Camino Primitivo/Verde May 2022 - deep into the planning, can't wait!

[BobY333]

My wife and I walked the CF in Sept-Oct 2018. We had momentum, so continued on to Muxia and Finisterre (I never know how to spell Finisterre...!). We absolutely loved it.

COVID got in the way of the next one (obviously), but we finally got back in Sept-Oct 2021 to walk the Camino Portuguese from Porto. Again, loved it!

And yes, our non-Camino friends are even more annoyed with all of our stories now...

I've been bitten by the notorious Camino bug more than Suzanne has. Soooo - I'm heading to Oviedo to start walking the Camino Primitivo on my own on May 12, 2022. Wow, this will be a very different experience in many, many respects I'm sure. I'm both looking forward to it and anxious about it. But, life's an adventure - let's see what kind of Camino magic happens this time!

I'm going to see how things go as far as my stages and route are concerned. With it just being me I have more flexibility, so if I feel good and want to walk further on a given day, great! I don't want to rush it, but I'm hoping to be in Santiago after 12 days of walking, including taking the Camino Verde variant that seems so intriguing. That would give me three more days to continue to Finisterre before flying back to the States.

And...I'll say it because putting it out there leads to a stronger commitment - I'm planning to speak only Spanish throughout the journey. I was a double major in college with Spanish being one, so I'd love to immerse myself in it again.

Finally, this forum has been such a great resource for each adventure. Thank you to all that comment and respond to my messages. You're truly a gift!

Buen Camino to all!
Bob

 

[thomryng]

We're starting in Oviedo on May 9. Since we're going to be walking a little slower than you - we're planning 14 days to Santiago! - perhaps we shall meet along the way. Buen Camino!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I'm going to follow you folks as Patricia Moak and I are talking about doing the Primitivo in the Autumn.

 

[OzAnnie]

Wow, this will be a very different experience in many, many respects I'm sure. I'm both looking forward to it and anxious about it. But, life's an adventure - let's see what kind of Camino magic happens this time!

I’m so envious Bob.
It’s a beautiful route - it will live up to any expectations (if any) that you may have.
I’ve found that the magic happens on any camino route. - Buen camino

 

[Former member 99942]

My wife and I walked the CF in Sept-Oct 2018. We had momentum, so continued on to Muxia and Finisterre (I never know how to spell Finisterre...!). We absolutely loved it.

COVID got in the way of the next one (obviously), but we finally got back in Sept-Oct 2021 to walk the Camino Portuguese from Porto. Again, loved it!

And yes, our non-Camino friends are even more annoyed with all of our stories now...

I've been bitten by the notorious Camino bug more than Suzanne has. Soooo - I'm heading to Oviedo to start walking the Camino Primitivo on my own on May 12, 2022. Wow, this will be a very different experience in many, many respects I'm sure. I'm both looking forward to it and anxious about it. But, life's an adventure - let's see what kind of Camino magic happens this time!

I'm going to see how things go as far as my stages and route are concerned. With it just being me I have more flexibility, so if I feel good and want to walk further on a given day, great! I don't want to rush it, but I'm hoping to be in Santiago after 12 days of walking, including taking the Camino Verde variant that seems so intriguing. That would give me three more days to continue to Finisterre before flying back to the States.

And...I'll say it because putting it out there leads to a stronger commitment - I'm planning to speak only Spanish throughout the journey. I was a double major in college with Spanish being one, so I'd love to immerse myself in it again.

Finally, this forum has been such a great resource for each adventure. Thank you to all that comment and respond to my messages. You're truly a gift!

Buen Camino to all!
Bob

Bob, I am thinking about doing the Primitivo the same time but in 2023. Can you give a post trip report in this thread sometime after you return? just wondering about conditions, bed availability, food etc.. Thank you and good luck

 

[BobY333]

Bob, I am thinking about doing the Primitivo the same time but in 2023. Can you give a post trip report in this thread sometime after you return? just wondering about conditions, bed availability, food etc.. Thank you and good luck

I’d be happy to! I imagine things will look a lot different in 2023 than 2022, but I’ll give you my perspective. As an FYI, on the Camino Portuguese we had no issues whatsoever. The only bed issue occurred when there was a major triathlon in one of the cities, but even then it was “just” a matter of cost (we stayed in a hotel) as opposed to not having a place to stay.

