First time walking the Camino primitivo

[Michael Caleigh]

Hi all

First I would like to say that this forum is awesome.
I am planning my camino primitivofor September ´16

The stages I planned are taken from the Eroski website.

Does anyone know if they are the best way to walk and if they are still up to date in regards to the albergues?

I plan the following:

Day 1: Oviedo – San Juan de Villapañada 30.5 Km
Day 2: San Juan de Villapañada – Salas 20.2 Km
Day 3: Salas – Tineo 20,2 Km
Day 4: Tineo – Pola de Allande 28.2 Km
Day 5: Pola de Allande – La Mesa 22.8 Km
Day 6: La Mesa – Grandas de Salime 16.8 Km
Day 7: Grandas de Salime – Fonsagrada 28.1 Km
Day 8: A Fonsagrada (Padrón) – O Cádavo Baleira 23.4 Km
Day 9: Cádavo Baleira – Lugo 30.5 Km
Day 10: Lugo – San Romao da Retorta 19.7 Km
Day 11: San Romao da Retorta – Melide 27,7 Km
Day 12: Melide – O Pedrouzo 33,3 Km
Day 13: O Pedrouzo – Santiago de Compostela 20 Km

Thanks all.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I walked it last May and the info on Eroski was correct. I had shorter days.

Differences between what I walked and what you have:

1. Day one was Oviedo to Esclampero, via the Naranco sites. The albergue is fine, certainly not as horrible as is said on the website.

2. Day to to San Juan.

3. Instead of Tineo to Pola I stopped in Borres to walk the Hospitales route the next day to Berducedo. Albergue in Borres is also ok, basic but ok.

4. Berducedo to the hotel in Grandas de Salime, then a night in Castro.

5. Castro to Fonsagrada.

6. From Fonsagrada I went to O Cadavo. (9km only) and the next day off to Lugo.

7. From San Roman I went to As Seixas, and then Ribadiso.

Hope this helps.

 

[TerryB]

Hi all

First I would like to say that this forum is awesome.
I am planning my camino primitivo for September ´16

The stages I planned are taken from the Eroski website.

The only thing that I would draw to your attention is - there is no food available in La Mesa! There is a basic kitchen but the albergue is unattended for much of the day and there could be little in the way of equipment (There will probably be an update on here on the Forum during the summer). You will need to pack in the necessary from the store in Berducedo, or better still, plan to eat in Berducedo and take the necessary for your breakfast.
I walked from Berducedo through to Grandas without any problem, arriving in time for a quick look round the museum before lunch! It may be best to be flexible on that etapa. They are not set in stone, and a stop-over at Berducedo where there is chance of a meal and breakfast may suit you better.

Blessings on your planning!
Tio Tel

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Michael,
There are lots of us who love the Primitivo on this forum, so you can be sure to get a lot of different perspectives. I think that one thing every prospective Primitivo pilgrim should read up on is the choice that is to be made after Borres. There is the "Hospitales" route (a little more remote, but less elevation gain, and it takes you along a ridge for several kms of wide open views) and the route through Pola de Allande (takes you up to the same mountain pass as the Hospitales route, but you don't have those kms of ridge walking). Because of the spacing of albergues, if you leave that decision to last minute spontaneity, you will find you may have to walk a very short day or a very long day to walk the Hospitales route. Here is a link to a discussion that gives you a lot of different perspectives on that choice:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/hospitales-or-pola-de-allande.28334/

Enjoy the Primitivo, Buen camino, Laurie

 

[purplesage]

Hi, Michael,
There are lots of us who love the Primitivo on this forum, so you can be sure to get a lot of different perspectives. I think that one thing every prospective Primitivo pilgrim should read up on is the choice that is to be made after Borres. There is the "Hospitales" route (a little more remote, but less elevation gain, and it takes you along a ridge for several kms of wide open views) and the route through Pola de Allande (takes you up to the same mountain pass as the Hospitales route, but you don't have those kms of ridge walking). Because of the spacing of albergues, if you leave that decision to last minute spontaneity, you will find you may have to walk a very short day or a very long day to walk the Hospitales route. Here is a link to a discussion that gives you a lot of different perspectives on that choice:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/hospitales-or-pola-de-allande.28334/

Enjoy the Primitivo, Buen camino, Laurie

@laurie... rest assured... when its time to walk the Primitivo... I'll be picking your brains . Thanks in advance. Caesar

 

[purplesage]

I walked it last May and the info on Eroski was correct. I had shorter days.

