Camino Salvador and Primitivo Detour

[Saorsa85]

Hi everyone, I will be setting off on the Camino Frances on the 9th of September and have just now discovered the Camino Salvador and Primitivo! I have 40 days to get to Santiago for my flight home so I was wondering if anyone has left the Frances at Leon (or elsewhere) and taken this detour? Any advice about this alternative route would also be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Sean.

 

[KathrynW]

Hi everyone, I will be setting off on the Camino Frances on the 9th of September and have just now discovered the Camino Salvador and Primitivo! I have 40 days to get to Santiago for my flight home so I was wondering if anyone has left the Frances at Leon (or elsewhere) and taken this detour? Any advice about this alternative route would also be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Sean.

The San Salvador takes 4, 5 or 6 days. ( we took 5) It is beautiful and much quieter than the Frances. Some paths are a little overgrown but it is all clearly marked. Some relatively hard climbs are rewarded with good views. Some road walking on tbe first day and part of the second. My daughter walked the Camino last year and did the San Salvador and Primitivo last year and would also recommend it.

 

[petro]

I walked the Primitivo in May this year and loved it. It is a tough walk but I would do it again in a heartbeat

 

[Kiwi-family]

Our favourite routes. Say no more.

 

[handzondeck2]

I walked the Primitivo in May this year and loved it. It is a tough walk but I would do it again in a heartbeat

What was the weather like in May?

 

[Simon Shum]

I walked the San Salvador and Primitivo in May 2014, I had a day or two with very light drizzles which made San Salvador more beautiful in the mist! Path in San Salvador are well marked but should be aware of direction change by cattles -- at one point the iron arrow that was planted on the muddy ground was loose and pointed straight instead of uphill, I went straight but turned around 5 minutes later and went uphill after I repositioned the arrow that obviously was knocked loose by passing cattles after the rain!
My photo was taken on the road with busy traffic (for 30 minutes so so, but I forgot the location) after the sign said the path was dangerous. But later on I found out it was more a precaution and the path was doable with proper care. You could also visit Ender (the gentleman that continually improves the markings) in his shop!
It is very very beautiful and well worth the detour!
You will enjoy it!
p.s. you do need to look for the San Salvador arrow right before the parador in Leon, and if you walked past the parador like I did, then you need to come back and look for the beautiful sign and arrow!
Buen Camino
Simon

 

[Anemone del Camino]

To figure out the number of days, the Eroski website is a good source.

Now, I would not consider this a"detour". These are Caminos of their own, the Salvador with its own crendecial and Salvadorena. Bit more importantly with their own history, amd a complete break from the Frances. In my mind a detour is a short change in route to end up where you would have otherwise. In this case you are talking about 2,5 to 3 weeks off the Frances.

The Salvador will be lonely, during the day and many evenings. The Primitivo will have you walking alone during the day but congregating in the evening in filled albergues.

 

[petro]

What was the weather like in May?

It was cold and overcast most days but we only had one day of rain

 

[handzondeck2]

Great thanks heaps. It's a toss up between these two caminos and the Norte at the moment.

 

[Saorsa85]

Thanks everyone these replies have been really useful and encouraging! I have downloaded the Liz Brandt guide for the Primitivo, would anyone recommend a particular resource for the San Salvador? Will the albergues on both routes still be open in October?

Buen camino!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thanks everyone these replies have been really useful and encouraging! I have downloaded the Liz Brandt guide for the Primitivo, would anyone recommend a particular resource for the San Salvador? Will the albergues on both routes still be open in October?

Buen camino!

.

Again, visit the Eroski site.

 

[MTtoCamino]

To figure out the number of days, the Eroski website is a good source.

Now, I would not consider this a"detour". These are Caminos of their own, the Salvador with its own crendecial and Salvadorena. Bit more importantly with their own history, amd a complete break from the Frances. In my mind a detour is a short change in route to end up where you would have otherwise. In this case you are talking about 2,5 to 3 weeks off the Frances.

The Salvador will be lonely, during the day and many evenings. The Primitivo will have you walking alone during the day but congregating in the evening in filled albergues.

I am wanting to do the Madrid to Leon then get on the Salvador to Primitivo. Yet I am concerned all of them in 1 go may be too lonely I like people at the end of a day. I suppose after the Madrid I would have the choice of getting back on the Francis.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks everyone these replies have been really useful and encouraging! I have downloaded the Liz Brandt guide for the Primitivo, would anyone recommend a particular resource for the San Salvador? Will the albergues on both routes still be open in October?

Buen camino!

I think that the best guide for the Salvador is Ender's.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/categories/camino-del-salvador.89/

The first time I walked the Sakvador was in early October, and everything was open. Buen camino! Btw, Saorsa, there are separate sections of the forum for each of these Caminos. As anemone says, they are not detours, they are Caminos in their own right!

 

[VNwalking]

I think that the best guide for the Salvador is Ender's.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/categories/camino-del-salvador.89/

Thank you Laurie..bookmarked!
Learning before maybe leaping...