municipal albergues on Primitivo in mid-late June?

[Wanderlustful]

Hello! This is my first post. I will be walking my first Camino this June solo, and I am so grateful for all the wonderful advice on this forum! I am wondering how busy the municipal albergues along the Primitivo will be in mid-late June/early July. Is it likely that I will find them completely full when I arrive? (Typically when backpacking I am a late start-late stop person, but perhaps I will have to shift for this.) I am planning to bring a bivy sack in case albergues are full and I need to camp out. Is this a possibility/likelihood?

Also, I will be arriving to the Asturias airport late, around 9 PM, so I booked a room my first night in Avilés. I plan to take the bus to Oviedo the next morning and spend the day sightseeing in Oviedo, and spend my second night in Oviedo. Then I will start my camino the following day. I have not booked a room yet in Oviedo, and am finding many things are full, so I am a little nervous to rely on unreserved space in a municipal albergue there too.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[Phil71]

I think you should be fine in Oviedo as you can be first there when it opens. Further on the path you may struggle. I did the primitivo about 4 years ago in June and on 2 or 3 occasions we managed to pick up the last beds available. You may want to think about earlier starts I'm afraid.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hello! This is my first post. I will be walking my first Camino this June solo, and I am so grateful for all the wonderful advice on this forum! I am wondering how busy the municipal albergues along the Primitivo will be in mid-late June/early July. Is it likely that I will find them completely full when I arrive? (Typically when backpacking I am a late start-late stop person, but perhaps I will have to shift for this.) I am planning to bring a bivy sack in case albergues are full and I need to camp out. Is this a possibility/likelihood?

Also, I will be arriving to the Asturias airport late, around 9 PM, so I booked a room my first night in Avilés. I plan to take the bus to Oviedo the next morning and spend the day sightseeing in Oviedo, and spend my second night in Oviedo. Then I will start my camino the following day. I have not booked a room yet in Oviedo, and am finding many things are full, so I am a little nervous to rely on unreserved space in a municipal albergue there too.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi, Wanderlustful, welcome to the forum,

The Primitivo’s popularity has surged, but there are new private albergues opening all the time. But if your finances limit you to municipals or camping, I think an early start would be a good idea. The municipal albergue in Grado, for instance, is usually filled in early afternoon. A new private albergue has just opened there, though, so it is likely take off some of the pressure.

Berducedo used to be another bottleneck, but several private albergues have opened there, too. The municipal there is not one of the best maintained, so many people probably opt for the privates anyway.

If you are arriving at 9 pm, I would just take the bus straight to Oviedo rather than going to Avilés. Avilés is about 20 km closer to the airport than Oviedo — it’s 18 from Avilés, but 38 from Oviedo. But there are buses that go to each of the three main cities that the airports serve (Avilés, Oviedo, and Gijón). I believe they run till about 11 pm, so you would be fine. No need to go to Avilés unless you want to see it.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[saara kinnunen]

I slept last night in private Albergue la Peregrina in Oviedo 400 m from the Cathetral on C Cavadonga 8. There are 36 beds. You can do reservation 687 133 932 It is open 12-20.30. It coats 15€ and is very pilgrim friendly.

 

[Wanderlustful]

I think you should be fine in Oviedo as you can be first there when it opens. Further on the path you may struggle. I did the primitivo about 4 years ago in June and on 2 or 3 occasions we managed to pick up the last beds available. You may want to think about earlier starts I'm afraid.

Thank you! That's good to know. I figured I would have to adjust my usual timing. It will be good for me!

When people arrive after beds are full, what do they do? Is camping allowed in most places?

 

[Wanderlustful]

I slept last night in private Albergue la Peregrina in Oviedo 400 m from the Cathetral on C Cavadonga 8. There are 36 beds. You can do reservation 687 133 932 It is open 12-20.30. It coats 15€ and is very pilgrim friendly.

Thank you! My late arrival means that on my first night I can't make it to any of the more affordable albergues that close early. But for the second night, this sounds perfect!

 

[Wanderlustful]

Hi, Wanderlustful, welcome to the forum,

The Primitivo’s popularity has surged, but there are new private albergues opening all the time. But if your finances limit you to municipals or camping, I think an early start would be a good idea. The municipal albergue in Grado, for instance, is usually filled in early afternoon. A new private albergue has just opened there, though, so it is likely take off some of the pressure.

