Total distance from Oviedo to Santiago?

[jennysa]

I have seen about 4 different distances 314, 359, 340, etc. Does anyone have the exact mileage? I plan to walk it in June next year. Everyone seems to choose May as the ideal month to walk the Primitivo, so I hope June will not be too hot.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hello,according to my quidebook the distance is 310.9km
But what is a km. more or less.

Wish you well,Peter.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

The detail of the total distance really doesn't matter much, your ability to walk from an albergue to the next in one day is what is key. Some guides suggest etapas for the Primitivo in 13 days, I think I walked it in 17, to habe etapas around 23km. Only on the day through the Hospitales route was I unable to have a shorter distance between albergues, so I walked to the road junction with the Camino after reaching the summit and had a taxi pick me up there.

 

[amancio]

It depends upon how you make Lugo-Santiago

via Mellide
via Friol-Sobrado-Arzúa
via Friol-Sobrado-Santa Irene

And it also depends on whether you go via Hospitales or Pola de Allande, as Anemone mentions above

I guess... I always thought it was 320

 

[jennysa]

Hello,according to my quidebook the distance is 310.9km
But what is a km. more or less.

Wish you well,Peter.

thanks so much Peter

 

[Devon Mike]

There are a couple of options on the Primitivo which determine the total distance. I will be walking the Primitivo from Oviedo to SdC later this year and will not be taking the Hospitales route. I will also opt to walk via Melide. The total distance for me will be 321kms.

 

[jennysa]

There are a couple of options on the Primitivo which determine the total distance. I will be walking the Primitivo from Oviedo to SdC later this year and will not be taking the Hospital route. I will also opt to walk via Melide. The total distance for me will be 321kms.

Thanks for your response. What is the main difference between the 2 routes? Is it level of difficulty or scenery? I an curious to know why you are choosing Melide over Hospitales?

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for your response. What is the main difference between the 2 routes? Is it level of difficulty or scenery? I an curious to know why you are choosing Melide over Hospitales?

Jenny, look at this thread for a lot of different opinions. (And btw, the choices are Pola de Allande vs. Hospitales, and then Melide vs. Sobrado dos Monxes).

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

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thanks for your response. What is the main difference between the 2 routes? Is it level of difficulty or scenery? I an curious to know why you are choosing Melide over Hospitales?

It's not Melide vs Hospitales.Hospitales is many many days before having to decide on how to walk into Santiago.

When deciding to walk Hospitales or not, the option is Pola Dura. Hospitales is done in 1 day and should only be done when the weather is optimal. Pola Dura is over two days, and while day1 is apparently easy, I am told the hike out Poladura on day 2 is steep as well.

The comment about Melide is alternatives on getting to Santiago avoiding the mayhem of the Frances. Since unfortunatelyjoined the Frances in Melide I will let others explain the ways to avoid the Frances. The "normal" Primitivo route is joining the Frances.

 

[jennysa]

Jenny, look at this thread for a lot of different opinions. (And btw, the choices are Pola de Allande vs. Hospitales, and then Melide vs. Sobrado dos Monxes).

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

Buen camino, Laurie

Thanks so much Laurie. It clarified everything for me. If I can get someone to walk with me, I will definitely take the Hospitales route. If I am on my own, I will take the Pola de Allande. But first I have to walk from Lourdes to Pamplona in May this year.

 

[jennysa]

It's not Melide vs Hospitales.Hospitales is many many days before having to decide on how to walk into Santiago.

When deciding to walk Hospitales or not, the option is Pola Dura. Hospitales is done in 1 day and should only be done when the weather is optimal. Pola Dura is over two days, and while day1 is apparently easy, I am told the hike out Poladura on day 2 is steep as well.

The comment about Melide is alternatives on getting to Santiago avoiding the mayhem of the Frances. Since unfortunatelyjoined the Frances in Melide I will let others explain the ways to avoid the Frances. The "normal" Primitivo route is joining the Frances.

I now understand the point you were making about the differences. Thank you for your advice. I have decided on the Hospitales route.

 

[stratophile]

My GPS tracks have the standard route (via Pola de Allande) as 310 km.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I now understand the point you were making about the differences. Thank you for your advice. I have decided on the Hospitales route.

Remember, take the Hospitales route only if weather is favourable. If in doubt, ask the farmers or villagers just before startingthe climb. When I was up there a cloud came rolling in and all of a sudden I lost all visibility and it got cold. Glad it went away as quickly as it came .

 

[oursonpolaire]

A more senior pilgrim than I once pointed out that we North Americans are accustomed to kilometres as an objective measurement. In Spain, he told me, and especially on the Camino, kilometres have a subjective character-- some seem very long indeed, but others disappear in a few minutes. More seriously, measurements differ as sometimes they are taken from town centres, or milestones by the ajuntamiento or principal church, or from albergues; as well, some are taken as the crow flies, and others by walking distance. As well, an ascending or descending kilometre takes much longer to walk than one on the flat. The advice to focus on your ability to walk from one place to another is useful.

 

[stratophile]

@oursonpolaire - that wins my highly coveted "post of the day" award. Factual and funny all at once.

You make a great point about the basis for measurement.

 

[Devon Mike]

Thanks for your response. What is the main difference between the 2 routes? Is it level of difficulty or scenery? I an curious to know why you are choosing Melide over Hospitales?

Melide is a later option after Lugo and is the 'official' route. The Hospitales option is earlier between Borres and Montefurado. The Hospitales route is the steep climb and high route with no facilities for 16.5kms. The lower route option through Pola de Allande is less strenuous and has bars, cafes, shops and albergues more frequently.

 

[gns]

I have seen about 4 different distances 314, 359, 340, etc. Does anyone have the exact mileage? I plan to walk it in June next year. Everyone seems to choose May as the ideal month to walk the Primitivo, so I hope June will not be too hot.

The official certificate of distance provided by the Pilgrim Office says 334km from Oviedo to Santiago. Whether this is definitive or not I don't know. I did the Hospitales route and although the official read through my credencial he didn't ask which option I took.

 

[AldenPyle52]

I have seen about 4 different distances 314, 359, 340, etc. Does anyone have the exact mileage? I plan to walk it in June next year. Everyone seems to choose May as the ideal month to walk the Primitivo, so I hope June will not be too hot.

Respectfully...I guess my answer would be a question "does it matter?" When I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and people asked how high it was and how much I walked, I answered "very high - planes flew below me - and I walked a lot". Similarly with weather questions. Historical data matters little - it's cold, it's hot, it's wet, it's dry...just like most other places. Suggest you read as much as possible to get a sense of the route and enjoy the journey - step by step.

 

[NoQ]

Melide is a later option after Lugo and is the 'official' route. The Hospitales option is earlier between Borres and Montefurado. The Hospitales route is the steep climb and high route with no facilities for 16.5kms. The lower route option through Pola de Allande is less strenuous and has bars, cafes, shops and albergues more frequently.

So in essence, the Hospitales route is similar to the distance between Carrion and Calzadilla, but with more of an incline and without the guy in the middle selling refreshments?

 

[Devon Mike]

So in essence, the Hospitales route is similar to the distance between Carrion and Calzadilla, but with more of an incline and without the guy in the middle selling refreshments?

Absolutely.