incorporating some hilly terrain into your routine. Be sure to check the daily distances and elevation changes outlined in your itinerary.

The first stage: The first section, from Oviedo to Lugo, includes several days with significant ascents and descents, with days 6 to 9 rated as moderately strenuous due to the demanding terrain and elevation changes.

This route has it all—farm tracks, dirt paths, quiet roads, and those picture-perfect scenic footpaths that make you want to stop and soak it all in.

This route ranges from easy-to-moderate to moderate-to-strenuous, depending on the stage. The overall grading reflects the route as a whole, so individual days may feel easier or tougher than the general rating suggests.

The accommodation is a mix of small family-run hotels, pensions and larger hotels in the bigger towns and cities, all offering private rooms with en-suite bathrooms, a warm welcome and traditional hospitality. Many of our walkers choose to add extra nights along the way, either as a rest day or to do some extra sightseeing, and we especially recommend adding an extra night or two in Santiago de Compostela to attend the Pilgrims' Mass and explore this historic city. Hotels and inns along the route fill up quickly given how popular the Camino is, so we recommend booking early.

Yes, solo travelers are very welcome. There will be a supplement because some costs, like transfers, aren't shared. Or if you'd like to book a single room, just ask. These are available for a supplement.

A simple local breakfast is included each morning, usually coffee and bread with jam. Lunch and dinner aren't included, so you're free to choose from the many cafes, bars and restaurants along the way.

You can start this tour on any day between the beginning of March and the end of October.

Spring (April to June) is a lovely choice, with pleasant temperatures, blooming landscapes and fewer crowds than summer, though there's a chance of the odd spring shower. Summer (July and August) brings high heat to much of Spain, but this northern route stays comparatively mild thanks to its coastal influence, and the trails are at their busiest and most sociable at this time of year. Autumn (September to early November) is another great option, with milder temperatures, lovely autumn colors and quieter trails as the summer crowds thin out, although rain becomes a little more likely again, much like in spring.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg/44lbs per person.

Some walkers prefer to carry their own bag, as a traditional pilgrim would. If that's you, you can opt out of luggage transfers when booking.

The Camino is easy to follow, marked with yellow painted arrows and a yellow shell on a blue background. Just take extra care at intersections and you won't go wrong. Your Tour Info includes detailed guidance for planning and preparing for your Camino, plus clear instructions for finding your overnight accommodation each day, and a welcome pack will be waiting for you at your first stop.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

Recommended Reading
Although not essential, if you'd like more information on the route, we recommend: A Cicerone Guide to Camino Norte and Camino Primitivo, written by Dave Whitson and Laura Perazzoli.

Oviedo Airport is located 47km northwest of Oviedo and is easily reached from the UK with a regular direct Easyjet service. If you're travelling from elsewhere in Europe, check the Oviedo (Asturias) Airport website for the airline that suits you best. From overseas, you can fly into London and connect with an Easyjet flight to Oviedo, or fly into Madrid and take an internal flight or a train (approximately 7 to 8 hours). Ryanair, Iberia and Vueling all operate internal flights to the Madrid and Barcelona hubs. From Oviedo Airport, buses run every 2 to 3 hours during the day to Oviedo (around 5 euros, timetables with Alsa), or a taxi costs roughly 40 euros.

Getting from the end, you can arrange a private transfer from Santiago city centre to the airport through Macs Adventure, or take the bus that runs between the airport and Plaza de Galicia in Santiago, stopping at points including Pazo de Congresos, Capilla San Lazaro, the bus station, the railway station and Rua da Rosa. Buses run every half hour from 00:00 to 23:30 and take about 20 minutes, though it's worth checking the Santiago Airport website for current timetables. By rail, fast trains run from Santiago to Madrid (around 6 hours 30 minutes) with RENFE, and ALSA runs good bus connections from Santiago to other Spanish cities.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

On certain days you can shorten the route or skip it entirely by using a taxi or public transport. Our local partner in Spain can help you arrange this if you need support.

If you're walking the whole Camino solo, it's worth not adding too many extra nights along the way, or you might lose touch with the fellow pilgrims you've been walking with.

Numbers on the Camino can swell by up to 100,000 people during peak season, so it's worth booking as far ahead as you can, ideally at least 6 weeks before you travel.

Once you've started walking, it isn't possible to change your accommodation bookings or itinerary, as alternative accommodation generally isn't available at short notice.

Your Pilgrim Passport (Credencial del Peregrino) and scallop shell will be waiting for you at your first accommodation. The Passport is a practical document and a lovely record of your journey, officially issued by the Church of St. James. Along the way you'll collect stamps (sellos) from albergues, churches, cafes and other stops, each one a reminder of where you've been.

The scallop shell, or Concha de Vieira, is an iconic symbol of the Camino, and you'll see fellow pilgrims wearing theirs on their backpacks or hanging them from walking poles as a mark of their journey to Santiago.

To earn your Compostela Certificate in Santiago, you need to have walked at least the final 100km of the Camino, with your stamped Passport serving as proof.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation