Camino Primitivo - Stage 1
- The original pilgrims trail to Santiago
- Discovering the authentic towns and villages that form the backbone of the route.
- Enjoying the fine flavours of the regional food and drink.
- Warm and welcoming locals and the friendships made along the Way.
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Oviedo and overnightOviedo is the capital of Asturias and a delightful university town. If you arrive early enough you can explore it’s many monuments and churches, before enjoying a delicious meal in one of the many restaurants.
A modern hotel that will cater for your every need.
A lovely 3* hotel in the centre if Oviedo with spacious ensuite rooms and all amenities.
Depart Oviedo from the Cathedral of El Salvador, and enjoy easy walking into the hills before crossing the River Nalon into Grado. A transfer will meet you at Grado to take you to your accommodation in either Samo de Grado or Sestiello.
Hotel Casa de La Veiga is an ancient “casona asturiana”, completely refurbished preserving its original emblematic features as well as the traditional architecture of the region.
A short transfer will take you back to Grado, where you will begin to climb up through the Cordillera Cantabrica, eventually reaching the monastery of San Salvador. A descent will then bring you down to Salas.
The rustic hotel is built into an old castle in the town of Salas.
A relatively tough day with about 800m of ascent before walking along the road to La Espina and then on to Tineo.
The Palace of Merás is located in a unique natural enclave in the centre of the village of Tineo and is one of the most representative historical buildings in town that was refurbished in accordance with its original features.
A relatively tough day with about 800m of ascent before walking along the road to La Espina and then on to Tineo.
The Palace of Merás is located in a unique natural enclave in the centre of the village of Tineo and is one of the most representative historical buildings in town that was refurbished in accordance with its original features.
The route splits here and you continue on the beautiful Hospitales route to Beducedo through the mountains. This is a long day with nowhere really to stop for refreshments but it is spectacularly beautiful. As there is no accommodation in Beducedo, you will be transferred back to Pola de Allande for your overnight accommodation.
A lovely, comfortable hotel in the town of Pola.
You will be transferred back to La Mesa this morning where you can enjoy panoramic views from a windmill-lined ridge of the Rio Navia. A gentle climb takes you up to Grandes de Salime.
A little family run hotel where comfort and customer service is at the forefront.
Another sharp climb to hill-top windmills today as you head into the region of Galicia. A Fonsagrada is said to have been the site of one of the miracles of Apostle St James.
A modern hotel, with clean minimalist décor.
Walk through rural Galician mountain villages and hardwood forests to Montouto, an amazing place which seems to have been carved out of the mountainside. Continue to O Cadavo for your overnight stay.
The Hotel Restaurant Moneda is located in one of the most beautiful natural environments in the province of Lugo.
A brief climb is followed by a welcome descent to Lugo. This beautiful city features impressive city walls surrounding the historic centre, Roman baths and other monuments.
The 18th century Pazo de Orbán sits in a fabulous location right next to the famous Roman wall of Lugo. Featuring elegant rooms with wooden floors and traditional décor, as well as a charming terrace and tavern, this lovely boutique hotel is a real hidden gem!
The delightful hotel is situated just outside the ancient Roman walls of the old city and the Camino Primitivo passes right by the front door.
Since its birth (1861) several alterations in structure and design have been made, the most recent in 2010 but it still retains many original features. It offers every comfort with its modern and functional facilities.
Check out of your hotel and make your way to the airport or train station for your onward travel.
This trip has a carbon score of 15kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 15kg is equivalent to 88.5 candy bars. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?The Camino Primitivo is perfect for those wishing a more challenging alternative to the popular Camino Frances. A journey through quiet unspoilt landscapes and charming medieval villages providing a truly authentic Spanish experience.
Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers
The minimum age for this tour is: 16 Years
This walk is graded moderate to strenuous overall and includes daily walks of between 16 and 30km. You can expect to walk for between five and eight hours each day and there are some steep ascents and descents. The Camino Primitivo follows a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths.
The accommodation is a mixture of small family-run hotels, pensions and larger hotels in the big cities. All with private rooms and en-suite bathrooms and all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. We do recommend that you book this trip early as the area is always popular and the hotels and inns do fill up early.
Solo Walkers & Single Rooms
The Camino is available to solo walkers at a supplement. Single rooms are available although a single supplement is payable.
Meals
A local breakfast is included each morning which usually consists of a coffee and bread with jams. Lunch and dinner are not included as standard so you are free to choose from the available options.
Additional Nights
There is so much to see and do along the route that many of our clients choose to add extra nights along the walk either as a rest day or simply to do some extra sightseeing. If you are walking the whole route solo try not to add too many extra nights along the way as you will lose touch with those you have met. We would definitely recommend an extra night or 2 in Santiago to attend Pilgrims Mass and walk about this beautiful city.
Fewer Nights
It is possible to walk the Camino in less time but we would not recommend this.
The route is marked with yellow painted arrows but please take care at intersections. A detailed information pack including route notes, local information and maps will be waiting for you at your first accommodation.