Happy planning!
Bob

 

[El Cascayal]

“And yes, our non-Camino friends are even more annoyed with all of our stories now... ”

The Primitivo and especially Por Hospitales is a little bit of heaven on earth . Buen Camino !

 

[mazzarina]

Wishing you all the best in your planning and walking, Bob. It's a wonderful route. I did it solo a few years ago, though I ended up walking with two friends I met along the way (one of them 5 minutes in!). It was a wonderful camino.
My one piece of guidance (not that you asked for any!) is that it gets much easier after A Fonsagrada -- by which time you've probably found your Camino legs...
I love the sound of the Camino Verde variant, and would like to try it myself some time.

 

[IngridF]

Buen Camino. How much of the Camino Verde have you figured out. Would love to hear more about this. Ty

 

[barnettstakeagiantstep]

Buen Camino Bob! We were just there in October 2021. Take plenty of water and a snack on the Hospitales route. And you’ll be very happy in the hands of David at Bodenaya, and can’t say enough good things about La Mesa/Albergue Miguelin in Tino. We’re with you in spirit. Cheers!

 

[JerryStroebele]

Agree with the advice of barnettstakeagiantstep. Have a map guide to the Verde variant from Lugo. I followed two Swiss peregrinos or might have gotten "lost in the woods." Buen Camino

 

[BobY333]

Thanks for the well-wishes and guidance! Bodenaya and La Mesa are each on my planned itinerary. We stayed in Casa Fernanda and it sounds like these have a similar vibe. @peregrina2000 has been extremely helpful with helping me plan the Camino Verde (thank you again!) including wikiloc links for the stages. I'll have to learn how to use wikiloc, but it sounds like a great help.

 

[Burro]

My wife and I walked the CF in Sept-Oct 2018. We had momentum, so continued on to Muxia and Finisterre (I never know how to spell Finisterre...!). We absolutely loved it.

COVID got in the way of the next one (obviously), but we finally got back in Sept-Oct 2021 to walk the Camino Portuguese from Porto. Again, loved it!

And yes, our non-Camino friends are even more annoyed with all of our stories now...

I've been bitten by the notorious Camino bug more than Suzanne has. Soooo - I'm heading to Oviedo to start walking the Camino Primitivo on my own on May 12, 2022. Wow, this will be a very different experience in many, many respects I'm sure. I'm both looking forward to it and anxious about it. But, life's an adventure - let's see what kind of Camino magic happens this time!

I'm going to see how things go as far as my stages and route are concerned. With it just being me I have more flexibility, so if I feel good and want to walk further on a given day, great! I don't want to rush it, but I'm hoping to be in Santiago after 12 days of walking, including taking the Camino Verde variant that seems so intriguing. That would give me three more days to continue to Finisterre before flying back to the States.

And...I'll say it because putting it out there leads to a stronger commitment - I'm planning to speak only Spanish throughout the journey. I was a double major in college with Spanish being one, so I'd love to immerse myself in it again.

Finally, this forum has been such a great resource for each adventure. Thank you to all that comment and respond to my messages. You're truly a gift!

Buen Camino to all!
Bob

 

[peregrina2000]

Buen Camino. How much of the Camino Verde have you figured out. Would love to hear more about this. Ty

From Lugo, the first night on the Camiño Verde is going to be Friol. There is a pensión there and places to eat. But there are actually three different ways to get to Friol.

The “Camiño Verde” folks offer two different routes to Friol, both of which are available in GPS form on wikiloc. These trails were done by xmsgrande, who is the “father/creator/waymarker” of this route.

