Help from Taxis?

[AdventuresFool]

I am planning on hiking the primitivo in April with my husband and we have a little less than 2 weeks to complete the hike. Is it acceptable or advisable to take a taxi for short distances to ensure we complete the trek in time? I was thinking about taking a taxi out of Oviedo and Lugo thinking they would probably be more industrial areas to ensure we had an extra day. Would that make it difficult to get stamps in our book? Is it worth making time to go to Maxia or Finisterre at the end? My husband is terrified of airplanes, so we are planning on taking a train to Oviedo and either a train or bus from Santiago to Madrid at the end. Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[hecate105]

As long as you complete the minimum walking distance altogether you get your Compostela or cert. Plenty of people sometimes use a bus, taxi or whatever - to skip industrial/dangerous roads or because they are ill etc. If you have time - do go to Finisterra - it is wonderful. But if you haven't got time - just return again!
As I had fibromyalgia when I cycled I got the train thru some mountainous bits on my way home. I had adopted a purists view on my way to Santiago (on the Portugues) and nearly died on Portela Grande! Never again...

 

[peregrina2000]

Lugo is the official starting point for the Compostela, I believe, so I wouldn't take a taxi out of Lugo. The way into Lugo is not stunning, but hey, it's part of the Camino. If you need the time you could take a taxi from Castroverde.
The way out of Oviedo is not at all industrial, it's quite nice, so I wouldn't take a taxi from there in order to miss an "ugly part."

 

[Bradypus]

I walked the Primitivo from Oviedo to Santiago in 10 days last year. It is possible but you would either have to walk some very long days (averaging about 33km) or skip quite large sections. Most people allow 4 days from Santiago to Finisterre. Unless you are very ambitious walkers you are unlikely to be able to walk from Oviedo to Finisterre in two weeks.

Taxis are available along the way. That choice is up to you. You ask about stamps so I assume you plan to ask for a Compostela certificate. Lugo is almost exactly 100km from Santiago by the Primitivo route. If you take a taxi for any great distance beyond the town you would not qualify for the Compostela. For that you must walk the final 100km.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I would prefer to walk the whole Primitivo than to skip bits and then add days to head to Fisterra. I took one taxi, at the first point where the road crosses the Hospitales route. I was lucky to be able to walk that route because the day was beautiful (and that does shorten the Primitivo by one day in comparison to walking the lower route) but I would have really pushed my limits had I walked up the Puerto de Palo. Even the super fit thought that day was a difficult one and they came in waltzing late in the day. Just arrange a taxi the night before at the bar, asking for a pick up at a particular time. Even if you have to wait a bit, having lunch up in the clouds is not a bad thing. There is also a taxi phone number on a post up there, but I had no coverage with my Vodaphone, borrowed an Orange cell to make the call.

As for ugly industrial areas there really are none. Even the walk into Lugo is not bad at all. Can't recall passing one factory.

 

[AdventuresFool]

Thank you all so much for your input! It is so exciting to be planning this trip. I know we won't have time to hike to Finisterra but was hoping to take a bus or taxi from Santiago just to see it. We will be hiking out of Oviedo Monday April 18 and need to be back in Madrid to make our 9pm flight Friday April 29, giving us 11 or 12 days depending on our transportation from Santiago to Madrid. My husband does not want to fly from Santiago to Madrid.

 

[Anna Machial]

Oviedo is a beautiful city so you could spend part of the day there and then bus to a starting point that will save you 2 days. It depends on your walking speed of course. All of the Primitivo is beautiful and I regret having missed the parts I did, but we needed to cut 2 days because of flight changes. We walked for a day out of Oviedo to get some exercise and then bused to Tineo. Because of knee problems we then also caught a 20 minute cab ride into Lugo.