SuperPilgrim
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- CF June 5, 2013
CF June 5, 2015
CF June 3, 2017
CN May 27, 2019
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A wonderful, thorough and helpful post, Anemone! I walked the Primitivo from Oviedo to Lugo in spring 2016, as many on the forum had said was the loveliest section. Definately with the limited time the OP has, it seems a no-brainer to end there. I was fortunate to have great weather on the hospitales portion and yet the very next day it became dangerous with dense fog as a walker I'd met had experienced. You have given a great list of good lodging choices. My personal favorite was Hotel Las Grandes, a small hotel above the restaurant in Embalse de Salime. The rooms were reasonably priced, updated and trendy, and their outdoor patio had unbeatable views! My second favorite lodging was in Cornellana at the Albergue de Peregrinos, located in a small newly renovated section of an old monestary. Lots of space between each set of bunks in two huge rooms with a total of only 16 from what I remember.Take a look at the Gronze site, it lists (or should) list all available accomodations along the way.
The Primitivo is not like VDLP, the Norte or even the Frances in terms of « things to see », it is really low key in terms of monuments, letting the mountains take the space with all their glory.
This being said, as you leave Oviedo, the Naranco monuments are a good detour to make. I took the bus up there and started my Camino from there. Then you will have to decide, based on physical ability and weather if you will walk the Hospitales route or go via Pola de Allande. Hospitales is out of a movie set, just gorgeous. But can quickly become dangerous if the weather turns.
Lugo has the wall and its cathedral.
13 days is good for solid walkers. It would mean too many daily km for me. I think I walked it in 18. Would you consider not walking into Santiago, just walking from Oviedo to Lugo? Prettiest section by far.
Hotels. There are some rooms over the bar in Esclampero, an offy one in Grado. Cornellena apparently no longer has any. In Salas there is a beautiful one in the old castle and Tineo also has a beautiful hotel. Grandas has a small hotel over looking the reservoir. There is a beautiful Casa Rural in Castro, bit it was closed when I was there. Small hotels also in O Cadavo and Castroverde. A Fonsagrada will also have something. I’m sure Lugo must have something of quality. Melide you are back in ordinary places, As Seixas has a place but it still didn’t have its permit for rooms when I was there, so it was only dinner. Oh, Berducedo has a few rooms, but not many, and that is a bottleneck, so good luck with that.
Again, take a look at the Gronze site: https://www.gronze.com/camino-primitivo
I hope your Holywoodian actors are B or C listers who may be more used to lumpy beds. Can’t help hinking that in some cases they’d be more comfortable in an albergue. Only nice hotels are Salas and Tineo, and I’m sure Lugo will also have one or two since its Lugo.
Ok Camino Primitivo experts. I have to take some Hollywood actors on the Primitivo in 2018 and we have 11 days to hike plus a few travel days to make it back and forth from Los Angeles. I've done Camino Frances three times and know it in my sleep but I know nothing of Primitivo. So here is what I need to figure out:
1) If I only have 11 days of hiking, what are the best plans for stages knowing they will want to stay in hotels whenever possible and will choose albergues only when hotels are not available.
2) Which hotels are best on the stages in question 1.
3) Which stages will not have hotels from question 1.
4) What are the must see places on Primitivo?
5) What are the best books or resources (besides this site) to learn about Primitivo?
Thanks for this well written reply. We have a lot of time and at this point we are still learning and evaluating options. Adding a few more days might be the first thing to consider.Take a look at the Gronze site, it lists (or should) list all available accomodations along the way.
The Primitivo is not like VDLP, the Norte or even the Frances in terms of « things to see », it is really low key in terms of monuments, letting the mountains take the space with all their glory.
This being said, as you leave Oviedo, the Naranco monuments are a good detour to make. I took the bus up there and started my Camino from there. Then you will have to decide, based on physical ability and weather if you will walk the Hospitales route or go via Pola de Allande. Hospitales is out of a movie set, just gorgeous. But can quickly become dangerous if the weather turns.
Lugo has the wall and its cathedral.
13 days is good for solid walkers. It would mean too many daily km for me. I think I walked it in 18. Would you consider not walking into Santiago, just walking from Oviedo to Lugo? Prettiest section by far.
