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Camino Primitivo - must skip one part - which one? :(

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So I just made a visual map/plan for my camino and… it turns out I am missing a day :/ I don’t know what I was thinking when I booked my flights, but I somehow under calculated the stages - that what happens when it’s a spontaneous trip (result of having last minute time off and the wallet friendly flight prices).

I need your help…

If I was to bypass ANY part of Camino Primitivo, which should it be? Which is your least favorite? And which wouldn’t you skip even if someone paid you to do so?

Thank you, kindly, for your advise/feedback.
 
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Hi Katherine. That’s tricky. I’ve walked the Primitivo twice - last time in October 2019. I just went back to a have a quick look at my blog.

One idea would be to ‘skip’ the walk from Oviedo to Grado. I think there would a be a morning bus to Grado (or previous evening) and then start walking from there . That way, the Camino keeps that continuous rhythm all the way to SdeC. That’s probably what I would do if I needed to lose a day

It’s a wonderful Camino. Enjoy 🙏
 
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I haven't walked the Primitivo, but I agree with @Jenny@zen that if don't have enough time, that the best stage(s) to skip are at the beginning, so that you have a continuous walk, and don't lose the rhythm of the Camino, or contact with those that you meet along the way.
That’s a v good point @trecile about meeting some good folks you may see again as you go - rather than skipping in the middle.
 
Hi Katherine, as per Rachael's suggestion above about whether you can walk longer stages, maybe give us an idea of how many days are in your plan and your level of fitness.
FWIW The ups and downs of the first week toughened us up a lot and we were able to walk longer stages on the final third and onto the Frances (presumably you plan to finish in Santiago?). Also some folks factor in an extra day to go via Pola rather than the Hospitales route, so if you are even halfway fit that would be the obvious snip to make.
Cheers, tom
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Yep it depends on how many days you have and the distance you want to cover each day - comfortably and with time to take it all in. Both times I planned for 12 days from Oviedo to SdeC which I guess was an average of about 26-27 kms per day. I like a little pressure without feeling rushed. That worked well for me. I took the Hospitales route both times. Recommend trying to arrive in Lugo in time for at least a few hours to enjoy. It’s a fabulous town. I’d walk the Primitivo a third time in a heartbeat. 🙏
 
My Camino started in San Sabastian on the Norte, then I turned in to the Primitivo. Due to time constraints and wanting to walk from Muxia to Finesterre, I chose to end my Pimitivo portion in beautiful Lugos and take a bus to Santiago from there. I'd read by a few others on the forum that after Lugo the terrain is not quite as special and I didn't care about getting another Compostela. You could consider an extra day in Oviedo and one in Lugo as both are very interesting cities.
That said, this being your first Camino, you will most likely want to receive a Compostela.
 
Hi Katherine. That’s tricky. I’ve walked the Primitivo twice - last time in October 2019. I just went back to a have a quick look at my blog.

One idea would be to ‘skip’ the walk from Oviedo to Grado. I think there would a be a morning bus to Grado (or previous evening) and then start walking from there . That way, the Camino keeps that continuous rhythm all the way to SdeC. That’s probably what I would do if I needed to lose a day

It’s a wonderful Camino. Enjoy 🙏
That is a great way of thinking! Very helpful.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I'd also suggest to speed up and do more KM a day if that's possible. I also had to re adjust my stages so that I could meet my cousin on her last day of holidays around Santiago. I did the Primitivo in 11 days, instead of the 14 originally planned. As it happened, mostly everybody I was walking with did it in 11 days as well, even though they thought they were going to take longer. The last few days, when Primitivo merges with Frances are on fairly flat terrain (except the last few km).

If anything need to be cut, the first stage to Grado is the one I'd cut, as Jenny@zen said.

And as said above, make sure you've got time to wander around Lugo, and of course, Santiago itself. Two amazing cities.
 
I will keep that in mind… since it’s my first camino, I am proceeding with caution as I don’t know what I am capable or incapable of… adding on kms sounds like a good idea - I’m just feeling super intimidated by everything as is (for now). I may surprise myself :)
 
I will keep that in mind… since it’s my first camino, I am proceeding with caution as I don’t know what I am capable or incapable of… adding on kms sounds like a good idea - I’m just feeling super intimidated by everything as is (for now). I may surprise myself :)
Katherine - I know you are looking for ways to reduce time required rather than add to it. But would be remiss if I didn't mention how fabulous Oviedo is. WOW! If you can have even half a day there after arrival to wander around, I'm sure you will not regret it!
 
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Katherine - I know you are looking for ways to reduce time required rather than add to it. But would be remiss if I didn't mention how fabulous Oviedo is. WOW! If you can have even half a day there after arrival to wander around, I'm sure you will not regret it!
Jenny! Yes! I’m arriving in the afternoon from Bilbao, so I’ll have at least half day to explore :) very excited about Oviedo and Lugo :)
 
This may well be a gross generalisation but my observations would suggest that cautious pilgrims tend to be able to accomplish more than they anticipate - it’s the young macho guys and older ex-military dudes who seem to expect to be able to push themselves really hard and come to grief.

If you share your proposed stages you’ll have lots of enthusiasts chiming in on how you could chop and change.
 
Jenny! Yes! I’m arriving in the afternoon from Bilbao, so I’ll have at least half day to explore :) very excited about Oviedo and Lugo :)
PS. One other ‘tip’ if I may. If you end up walking out of Oviedo (rather than bus to Grado), I’d recommend checking out the first few turns from the cathedral before you leave, i.e. finding the brass shells in the pavement and/ or arrows that lead you out of the centre of Oviedo. Might sound strange but leaving towns or cities can sometimes be challenging. Oviedo no exception … maybe that’s just me, but I don’t think so 😉
 
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This may well be a gross generalisation but my observations would suggest that cautious pilgrims tend to be able to accomplish more than they anticipate - it’s the young macho guys and older ex-military dudes who seem to expect to be able to push themselves really hard and come to grief.

If you share your proposed stages you’ll have lots of enthusiasts chiming in on how you could chop and change.
I agree with @Kiwi-family, about accomplishing more than you expect. It’s good to seek input, as you’re doing, and you may get many and varied opinions about how to chop and change your stages. It’s also good to find your own Way as no doubt you will.

I envy you setting out on your first Camino. On my first Camino ten years ago I walked solo from SJPP to Finisterre. I wasn’t a member of this forum, I’d never met anyone who’d walked a Camino, I didn’t speak a word of Spanish and I had almost no idea what lay ahead. Looking back, I’m grateful that was the case as the discovery of the unexpected was an enormous part of the exhiliration and enjoyment of that first Camino. I made myself one promise - to follow my intuition in all things including deciding when and where to stop as I went along. It served me well. That said, availability of accommodation factors in to that.

By all means take advantage of the input from ‘us’ - as you are doing - then follow your heart and intuition. And walk the Camino your way. One day at a time, one step at a time. 🙏
 
I think the stage to grado was the least appealing (provided you want a compostela, otherwise I’d skip Arzua to SdC). It will also likely be the easiest to skip with public transportation. That said, two or three days I walked 1 1/2 stages, walked a double from Fonsagrada to Lugo, and essentially from San Ramon to SdC in two days (stopped at Monte de Gozo because I wanted to arrive in the morning rather than the afternoon). So you can shave a day by walking longer but I don’t think the walk from Oviedo to Grado is worth the extra stress—and you don’t want to cut it so close you can’t finish. So I’d say skip up to Grado, and if your body/weather allows try to save an additional day by walking slightly longer stages each day so you have a cushion once at SdC
 
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