Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Advice in starting point for Camino Primitivo

emariu

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Primitivo
I need some advice regarding where should I start for El Camino primitivo ? In Oviedo or Villaviciosa ?
I'll be flying directly to Asturias aeroport, but I don't know if it is worth it to go to Villaviciosa from Asturias aeroport? Do I miss something interesting in the way from Villaviciosa to Oviedo? Is it better to start from Oviedo?
Also I would like to know how many days it takes usually from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela ?( we are a couple of 45 years old, pretty good fitness shape)

thank you,
Marius
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Marius. We took 12 days from Oviedo, coming from el camino del norte. I suspect getting to Oviedo will not be a problem from Asturias airport. But you could also go to Villaviciosa. The first day from Villaviciosa is great, the second not so much. You can see our stages at: https://carlosandmick.wordpress.com/
Also Oviedo has lots to see and spending a long afternoon or a day there is worthwhile! The Primitivo is wonderful-Buen camino
 
We took 14 days from Oviedo to Santiago (with a rest day in Lugo) and if we did it again I would extend that to 16 so I could shorten one of the stages and take more time. I never considered starting from another place except Oviedo since that is the official start of the Primitivo. We did spend a couple days there and enjoyed it.
 
Last edited:
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
We took 24 days from Oviedo to Santiago (with a rest day in Lugo) and if we did it again I would extend that to 16 so I could shorten one of the stages and take more time. I never considered starting from another place except Oviedo since that is the official start of the Primitivo. We did spend a couple days there and enjoyed it.
24 days? maybe you meant 14..
There are guides that are indicating Villaviciosa as the starting point of Primitivo
 
Ok, i understand now that Oviedo is official starting,but I have 16 days for whole Camino, so if that is enough for us to be starting from Villaviciosa, I want to do that ; if those 2 extradays are worth it. That is what i ask for advise
thanks
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
I need some advice regarding where should I start for El Camino primitivo ? In Oviedo or Villaviciosa ?
I'll be flying directly to Asturias aeroport, but I don't know if it is worth it to go to Villaviciosa from Asturias aeroport? Do I miss something interesting in the way from Villaviciosa to Oviedo? Is it better to start from Oviedo?
Also I would like to know how many days it takes usually from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela ?( we are a couple of 45 years old, pretty good fitness shape)

thank you,
Marius

Hi Marius,

Everyone’s right that the Primitivo starts in Oviedo, but if you have two extra days, it is a very nice walk to Oviedo (minus the last couple kms through the outskirts and all the car companies.). Villaviciosa itself it a nice little place, I’ve stayed in both a private albergue and a little charming hotel. Walking from Villaviciosa to Oviedo, you can make a little detour and go visit the monastery and pre-Romanesque church at Valdediós. (All well marked,it is stunning, but you may not be a fan of ancient churches). And it sits in a lovely valley, which you climb out of with great views back down. There is now what looks like a great albergue in Pola de Siero, but I stopped earlier in Vega de Sariego because I had taken a long visit at Valdediós.

Gronze has good information.


Oviedo is one of my very favorite small cities in Spain with more astonishing (at least if you like this sort of stuff) ancient pre-romanesque at Naranco about a 35 minute walk up from the Oviedo train station (lots of info in the forum about it if you search). You can visit the churches and continue on the first stage of the Primitivo, again there is a lot of info here about that.

The walk from Pola de Siero has been routed off-road and in 2017 was so much more pleasant than when I walked it in 2006.

Getting from Oviedo airport to Villaviciosa might not be the easiest. There are buses to Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés.

Buen camino, Laurie
 
The Primitivo, as mentioned above, starts in Oviedo; Villaviciosa is just the place where you have to choose to continue by the coast or turn inland towards Oviedo - that is, if you are coming along the Norte.

If you have those extra few days, you might also consider to start in Oviedo and continue onto Fisterra after Santiago. If I had to choose between Villaviciosa-Oviedo and Santiago-Fisterra to expand my route, I know both caminos and would go for the Fisterra option.

Otherwise, if you choose Villaviciosa, Valdediós is a MUST, you find two amazing pre-romanesque and romanesque churches in a small place, and each is a true jewel by itself. In fact, I cannot understand why the Camino del Norte does not take a 3 or 4 km detour in order to come to this ancient abbey.

After Valdediós, you find some lovely landscape, some rural/farming landscape on tarmac, some beautiful singletrack after Pola de Siero, and then the entrance to Oviedo, ugly as most arrivals in big towns.

All in all, I am not sure it adds up so much, and also do consider that finding a connection from the airport (near Avilés) to Villaviciosa might not be such a straightfoward task.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Ok, i understand now that Oviedo is official starting,but I have 16 days for whole Camino, so if that is enough for us to be starting from Villaviciosa, I want to do that ; if those 2 extradays are worth it. That is what i ask for advise
thanks
I had extra time,so walked on to Muxia from Santiago,taking three days a d enjoying it very much! I also would recommend taking the Camino Verde west out of Lugo,as it is well marked ,and very nice. The beginning is pure magic!
 
So general opinion is that from Villaviciosa to Oviedo is not much to see(besides Valdedios) and it would be more "beneficial " and nice to take it from Santiago to Finisterre and Muxia ? To Muxia it will take me 2 or 3 days? How much time did it take you ,camineros ?
 
I had extra time,so walked on to Muxia from Santiago,taking three days a d enjoying it very much! I also would recommend taking the Camino Verde west out of Lugo,as it is well marked ,and very nice. The beginning is pure magic!

Can you please provide more information about Camino Verde ? Is there a gps track available for it, or detalied description ?