One goes through a place called Cotá and is about 24 km.

lugo-cotá-friol (del camino primitivo al camino norte de santiago, 1/2)​

lugo-cotá-friol (del camino primitivo al camino norte de santiago, 1/2) Hiking trail in Puente, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Actualización (21 agosto 2021). Esta ruta está mejorada en el track "lugo-a retorta-friol"...

www.wikiloc.com


The other is a bit longer because it goes down a bit to visit a place called Santa Eulalia da Bóveda. Underneath a fairly nondescript village church is a painted chamber from Roman times. No one is sure what this room was used for, maybe some kind of ritual, maybe just as a spa-like place. But the 4th century paintings are amazing — all sorts of animals and flowers, plants, etc.

lugo-bóveda-friol (del camino primitivo al camino norte de santiago 1/2)​

lugo-bóveda-friol (del camino primitivo al camino norte de santiago 1/2) Hiking trail in Puente, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Aviso (24 agosto 2013). Por obras de rehabilitación de un molino en el entorno del río Mera hay un tramo cortado en el...

www.wikiloc.com

The third is actually a combination of the “official” Primitivo route and the Camiño Verde through Santa Eulalia. It was the route I took, not because I wanted to, but because that’s just what happened.

I left Lugo looking for the turnoff for the second path above, but I couldn’t find it. I remembered that on an earlier Primitivo, I had also gone to see Santa Eulalia, but I had taken a short detour off the official route to get there. So, that’s what I did, I stayed on the official camino out of Lugo (almost all on the road, but a very quiet road) till the very obvious turnoff for Santa Eulalia. When I got there, I was able to visit again, and then was able to find the way to get to Friol following the second of the two wikiloc tracks I’ve pasted in above.

Everything went well, till I got to a place where the tracks took me off route into the fields. It was not very well marked and had obviously not been walked on much. Coming towards me was a shepherd, his sheep, and his dog. The man told me that the trail was not in good condition and that I should just stay on the road. That added a few more kms to my day, and kept me on the road for almost all of them.

Lugo - Santa Eulalia -Friol​

Lugo - Santa Eulalia -Friol Hiking trail in Lugo, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. I took the official camino Primitivo to the turn off for Santa Eulalia. After visiting that spectacular site, I loaded the tracks for the Camino Verde to friol...

www.wikiloc.com

If you look at the tracks I recorded (the link above), you can see a short out and back from the road, at about km 20.5. That is where I met the shephard and stopped following the tracks. Then I just took the road into town. (It’s near a place called Monte Pedroso on the map).

The day from Friol to Sobrado is very straightforward, and nice. I don’t think I needed to look at the GPS at all. A lot is off road, at least until it merges with the Norte about 6 (?) kms before Sobrado and then it is on the side of the road all the way.

friol-albeiro-sobrado​

friol-albeiro-sobrado Hiking trail in Friol, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Tramo desde Friol de la ruta alternativa que une el camino primitivo de Santiago, desde Lugo, con el camino norte, en Sobrado dos Monxes. Este tramo se ha mejorado con la...

www.wikiloc.com

Rather than stay in Sobrado, I decided to go on about 6 more kms. After a snack, a long drink, and a short visit to the monastery, I continued to Abeiro da Loba, which is a pretty amazing eco-albergue in a tiny hamlet. I had a private room there and it was really pretty.

Inicio - Alojamiento rural con encanto en el Camino del Norte a Santiago (Sobrado dos Monxes)​

¿Buscas un alojamiento rural dónde desconectar en Galicia? ¿O te gustan las experiencias con la naturaleza en pareja o familia? ¡Te estamos esperando!
abeirodaloba.com

 

[BlueBowers]

Considering doing El Salvador/Primitivo in May as well.

 

[OzAnnie]

I'm going to see how things go as far as my stages and route are concerned. With it just being me I have more flexibility, so if I feel good and want to walk further on a given day, great! I don't want to rush it, but I'm hoping to be in Santiago after 12 days of walking, including taking the Camino Verde variant that seems so intriguing. That would give me three more days to continue to Finisterre before flying back to the States.

