My wife and I start the Camino del Salvador Sept 11, so we may well be seeing you. Like others before us, we plan to spend two nights in Oviedo before continuing our pilgrimage on the Primitivo. We have done a good number of caminos, including an unforgettable journey last September on the Ignaciano. We know there are no other caminos like Ignaciano for solitude, but we imagine that Salvador is not too busy. From what we have read, we expect to call forward each day to the albergue we plan to stay at on the Salvador to be sure and look to Laurie to confirm that this is wise. We would also welcome Laurie's advice on how many stages and where to stop. We are planning five,: La Robla, Polidura, Pajares, Pola de Lena and Oviedo. Any tips would be most welcome, and we also would appreciate advice on the Primitivo.
Jim and Janet
Hi, Jim and Janet,
I don't think you will find that the Salvador is busy, but you will probably meet some others. Your stages are pretty standard, and I think they spread things out nicely. It's too bad that Sandra's 5***** albergue in Bendueños is spaced where it is (about 6 km before Campomanes) because it makes for a really short day from Pajares. I had plans to meet Ender and co. there for lunch, so I lolligagged my way from Pajares to Bendueños, but I was at the albergue well before noon. It's a lovely spot and the albergue is like no other on the Salvador. Sandra has keys to the church, and a visit there was interesting, especially to see the wall and ceiling paintings in the sacristy. Then my next stages were Mieres (in a hostal, there are a couple of budget type places) and on to Oviedo. The stage from Pola to Oviedo is a long slog, first a bunch of km on pavement along the river to Mieres and then a couple of ascents which are harder to do if you've been walking from Pola, and much more manageable if you start in Mieres that day.
A five day plan means that you will have one long day, given the spacing of the albergues and towns with facilities. Poladura to Pajares is a short day, but it has some challenge, but I know some who have walked Poladura to Bendueños (making their stages La Robla, Poladura, Bendueños, Mieres, Oviedo). That's a 30-plus day, but then so is Pola to Oviedo.
One more option is to walk the first day to Pola de Gordón, where there are a couple of pensiones. That is a very doable stage for many. But that means going past the nice albergue in La Robla. I have done that twice, but it was before Bendueños opened, so I was on the four day plan (Pola de Gordón, Pajares, Pola de Lena, Oviedo). This is not unreasonable if you are in good shape, but it means you "put all your mountain eggs in one basket", since Pola de Gordón to Pajares includes both the ascent from Buiza as well as the ascent after Poladura up to the cross. If the weather had been bad, I probably would have stopped in Poladura. I have stayed in the casa rural there and it is very nice.
So, this is probably more than you were hoping for, but I hope it gives you the info you need. Buen camino, Laurie
p.s. And oh my, when you say "there are no other caminos for solitude like the Ignaciano," I can't resist -- How about the Vadiniense, Olvidado, Castellano-Aragones, Madrid, St. Jaume, Ebro, St. Olav, Invierno.... you have a LOT to choose from!