best app for walking the camino primitivo

[Wardmaryt]

Hi
I will be walking the Primitivo, starting from Oviedo on 18 September. Can anyone recommend a good app/internet resource? My main concern is finding my way and looking for albergues. I hope to go off route at Lugo and find my way to the monastery at Sobrado. I have an android smart phone but may be able to borrow an iphone if there is an astoundingly better ios app. I will be walking on my own.
Loving the sense of shared purpose on this forum.
cheers
Mary

 

[SYates]

Have you looked at https://www.caminodesantiago.me/camino-places/ ? Not sure how good its coverage is for the CP, but it could be worth a try and you could help to improve it with more 'places'. Buen Camino, SY

 

[backpack45scb]

Hi
I will be walking the Primitivo, starting from Oviedo on 18 September. Can anyone recommend a good app/internet resource? My main concern is finding my way and looking for albergues. I hope to go off route at Lugo and find my way to the monastery at Sobrado. I have an android smart phone but may be able to borrow an iphone if there is an astoundingly better ios app. I will be walking on my own.
Loving the sense of shared purpose on this forum.
cheers
Mary

We walked this spring with both iPad mini and android smart phone. Had Wise Pilgrim app on both devices and no differences that I noted. It was a useful app. In addition, I relied quite a bit on gronze.com and always double checked on both for places to stay. Also carried the Northern Caminos guidebook. It was the first place I would check for accommodations. Another very useful app was maps.me. With that app, you preload the maps for any area when you have wifi, and then you can use them in airplane mode. On the maps.me app you can load kmz/kml routes as bookmarks and they appear as overlays on the maps you have loaded. Go to
http://www.elcaminosantiago.com/Camino-Santiago-Map-Google-Earth-Camino.htm to get routes for the Primitivo. Keeping your phone/device in airplane mode makes an immense improvement in battery life.

 

[Seeker43]

We walked this spring with both iPad mini and android smart phone. Had Wise Pilgrim app on both devices and no differences that I noted. It was a useful app. In addition, I relied quite a bit on gronze.com and always double checked on both for places to stay. Also carried the Northern Caminos guidebook. It was the first place I would check for accommodations. Another very useful app was maps.me. With that app, you preload the maps for any area when you have wifi, and then you can use them in airplane mode. On the maps.me app you can load kmz/kml routes as bookmarks and they appear as overlays on the maps you have loaded. Go to
http://www.elcaminosantiago.com/Ca

Hi
I will be walking the Primitivo, starting from Oviedo on 18 September. Can anyone recommend a good app/internet resource? My main concern is finding my way and looking for albergues. I hope to go off route at Lugo and find my way to the monastery at Sobrado. I have an android smart phone but may be able to borrow an iphone if there is an astoundingly better ios app. I will be walking on my own.
Loving the sense of shared purpose on this forum.
cheers
Mary

Have you downloaded Liz Brandt's guide to the Primitivo and taken a look at it? It's free and available from this site. I found it very helpful earlier this year. I used it alone. Had it on my cellphone.

 

[timr]

I hope to go off route at Lugo and find my way to the monastery at Sobrado.

@Wardmaryt
You may have found this already, but if not be sure to check
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...verde-crossover-route-primitivo-to-norte.508/
This diversion is passionately recommended by those of us who have done it recently!!

From Oviedo to Lugo (cannot comment after that) the Primitvo path is very well marked: you wouldn't need an app to literally find your way, but it's interesting to see the day before where the arrows will take you! I didn't use an app.

Another excellent resource here is
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...tiago-and-then-to-muxia-finisterre-guide.225/
You can download the pdfs and keep them on your phone.

Not huge numbers of albergues on Primitivo, but my guess would be pressure of numbers would be off in September.
Buen Camino.
Tim

 

[laineylainey]

@Wardmaryt
You may have found this already, but if not be sure to check
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...verde-crossover-route-primitivo-to-norte.508/
This diversion is passionately recommended by those of us who have done it recently!!

From Oviedo to Lugo (cannot comment after that) the Primitvo path is very well marked: you wouldn't need an app to literally find your way, but it's interesting to see the day before where the arrows will take you! I didn't use an app.

Another excellent resource here is
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...tiago-and-then-to-muxia-finisterre-guide.225/
You can download the pdfs and keep them on your phone.