Differences between what I walked and what you have:

1. Day one was Oviedo to Esclampero, via the Naranco sites. The albergue is fine, certainly not as horrible as is said on the website.

2. Day to to San Juan.

3. Instead of Tineo to Pola I stopped in Borres to walk the Hospitales route the next day to Berducedo. Albergue in Borres is also ok, basic but ok.

4. Berducedo to the hotel in Grandas de Salime, then a night in Castro.

5. Castro to Fonsagrada.

6. From Fonsagrada I went to O Cadavo. (9km only) and the next day off to Lugo.

7. From San Roman I went to As Seixas, and then Ribadiso.

Hope this helps.

@Anemone del Camino ... how many days is this route?? 7 days?

 

[Tia Valeria]

Can I suggest that you also check out the Gronze site as it is IMO more accurate re distances than the Eroski. Lots of extra info there as well re albergues/accommodation etc
Buen Camino

 

[micamino73]

Hi all

First I would like to say that this forum is awesome.
I am planning my camino primitivofor September ´16

The stages I planned are taken from the Eroski website.

Does anyone know if they are the best way to walk and if they are still up to date in regards to the albergues?

I plan the following:

Day 1: Oviedo – San Juan de Villapañada 30.5 Km
Day 2: San Juan de Villapañada – Salas 20.2 Km
Day 3: Salas – Tineo 20,2 Km
Day 4: Tineo – Pola de Allande 28.2 Km
Day 5: Pola de Allande – La Mesa 22.8 Km
Day 6: La Mesa – Grandas de Salime 16.8 Km
Day 7: Grandas de Salime – Fonsagrada 28.1 Km
Day 8: A Fonsagrada (Padrón) – O Cádavo Baleira 23.4 Km
Day 9: Cádavo Baleira – Lugo 30.5 Km
Day 10: Lugo – San Romao da Retorta 19.7 Km
Day 11: San Romao da Retorta – Melide 27,7 Km
Day 12: Melide – O Pedrouzo 33,3 Km
Day 13: O Pedrouzo – Santiago de Compostela 20 Km

Thanks all.

Just wondering, Is the distance that much from Oviedo to San Juan?
Day 1: Oviedo – San Juan de Villapañada 30.5 Km

 

[peregrina2000]

Just wondering, Is the distance that much from Oviedo to San Juan?
Day 1: Oviedo – San Juan de Villapañada 30.5 Km

According to gronze, it's 27 km http://www.gronze.com/guia-del-camino-primitivo/etapas/etapa-1-oviedo-san-juan-de-villapanada
But according to lots of gps tracks on wikiloc,it's in the low 30s.
http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/find.do?q=oviedo+san+juan+de+villapanada+

so pick the distance you want it to be and then just know that you will walk till you get there!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

@Anemone del Camino ... how many days is this route?? 7 days?

Goodness no! I only noted what I did differenty than in the op. I walked it in 16 comfortable days.

 

[TerryB]

Just wondering, Is the distance that much from Oviedo to San Juan?
Day 1: Oviedo – San Juan de Villapañada 30.5 Km

By my pedometer it was 31.5 Km. Most of the guides seem to give distances a few kilometers short IMO.

Blessings
Tio Tel

 

[Anemone del Camino]

And by the way, Salas to Tineo is much longer tham the guides say. The hospitaleros at Mater Christi is Tineo laugh about this when they see tired pilgrims arrive and say it's a conspiracy by guide authors to attract pilgrims by letting them think the Primitivo is easier tham kt really is . Also, Domingo, the hospitalero in San Juan os all flat the day after Salas... Not.

 

[purplesage]

Goodness no! I only noted what I did differenty than in the op. I walked it in 16 comfortable days.

Thank you Anemone del Camino.... that sounds so much better. Buen Camino

 

[Michael Caleigh]

Thank you all for the replies and I will check the other website.

 

[Thornley]

here is no food available in La Mesa!

Is there any private accommodation in La Mesa Terry ?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Is there any private accommodation in La Mesa Terry ?

La Mesa only has the albergue and private homes, not even a shop. But if you bring food from Berducedo you may end up enjoying a quiet night with few pilgrims at the bottom of a steep hill to het you statred the next day.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Just wondering, Is the distance that much from Oviedo to San Juan?
Day 1: Oviedo – San Juan de Villapañada 30.5 Km

Yup, that's about right, give or take a few.