We are more interested into nature,landscapes,mountains so I want to choose this kinds of routes
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I also would recommend taking the Camino Verde west out of Lugo,as it is well marked ,and very nice. The beginning is pure magic!
I absolutely agree with Beeman in that: The first stage from Lugo to Friol has a bit of tarmac, but it lets you visit a magical place called Santa Eulalia (or Santolalla) de Bóveda


From there, you can walk on to Friol, if you stay in Pensión Benigno they will give you indications and a map for the Camino Verde that joins Camino del Norte a few miles befoe the majestic monastery of Sobrado dos Monxes.

That stretch beetween Friol and Sobrado is a bliss of rural Galicia, virgin landscape, serene green hills, old forests, everything!

There is more information about Camiño Verde here:



Beautiful Santa Eulalia, beautiful Camiño Verde, beautiful Sobrado dos Monxes
 
I walked from Oviedo to Santiago this September in 12 days. Probably a faster pace than normal for my wife and I, but we met a number of people who we really enjoyed their company so a number of 30 kilometer days happened as a result. The Primitivo has been my favorite Camino by far.
One other option to consider I have not seen mentioned here is to start in Leon and do the del Salvador route which ends in Oviedo. I haven't personally done this, but have talked to a few that have said the country you walk through looks really spectacular. My understanding is that this is 4 possibly 5 days max to add this section on.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
One other option to consider I have not seen mentioned here is to start in Leon and do the San Salvador route which ends in Oviedo. I haven't personally done this, but have talked to a few that have the country you walk through looks really spectacular. My understanding is that this is 3 possibly 4 days max to add this section on.
El Salvador is 135 km long, including some big mountain, any approach below 5 days is not suitable for everyone, since accommodation options are limited.
This said, El Salvador includes the most beautiful 40 km in ALL my 4500 km caminos; Buiza to Herias is just something else.

A unique camino, but anything below 5 days is challenging.

You just have to love Asturias. Absolutely!
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Early, It is 90 km to either Finesterra or Muxia, and took me(a 74 year old man) three days to do it. Actually an early start on the first day,and an early ending on the last. Doing it faster might be possible,but the stopping places might be limited as the villages are pretty small. An Austrian girl walked the Verde with us(never saw her),using the spectacular German guide book and walked totally on the road. We did not,and found it well marked,never used the app,and never saw much road. I was wanting to avoid the Frances hoard,and walked all the way,EASILY,into Santiago which was well-marked,and never once saw the Frances. Most of all,BUEN CAMINO!
 
By the way, I am doing the Salvador this fall,and am looking forward to it! If I did the Primitivo again,I would start in Leon and do the Salvador first then walk on to Muxia and then walk the coast down to Finesterra.
 
We were in 2013 on the Primitivo and started in Oviedo, I didn´t know this time, that there is a connection between Norte and Primitivo. Oviedo is a very nice city and I would do it one more like this. We needed 12 days to Santiago, but is was very sporty. When you make it like this, you have no time to start with short etapes to get in the mood.

I like the days between Santiago and the coast also very much. Less pilgrim and fantastic nature. Lasts year I walked my last missed steps - the way between the point you have to choose Muxia or Finisterre and Cee.

Propably you know, that the way to Muxia or Finisterre is the same, except the last ca. 30km.
We had unbelievable good wether and the walk from the splitting point to Cee was really great.
When we saw the ocean from above the first time it was "to fall on your knees". The colours were so clear and the water deep blue........ But the long way down to Cee is quite hard, especially for your knees and calves.

On the other hand the way to Muxia is also very nice - maybe not so spectacular, just different. The Albergue in Dumbria is very special and the Albergue "Bela Muxia" only a few steps from the Sanctuarium 😘

I did several Caminos, each with a different focus. The many pilgrims from all over the world on the Frances, the sea in Portugal and the fantastic nature in the mountains on the Primitivo and the Lebaniego/Vadiniense.

When you like nature a lot, than you have chosen the rigth one.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I need some advice regarding where should I start for El Camino primitivo ? In Oviedo or Villaviciosa ?
I'll be flying directly to Asturias aeroport, but I don't know if it is worth it to go to Villaviciosa from Asturias aeroport? Do I miss something interesting in the way from Villaviciosa to Oviedo? Is it better to start from Oviedo?
Also I would like to know how many days it takes usually from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela ?( we are a couple of 45 years old, pretty good fitness shape)

thank you,
Marius
I need some advice regarding where should I start for El Camino primitivo ? In Oviedo or Villaviciosa ?
I'll be flying directly to Asturias aeroport, but I don't know if it is worth it to go to Villaviciosa from Asturias aeroport? Do I miss something interesting in the way from Villaviciosa to Oviedo? Is it better to start from Oviedo?
Also I would like to know how many days it takes usually from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela ?( we are a couple of 45 years old, pretty good fitness shape)

thank you,
Marius
Well, I got bedbugs in my stuff at a hostel in Villaviciosa but roasted them in a high temperature laundromat dryer in Oviedo. 🦄
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Yes, I will follow the advise and start in Oviedo and continue till Finisterre(although I have only 17 days reserved for whole Camino- hope that will suffice).Also I will try to go Camino Verde from Lugo, hoping the dogs won't be a problem for us.
Thanks again
 
It took me 17 days to get to Muxia,and I am 74. I saw few dogs on the Verde,as there are few villages along the way. The Primitivo had many more,and they were never a problem. No one I walked with mentioned dogs.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.

Most read last week in this forum

Can anyone recommend a good snack to buy for the hospitalès route Nothing major just something to keep me going Many thanks

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top