Not huge numbers of albergues on Primitivo, but my guess would be pressure of numbers would be off in September.
Buen Camino.
Tim

Tim , I am thinking about the Primitivo next Sept( Portuguese this Sept). A couple of questions, would you recommend it and are you suggesting Sept is a good time to do it? Where did you start and finish?
Many thanks

 

[timr]

@Wardmaryt
I thoroughly enjoyed Primitivo - but it is hard to recommend something for another person! What did I like? Less people, quite rural, very adequate infrastructure, good waymarking, fabulous scenery.
I started in Oviedo, (flew to Asturias from Stansted) (having passed Villaviciosa on the Norte last year). I finished in Santiago, having taken the diversion from Lugo to Friol and then to Sobrado dos Monxes, [Note this diversion is optional!!] and then rejoined Frances at Arzua. (I might have gone on to O Pedrouzo to rejoin, but I was meeting people in Arzua). I think it took 13 days including an extra night in Lugo.
I can't tell you if September is a good time, but May was perfect and numbers were really not a problem. I see from the boards here that accommodation has been a problem for some on the Primitivo in the high summer. I am guessing that September will be similar to May for numbers - but I have no hard evidence for that! But I never booked (except for hotel break in Lugo, and for two nights in Santiago) and had no problems.
Good luck with Portuguese in Sept. I would be interested to hear about that. I plan to try Portuguese from Porto in November, unless anyway convinces me otherwise on account of weather perhaps.

 

[laineylainey]

@Wardmaryt
I thoroughly enjoyed Primitivo - but it is hard to recommend something for another person! What did I like? Less people, quite rural, very adequate infrastructure, good waymarking, fabulous scenery.
I started in Oviedo, (flew to Asturias from Stansted) (having passed Villaviciosa on the Norte last year). I finished in Santiago, having taken the diversion from Lugo to Friol and then to Sobrado dos Monxes, [Note this diversion is optional!!] and then rejoined Frances at Arzua. (I might have gone on to O Pedrouzo to rejoin, but I was meeting people in Arzua). I think it took 13 days including an extra night in Lugo.
I can't tell you if September is a good time, but May was perfect and numbers were really not a problem. I see from the boards here that accommodation has been a problem for some on the Primitivo in the high summer. I am guessing that September will be similar to May for numbers - but I have no hard evidence for that! But I never booked (except for hotel break in Lugo, and for two nights in Santiago) and had no problems.
Good luck with Portuguese in Sept. I would be interested to hear about that. I plan to try Portuguese from Porto in November, unless anyway convinces me otherwise on account of weather perhaps.

Thank you for all the information. It is useful for me to have some "insight" from others. Sounds like a route I would like to try as I love walking alone but also seeing wonderful places. Thanks again

 

[Keith Camino]

Hi
I will be walking the Primitivo, starting from Oviedo on 18 September. Can anyone recommend a good app/internet resource? My main concern is finding my way and looking for albergues. I hope to go off route at Lugo and find my way to the monastery at Sobrado. I have an android smart phone but may be able to borrow an iphone if there is an astoundingly better ios app. I will be walking on my own.
Loving the sense of shared purpose on this forum.
cheers
Mary

Hi Mary,

I will walk the Primitivo starting this Saturday, 01 April 2017. Can you pass on any internet sites or resources (like apps) that worked well for you? Also, any advice you might like to share would be appreciated as well. In all, how was your Camino? Did you have a great experience? Will you do more Caminos in the future?

Cheers,

Keith

 

[laineylainey]

Hi Keith, I am hoping to walk the Primitivo this Sept.. I have downloaded the Wise Pilgrim app for the Primitivo on my phone . I can't tell you about it but it looks pretty comprehensive. I am sure it was recommended on this forum?
I also have downloaded the guide compiled by Liz Brandt from the resources on this forum. Here it is.
It would be great to hear how you get on?
Good luck

 

[Keith Camino]

Hi Keith, I am hoping to walk the Primitivo this Sept.. I have downloaded the Wise Pilgrim app for the Primitivo on my phone . I can't tell you about it but it looks pretty comprehensive. I am sure it was recommended on this forum?
I also have downloaded the guide compiled by Liz Brandt from the resources on this forum. Here it is.
It would be great to hear how you get on?
Good luck

Hi Lainey, thanks for sending that. It looks very good. I think I will take it with me and check into some of Liz's suggestions. If I make notes I'll post them as an addendum to her report. One thing I've just learned this evening is to take Camino Verde just after passing through Lugo. This way does not join the Camino Frances so you get a few more days of solitude and nature. I will make comments on that as well. Cheers, Keith

 

[laineylainey]

Keith, I (long with many others, I am sure) would love to hear your own experience of walking the Primitivo. So please do let us know.
By the way, welcome to the Forum!
And have a great Camino.
Elaine

 

[notion900]

Quick note - on the Lugo / Sobrado alternative route, the mobile signal is non existent in some places. Have a paper map or download your files.