Hi Bob. You look like you’ve got your dates set already and fixed to get to Oviedo to start your walk from there. - but for others still thinking about where to start /
…. adding the Salvador (roughly 5 days) to this route makes this a beautiful mountainous combo. Easy to get to León by train or bus from Madrid.

Considering doing El Salvador/Primitivo in May as well.

I started Salvador on April 25, 2015. I think May would be slightly better as there can be snow drifts here and there even late April depending on the preceding winter. But so Beautiful beautiful beautiful.

Try to catch YouTube of efren Gonzales on this camino combo. He gets perspective from his drone as well. Wow


Buen camino
Annie.

 

[BobY333]

Hi Bob. You look like you’ve got your dates set already and fixed to get to Oviedo to start your walk from there. - but for others still thinking about where to start /
…. adding the Salvador (roughly 5 days) to this route makes this a beautiful mountainous combo. Easy to get to León by train or bus from Madrid.




I started Salvador on April 25, 2015. I think May would be slightly better as there can be snow drifts here and there even late April depending on the preceding winter. But so Beautiful beautiful beautiful.

Try to catch YouTube of efren Gonzales on this camino combo. He gets perspective from his drone as well. Wow


Buen camino
Annie.

Thanks Annie - My dates are fixed, but this is an interesting consideration for next time!

When we walked the CF, León was our one rest day and we really enjoyed it (San Froilan festival was on). We also liked taking a quick break from Camino food and ate Asian fusion at Kamado .

Assuming I love the Primitivo, I plan to walk it again with Suzanne. Adding this would spice it up a bit for me!

Bob

 

[BrianLCrabtree]

Agree with the advice of barnettstakeagiantstep. Have a map guide to the Verde variant from Lugo. I followed two Swiss peregrinos or might have gotten "lost in the woods." Buen Camino

How much time does the Verde variant add to get to Santiago?

 

[trecile]

(I never know how to spell Finisterre...!).

Two names for the same place - In Spanish it's Finisterre. In Gallego (Galician) it's Fisterra.

 

[IngridF]

From Lugo, the first night on the Camiño Verde is going to be Friol. There is a pensión there and places to eat. But there are actually three different ways to get to Friol.

The “Camiño Verde” folks offer two different routes to Friol, both of which are available in GPS form on wikiloc. These trails were done by xmsgrande, who is the “father/creator/waymarker” of this route.

One goes through a place called Cotá and is about 24 km.

lugo-cotá-friol (del camino primitivo al camino norte de santiago, 1/2)​

lugo-cotá-friol (del camino primitivo al camino norte de santiago, 1/2) Hiking trail in Puente, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Actualización (21 agosto 2021). Esta ruta está mejorada en el track "lugo-a retorta-friol"...

www.wikiloc.com


The other is a bit longer because it goes down a bit to visit a place called Santa Eulalia da Bóveda. Underneath a fairly nondescript village church is a painted chamber from Roman times. No one is sure what this room was used for, maybe some kind of ritual, maybe just as a spa-like place. But the 4th century paintings are amazing — all sorts of animals and flowers, plants, etc.

lugo-bóveda-friol (del camino primitivo al camino norte de santiago 1/2)​

lugo-bóveda-friol (del camino primitivo al camino norte de santiago 1/2) Hiking trail in Puente, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Aviso (24 agosto 2013). Por obras de rehabilitación de un molino en el entorno del río Mera hay un tramo cortado en el...

www.wikiloc.com

The third is actually a combination of the “official” Primitivo route and the Camiño Verde through Santa Eulalia. It was the route I took, not because I wanted to, but because that’s just what happened.

I left Lugo looking for the turnoff for the second path above, but I couldn’t find it. I remembered that on an earlier Primitivo, I had also gone to see Santa Eulalia, but I had taken a short detour off the official route to get there. So, that’s what I did, I stayed on the official camino out of Lugo (almost all on the road, but a very quiet road) till the very obvious turnoff for Santa Eulalia. When I got there, I was able to visit again, and then was able to find the way to get to Friol following the second of the two wikiloc tracks I’ve pasted in above.

