Buen camino! It's a great route. Here are my
Primitivo highlights in case you're interested.
If anyone has any 'not to be missed' tips please do share.
Here are a few:
- Apart from the highlights in Oviedo itself (cathedral, cider bars, San Julián de los Prados), visit the Naranco churches justs outside Oviedo. It's a 3km walk or a short bus ride from the centre of town, or another option is to take an alternative route on day 1 of the Primitivo that takes you past these churches, which is what we did.
- Stay at the albergue in Bodenaya. As you will no doubt have read elsewhere on the forum, this is a very special place and it's worth adjusting your itinerary, if necessary, to stay here.
- Consider a rest day in Lugo. The standard stage from O Cádavo to Lugo is quite long (29.5km) and if that's the stage you do, you won't have much much time (or energy!) to enjoy Lugo. You can do an entire circuit of the ramparts on top of the city walls (the only complete set of Roman walls still in existence) and there's an excellent interpretation centre for the walls too. I was in Lugo a few weeks ago and stayed in an apartment which was amazingly located just inside one of the city gates and very reasonably priced. Here's the booking.com link:
http://www.booking.com/Share-nnbzbR
Finally, not a 'not to be missed' tip but a suggestion: consider the camino verde alternative route from Lugo to Santiago. I haven't done this myself, but I would definitely choose to do it if walking the Primitivo again. Advantages of this alternative include visiting a Roman sanctuary (Santa Eulalia de Bóveda) and not having to spend as long on the last part of the Camino Francés at the end of the Primitivo.
This is what I have stored in my notes about it:
O Camiño Verde, the Green Camino, is a crossover from Lugo on the Primitivo, to Sobrado dos Monxes on the Norte, through a tranquil and beautiful rural area, mainly on farm and forest tracks. It has two stages each of 25km, and is fully waymarked with
green arrows, diverting from the Camino Primitivo just after the Roman bridge coming out of Lugo.
What forum members say about it
'I loved the two 'green arrow' days'
'I'm so glad that we took this diversion. To anyone thinking about it - just do it'
'The route alongside the river was absolutely beautiful'
'Utterly beautiful, and quiet... in the best way possible'
'Two of my favourite Camino days ever'