 

[Michael Caleigh]

I still haven´t decided what I will do but think I will make up my mind once I am there.
Love a bit of adventure......

 

[TerryB]

Is there any private accommodation in La Mesa Terry ?

No! I do not know why the etapa in most guide books ends at La Mesa. It is only a small municipal albergue (sleeps 16), cared for by the hospitalero from Grandas. Far better to split the stages at Berducedo which has all the advantages of accommodation, food and on the bus route.

N.B. There used to be a small Casa de Aldea there as noted in some old guide books (e.g. CSJ 2006). However it has been closed for a number of years.

Blessings
Tio Tel

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I still haven´t decided what I will do but think I will make up my mind once I am there.
Love a bit of adventure......

Truth is that unless you book in Berducedo you may not have a choice but to walk to La Mesa as Berducedo fills up very quickly.

 

[Michael Caleigh]

Oh I wanted to walk from Pola de Allande to La Mesa......didn´t think about Berducedo.

 

[vanrobin]

Hi, Michael,
There are lots of us who love the Primitivo on this forum, so you can be sure to get a lot of different perspectives. I think that one thing every prospective Primitivo pilgrim should read up on is the choice that is to be made after Borres. There is the "Hospitales" route (a little more remote, but less elevation gain, and it takes you along a ridge for several kms of wide open views) and the route through Pola de Allande (takes you up to the same mountain pass as the Hospitales route, but you don't have those kms of ridge walking). Because of the spacing of albergues, if you leave that decision to last minute spontaneity, you will find you may have to walk a very short day or a very long day to walk the Hospitales route. Here is a link to a discussion that gives you a lot of different perspectives on that choice:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/hospitales-or-pola-de-allande.28334/

Enjoy the Primitivo, Buen camino, Laurie

Earlier this year I was on the Norte and really enjoyed the albergue in Villaviciosa so I thought that for my plan to complete the Primitivo next May before I get too beyond it (I am 75 in March but will have my son with me) I would start from there again and try (via San Salvador de Valdedios) to get through Oviedo to Venta del Escamplero (I have been in Oviedo before so wouldn't stay beyond seeing the cathedral again) at the end of Day 2. This would make the walk to San Juan a little easier on Day 3, and would allow us to get to the albergue everyone raves about at Bodenaya on a tough Day 4. Our plan to take 14 days from Villaviciosa to Santiago seems to be in keeping with the etapas set out in the Cicerone book on the Northern Caminos.
Just beginning planning in earnest now and so will read up on various guides and of course check in with this forum. Thanks in advance for any comments on these initial days. We will plan, I think to do the Hospitales route after Borres.

 

[Thornley]

Oh I wanted to walk from Pola de Allande to La Mesa......didn´t think about Berducedo.

Berducedo where we stayed was full in mid July , by 2 pm , many had to walk to La Mesa.
Next morning we foundd from all that stayed there was the food was very good .
If i returned ..... where to stay ........La Mesa ....was very nice and with the mist.......Primitivo
Easy walk to Grandas the following day.

But Michael , no day is easy .

 

[Thornley]

No! I do not know why the etapa in most guide books ends at La Mesa. It is only a small municipal albergue (sleeps 16), cared for by the hospitalero from Grandas. Far better to split the stages at Berducedo which has all the advantages of accommodation, food and on the bus route.

N.B. There used to be a small Casa de Aldea there as noted in some old guide books (e.g. CSJ 2006). However it has been closed for a number of years.

Blessings
Tio Tel

When entering the village , on the right , there were pilgrims having breakfast in a private home .
Their baggage to be collected was in the entrance and the food smelt wonderful.
Unfortunately the whole kitchen was being used , the lady was cooking and nothing was offered.
It was a very nice home.

 

[TerryB]

When entering the village , on the right , there were pilgrims having breakfast in a private home .
Their baggage to be collected was in the entrance and the food smelt wonderful.
Unfortunately the whole kitchen was being used , the lady was cooking and nothing was offered.
It was a very nice home.

If anyone is walking through La Mesa it would be helpful to others to know if there is bookable accommodation there. As I remember the Casa Aldea was on the right-hand side on entering the village. Used to be called La Casa Rectoral. It sounds by your description as though it was an organized group so maybe the place has opened up again.

Blessings
Tio Tel