 

[Keith Camino]

Hi All. It is Day 11 and I am in Lavacolla where there is a new albergue since 2016. I walked Primitive to Lugo then crossed over to Norte via Friol then Sobrado. From Sobrado I turned northwest just after Boimorto towards Calvos. (see attached file) which has brand-new sign posts. Eventually I merged with Frances near the SdC airport, 5.7 km past O Pedrouzo (aka Arca), missed San Paio where there is a pension (sleep-walking?) Then arrived in Lavacolla, which is 12 km from the SdC cathedral. I'm very happy with the route I took (saw no other pilgrims) and friends who went to O Pedrouzo via Arzua are unhappy with the din of Frances party-pilgrims. But, the part along N-634 (not 604 as shown on the attached file) was an 11 km slog under merciless sun beside a busy highway. Still, I walked alone . Cheers, Keith re

 

[laineylainey]

Great to hear that you are enjoying your camino and thanks for the information. How was the Primitivo? Did you enjoy it?

 

[Keith Camino]

I am in Santiago now, on day 12. I didn't lose any time by taking the Camino Verde crossover to Camino Norte, nor after taking the newer alternative Camino Norte. But I think I walked about 340 km vice 315/320 if I hadn't done the diversions. The weather was unseasonably hot and I only had the slightest of rain in the beginning near Grado. Sun protection was really important! Overall it was a very satisfying trek and after a day if rest in Santiago, I will push on to Fisterra.

 

[irishgurrrl]

I am in Santiago now, on day 12. I didn't lose any time by taking the Camino Verde crossover to Camino Norte, nor after taking the newer alternative Camino Norte. But I think I walked about 340 km vice 315/320 if I hadn't done the diversions. The weather was unseasonably hot and I only had the slightest of rain in the beginning near Grado. Sun protection was really important! Overall it was a very satisfying trek and after a day if rest in Santiago, I will push on to Fisterra.

Thanks for sharing Keith. Heading to the Primitivo in just over two weeks time. How hot is it there at the moment?

 

[alaskadiver]

Thanks for sharing Keith. Heading to the Primitivo in just over two weeks time. How hot is it there at the moment?

https://www.yr.no/place/Spain/Asturias/Oviedo/

Type in the city in Spain and it will give you the current temp and forecast. I've been watching it for about a week since I leave in a month. It's been pretty warm. Today only 60F but I saw several days in the past where it was in the 70sF. Way hot. For me anyway.

 

[jannotgrim]

On the Primativo now, starting from Oviedo on 27 August. No trouble finding beds in Albergues each night so far, though twice had to go somewhere beyond the first option because that place was fully occupied. After Lugo, sadly, we have decided we will book ahead. Don't want to, but we are three hobbling old ladies.

Markings were very easily followed; the way is glorious, green, and has been unseasonably chilly.

Buen Camino.

 

[laineylainey]

Welcome to the forum and so lovely to hear that the Primitivo is living up to it's great reputation. Can't wait to be there.
Thanks for taking the time to post, it's always reassuring, I tbink, for those following .
Buen Camino!

 

[Vincent Lee]

As a first time pilgrim, my CP record,
Camino Primitivo stages in 12 days(11/Oct/2018 to 22/Oct/2018)
Oviedo/Grado/Bodenaya/Samblismo/Berducedo/Castro/A Fonsagrada/ Castroverde/Lugo/Ferreira/Melide/Pedrouzo/Santiago de Compostela

The only rainy day is Samblismo to Berducedo and that is a challenge day for me - rainy, windy and low temperature(below 5 degC my guess) to cross the Hospitales. No food or drink supply between Samblismo and Berducedo. The low environment temperature and rain prevent you to take long rest on the road in case to lost body temperature. The road condition of that stage is also worse - you have to climb over the rock sometimes.
Of course, the view at that stage is also magnificent - in spite of limited visibility

I bought the Camino Primitivo app from Wisely Pilgrim. The off-line map is much help for me to confirm I am not "off-road"

Buen Camino
Vincent
de bv3ue

rock road