Berducedo used to be another bottleneck, but several private albergues have opened there, too. The municipal there is not one of the best maintained, so many people probably opt for the privates anyway.

If you are arriving at 9 pm, I would just take the bus straight to Oviedo rather than going to Avilés. Avilés is about 20 km closer to the airport than Oviedo — it’s 18 from Avilés, but 38 from Oviedo. But there are buses that go to each of the three main cities that the airports serve (Avilés, Oviedo, and Gijón). I believe they run till about 11 pm, so you would be fine. No need to go to Avilés unless you want to see it.

Buen camino, Laurie

Thank you very much! This is so helpful and makes me feel a bit better, and also helps me to know where to be more careful/plan ahead more.

Where to stay my first night has been another source of confusion, so I appreciate your advice. I would prefer to go straight to Oviedo, but 1. most of the more affordable albergues close before my flight arrives, and 2. I have seen inconsistent information on the bus schedule at that time of night. One link I found here in the forum indicates a gap in the evening, so arriving at 9 PM means I would have to wait until 10:30 PM for the next bus, meaning I would get to Oviedo even later. But another link to the same website, and things I've read in other places, say that buses run hourly. So I'm not sure what to trust.

 

[Phil71]

Alsa bus runs on the hour so you can get 2200 or 2300. 45 minutes journey for 9 euro. This is from their android app and is normally reliable. Camping in Spain is only allowed with landowners permission. There is suitable camping places in the albergue grounds. I've not asked but I have the impression they would NOT give permission. Just a feeling though. No facts to back that up. If you do go to Oviedo at that time of night you wouldn't get into the grounds anyway - the outer door is always locked and no one will open it......

 

[KerryW]

Hello! This is my first post. I will be walking my first Camino this June solo, and I am so grateful for all the wonderful advice on this forum! I am wondering how busy the municipal albergues along the Primitivo will be in mid-late June/early July. Is it likely that I will find them completely full when I arrive? (Typically when backpacking I am a late start-late stop person, but perhaps I will have to shift for this.) I am planning to bring a bivy sack in case albergues are full and I need to camp out. Is this a possibility/likelihood?

Also, I will be arriving to the Asturias airport late, around 9 PM, so I booked a room my first night in Avilés. I plan to take the bus to Oviedo the next morning and spend the day sightseeing in Oviedo, and spend my second night in Oviedo. Then I will start my camino the following day. I have not booked a room yet in Oviedo, and am finding many things are full, so I am a little nervous to rely on unreserved space in a municipal albergue there too.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Hello We may well meet you! We will be on the Primitivo late June and early July! We'll look out for you!

 

[Wanderlustful]

@Phil71 and @saara kinnunen: Thank you to each of you for your advice on the bus schedule and camping, and the albergue in Oviedo. I can't spend the money on an international phone call, but I found a website for Albergue la Peregrina and emailed them to ask about late arrival. They said they would wait for me until 23:00, which should give me enough time to take the bus there if there is one on the hour at 22:00 after I arrive. Now I just have to hope that all the horrible things I've read about Iberia losing luggage don't happen to me...

If anyone wants to meet up for a cider in Oviedo on 18 June, let me know!

 

[Celi Anatrella]

Hello! This is my first post. I will be walking my first Camino this June solo, and I am so grateful for all the wonderful advice on this forum! I am wondering how busy the municipal albergues along the Primitivo will be in mid-late June/early July. Is it likely that I will find them completely full when I arrive? (Typically when backpacking I am a late start-late stop person, but perhaps I will have to shift for this.) I am planning to bring a bivy sack in case albergues are full and I need to camp out. Is this a possibility/likelihood?

Also, I will be arriving to the Asturias airport late, around 9 PM, so I booked a room my first night in Avilés. I plan to take the bus to Oviedo the next morning and spend the day sightseeing in Oviedo, and spend my second night in Oviedo. Then I will start my camino the following day. I have not booked a room yet in Oviedo, and am finding many things are full, so I am a little nervous to rely on unreserved space in a municipal albergue there too.

Thank you in advance for your help!

I might meet you there... planning this route as well... Buen camino!