Camino Primitivo

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 overall and includes daily walks of 14-30km. During the first stage in particular from Oviedo to Lugo, there are some days with higher ascents and descents and days 6 to 9 are graded as Moderate-Strenuous due to the terrain they cover and the ascents and descents involved.  Throughout the route you will follow 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 Camino is easy to follow. The route is marked with yellow painted arrows and a yellow shell on a blue background. Take extra care at intersections and you can't go wrong. The travel pack we supply includes a detailed information pack for planning and preparing for your Camino, detailed instructions of how to find your overnight accommodation, and everything you need for your Camino. In addition to this you will have a welcome pack waiting for you at your first accommodation.

Recommended Reading

Although not essential, if you would like more information on the route please see our recommendation below:

• A Cicerone Guide to Camino Norte and Camino Primitivo written by Dave Whitson and Laura Perazzoli

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. 

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.

From Santiago City Centre to the Airport

From Santiago, you can arrange a private transfer through Macs Adventure, to ensure a smooth end to your Camino. Alternatively, a bus runs between the airport and Plaza de Galicia in Santiago, stopping at different points in the city (Pazo de Congresos, Capilla San Lázaro, the bus station, the railway station, Rúa da Rosa, and others). From the airport, the bus departs from 00:00 to 23:30, every half hour (duration 20 mins). Please see the Santiago Airport website for current timetables.

From Santiago to Madrid by train

If you would prefer to travel by rail, you can take a train (fast trains are available, 6h30 duration approx.) from Santiago to Madrid with RENFE.

By Bus within Spain

There are good bus connections from Santiago to other cities within Spain – see http://www.alsa.es for bus schedules.

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.