Hotels. There are some rooms over the bar in Esclampero, an offy one in Grado. Cornellena apparently no longer has any. In Salas there is a beautiful one in the old castle and Tineo also has a beautiful hotel. Grandas has a small hotel over looking the reservoir. There is a beautiful Casa Rural in Castro, bit it was closed when I was there. Small hotels also in O Cadavo and Castroverde. A Fonsagrada will also have something. I’m sure Lugo must have something of quality. Melide you are back in ordinary places, As Seixas has a place but it still didn’t have its permit for rooms when I was there, so it was only dinner. Oh, Berducedo has a few rooms, but not many, and that is a bottleneck, so good luck with that.
Again, take a look at the Gronze site: https://www.gronze.com/camino-primitivo
I hope your Holywoodian actors are B or C listers who may be more used to lumpy beds. Can’t help hinking that in some cases they’d be more comfortable in an albergue. Only nice hotels are Salas and Tineo, and I’m sure Lugo will also have one or two since its Lugo.
thank youRegarding guide books/sources:
Cicerone has a book that is fine. I also used Editorial Buen Camino, bit it’s in Spanish. Or online try forwalk, it allows you to get itineraries based on number of days, level of difficulty, type of places to sleep in, etc.: http://santiago.forwalk.org/en/m/1s/guide/3-the-primitive-way/route-list/#trails
Ok Camino Primitivo experts. I have to take some Hollywood actors on the Primitivo in 2018 and we have 11 days to hike plus a few travel days to make it back and forth from Los Angeles. I've done Camino Frances three times and know it in my sleep but I know nothing of Primitivo. So here is what I need to figure out:
1) If I only have 11 days of hiking, what are the best plans for stages knowing they will want to stay in hotels whenever possible and will choose albergues only when hotels are not available.
2) Which hotels are best on the stages in question 1.
3) Which stages will not have hotels from question 1.
4) What are the must see places on Primitivo?
5) What are the best books or resources (besides this site) to learn about Primitivo?
Thanks so much for your post Laurie. I followed the links to your previous stages and read them in detail. My group is considering adding a few days as they want to take the Hospitales route and also want to do their best to avoid injury from long days. I'll be posting our first draft at stages soon and looking for comments. Your input is pure gold.Hi,SuperPilgrim, I walked my first Camino Primitivo in 2008 in 11 days (I was 58 yo then). https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-stages-on-the-camino-primitivo.4841/
I have been back several times since, and the second time I took 12 days. mainly to allow for the Hospitales option.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/back-from-the-primitivo-june-2012.14728/
With a group of newbies, I think I would add another day or two. I see @Anemone del Camino has referred you to Gronze, and that is an excellent resource. It gives you ideas for how to make it a 13 or 14 day walk. It also provides a list of almost all accommodations for each town you go through. In my experience it is the online source that is regularly the most up to date.
In places like Berducedo, you are going to have slim pickings for non-albergue options, though you could probably reserve almost the entire top floor of the bar, which has basic rooms and shared baths with very hot water.
This is a beautiful walk! Getting crowded, too, so reservations are probably a good idea. What month are you considering? Buen camino, Laurie
Thanks so much for your post Laurie. I followed the links to your previous stages and read them in detail. My group is considering adding a few days as they want to take the Hospitales route and also want to do their best to avoid injury from long days. I'll be posting our first draft at stages soon and looking for comments. Your input is pure gold.
Now you have me confused. Taking the Hospitales route actually shaves off a day vs going via Pola de Allande. But you still are better off planning for Pola since going up Hospitales will be a decision that can only be made on the day. If the weather is good, then you have an extra day to slow down a bit after Berducedo.My group is considering adding a few days as they want to take the Hospitales ...
The place in As Seixas has still no license to host people; still just working as a bar and for meals for the moment....As Seixas has a place but it still didn’t have its permit for rooms when I was there, so it was only dinner...
I guess you wanted to say "in Ferreira" and not "in A Fonsagrada", right?I don't recall any hotels in A Fonsagrada but we stayed in a private albergue: A Nave.
Omg, Juanma. Of course I meant Ferreira.The place in As Seixas has still no license to host people; still just working as a bar and for meals for the moment.
I guess you wanted to say "in Ferreira" and not "in A Fonsagrada", right?
SuperPilgrim: in Ferreira (27km from Lugo) you can have private rooms both in Albergue A Nave and in Casa da Ponte. In the first one you will have both the privacy of private rooms and the atmosphere of an albergue, including a communal dinner.
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