Everything went well, till I got to a place where the tracks took me off route into the fields. It was not very well marked and had obviously not been walked on much. Coming towards me was a shepherd, his sheep, and his dog. The man told me that the trail was not in good condition and that I should just stay on the road. That added a few more kms to my day, and kept me on the road for almost all of them.

Lugo - Santa Eulalia -Friol​

Lugo - Santa Eulalia -Friol Hiking trail in Lugo, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. I took the official camino Primitivo to the turn off for Santa Eulalia. After visiting that spectacular site, I loaded the tracks for the Camino Verde to friol...

www.wikiloc.com

If you look at the tracks I recorded (the link above), you can see a short out and back from the road, at about km 20.5. That is where I met the shephard and stopped following the tracks. Then I just took the road into town. (It’s near a place called Monte Pedroso on the map).

The day from Friol to Sobrado is very straightforward, and nice. I don’t think I needed to look at the GPS at all. A lot is off road, at least until it merges with the Norte about 6 (?) kms before Sobrado and then it is on the side of the road all the way.

friol-albeiro-sobrado​

friol-albeiro-sobrado Hiking trail in Friol, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Tramo desde Friol de la ruta alternativa que une el camino primitivo de Santiago, desde Lugo, con el camino norte, en Sobrado dos Monxes. Este tramo se ha mejorado con la...

www.wikiloc.com

Rather than stay in Sobrado, I decided to go on about 6 more kms. After a snack, a long drink, and a short visit to the monastery, I continued to Abeiro da Loba, which is a pretty amazing eco-albergue in a tiny hamlet. I had a private room there and it was really pretty.

Inicio - Alojamiento rural con encanto en el Camino del Norte a Santiago (Sobrado dos Monxes)​

¿Buscas un alojamiento rural dónde desconectar en Galicia? ¿O te gustan las experiencias con la naturaleza en pareja o familia? ¡Te estamos esperando!
abeirodaloba.com

Tx, I am familiar with some of the towns, part of the Norte in Galicia. Question: does it ever connect with the Frances?

 

[JerryStroebele]

I don't think it adds any extra time. Depends on how far you want to walk each day. My Swiss friends planned the last day to arrive in Arzua and join the Frances to be an easy 22 km day. But I got too far behind (they are in their 30s, me 70s) and did not see the path they took. I took the del Norte route (which I recognized from an earlier Camino) but realized my mistake and backtracked to rejoin them. Made for a 32 km day. The pizza in Arzua just tasted that much better. Buen Camino

 

[BobY333]

Thanks Annie - My dates are fixed, but this is an interesting consideration for next time!

When we walked the CF, León was our one rest day and we really enjoyed it (San Froilan festival was on). We also liked taking a quick break from Camino food and ate Asian fusion at Kamado .

Assuming I love the Primitivo, I plan to walk it again with Suzanne. Adding this would spice it up a bit for me!

Bob

Well, plans changed a touch, and I'm now able to get to Spain two days earlier than I planned. I'll now have 17 days of potential walking. So...I think I'm going to do as you suggest and walk the San Salvador/Primitivo combo! My flights are still Boston>Madrid>Asturias/Oviedo. I'll need to get a bus from Oviedo to Leon which seems to be a better option than skipping the Oviedo flight and getting a bus from Madrid. Back to planning!

 

[GuyA]

Well, plans changed a touch, and I'm now able to get to Spain two days earlier than I planned. I'll now have 17 days of potential walking. So...I think I'm going to do as you suggest and walk the San Salvador/Primitivo combo! My flights are still Boston>Madrid>Asturias/Oviedo. I'll need to get a bus from Oviedo to Leon which seems to be a better option than skipping the Oviedo flight and getting a bus from Madrid. Back to planning!

Will be most interested to hear about your San Salvador/Primitivo walk…planning for this fall.