- Accommodation in small rural hotels and guest houses with en-suite W/C.
- Daily Breakfast
- Baggage Transfers
- Transfers as per itinerary.
- A detailed information pack for the group leader including route notes, maps, and local information.
- Camino guide book.
- Emergency support from our local and UK offices in the event of a problem.
- Return travel to Spain.
- Lunches, dinners (optional), snacks or drinks.
- Travel Insurance.
- Personal Equipment.
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage.
- Additional nights accommodation along the way.
This trip is available to start on any day from the beginning of March to the end of October. Option & extension prices will be displayed as part of the booking process.
Time of Year
The Camino Primitivo is best enjoyed from March to October.  The summer months of July and August can be very hot and there are some sections with limited shade cover so please keep this in mind if you are walking at this time of year and start your walking days early to avoid the hottest part of the day.Â
The North of Spain is the wettest part of the country, so you can expect rain at any point, though during the summer months it doesn’t tend to hang around for too long. However, we recommend always carrying a light waterproof, just to be on the safe side.
By Air: Oviedo — Oviedo airport is located 47km northwest of Oviedo. Oviedo is easily reached from the UK by Easyjet who operate a regular direct service. If you are coming from Europe then please check out Oviedo (Asturias) Airport website and check what airline suits best.
If you are coming from overseas, you have a few options here. You can fly into London and catch an Easyjet flight to Oviedo Alternatively you can fly into Madrid and catch an internal flight or a train from here will take approx 7-8 hrs. You can catch internal flights with either Ryanair, Iberia Vueling airlines to the main hubs of Madrid and Barcelona if you are flying here from overseas.
Buses run every 2 to 3 hours during the daytime from the airport to Oviedo (approximately 5 euros). Timetables can be viewed at Alsa. Alternatively, a taxi would cost roughly 40 euros.
Santiago de Compostela Airport is situated 134Km outside of Lugo. There is a bus connection from the city centre, operated by MONBUS the journey time is one hour 30 minutes and a ticket costs €15.00.
Santiago de Compostela is the nearest airport to Lugo. Ryanair operate a direct flight to the UK from here. If you are coming from Europe then please look at the Santiago Airport website and check what airlines suit you best. You can catch internal flights with either Ryanair or Vueling airlines to the main hubs of Madrid and Barcelona if you are flying here from overseas.
Baggage transfers are included (max 20kg per person). Your main bag will be transferred each day between your overnight accommodation so that you only need to walk with a day pack.
Pilgrim's Passport
The Pilgrim's Passport is available in any church/pilgrim office on the route and these are clearly marked in your guidebook.  You need to get the passport stamped in churches, restaurants and hotels along the way. At the end of the walk, in Santiago, you can obtain your Compostela Certificate (only if you have walked the last 100km). For the other sections of the trail, the passport is used as a souvenir with all the colourful stamps you will receive. Santiago de Compostela Cathedral Restoratiom.
Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, lightweight clothes, waterproofs and a day pack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable Travel Insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.
The average daily distance of our Camino tours are between 20 and 25 kilometers and you can expect to walk for between five and eight hours each day. You should do as much walking as possible prior to your walk as this will simply add to your enjoyment. That said if you are not at peak fitness you will find you will soon walk yourself fit.
A mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths. The route is marked with yellow painted arrows but please take care at intersections. There will always be other walkers around incase you are looking for help.
We suggest you book as far in advance as possible as the Camino is extremely popular. Numbers can rise by up to 100, 000 people. We will always try and accommodate late bookings but realistically you need to book at least 6 weeks prior to departure.
Yes, some people prefer to walk carrying their own bags as a true pilgrim would have. You can select the option for removing the baggage transfers in Step 2 of the Booking Engine.
I would recommend April/May when the spring flowers are at there best and September/October when the colours are just lovely. June, July and August can be very hot if you are not used to walking in the heat while the temperatures can fall sharply in the winter with some accommodation closing down for the end of season.
Public transport and taxis are available, if you are need of support our local partner in Spain will be more that happy to help.
Unfortunately we are unable to change your accommodation bookings and itinerary once you start walking as alternative accommodation is generally not available at such short notice.
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Save %16 Days 15 Nights
Camino Primitivo
Enjoy tranquility and a more challenging Camino route, crossing the rugged landscapes of AsturiasHighlights- The original pilgrims trail to Santiago
- Follow paths through the Cantabrian mountains
- The unspoilt regions of Asturias and Galicia
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Save %7 Days 6 Nights
Camino Primitivo: Stage 2
Walk from the Roman city of Lugo through ancient forests and rural Galicia to reach SantiagoHighlights- The final 102km of the Camino Primitivo
- The walled Roman city of Lugo
- Collect your Compostela in Santiago
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Save %6 Days 5 Nights
Camino Finisterre
Walk to Cape Finisterre from Santiago de Compostela, completing your Camino journey.Highlights- Reach Cape Finisterre, the
- Authentic Galicia and medieval villages.
- Form unforgettable bonds with fellow pilgrims.