Urgent: skipping Gijón via Oviedo

[AngieOttawa]

I am on the Camino de Norte right now and thought i read somewhere that i could skip gijon by walking an extra day through Oviedo and then return on the Norte.

Is that route much nicer / better? I’ve heard how bad the stretch is before and after Gijón and I’d rather not have to take a bus (and i am sick of walking on highways and the air pollution)

I can’t find the thread. Anyone has any advice? I don’t have data on my phone so if i require a gps, it may be a problem.

Thanks in advance!

 

[trecile]

Gijón was one of my favorite cities on the Norte. I don't remember the walk in or out being particularly bad.

 

[AngieOttawa]

Gijón was one of my favorite cities on the Norte. I don't remember the walk in or out being particularly bad.

Interesting viewpoint. Everyone i meet (and my wise pilgrim book) says it’s a full day of walking between trucks, trains, motorways - worst than walking through any other big city on any Camino. :/

Thanks for your reply. I’ll consider Gijón.

 

[Phil71]

Hi Angie. Yes you can divert to Oviedo and return to the Norte. It is well marked. But Gijon isn't so bad. It's a nice city on a beach. Yes you have to walk through an industrial area and that was probably the worst stretch on the Norte, but I would do it again with no worries.

 

[trecile]

I probably don't remember the scenery so much because I was enjoying the company and conversation that I had along the way.

 

[Jan_D]

You get to decide just after Villaviciosa. About 3-4km after the town, you reach a village called Casquita, where there are arrows pointing to either Oviedo or Gijon. It's quite a walk to both places from Villaviciosa: Gijon is 29km, and Oviedo is 44km (so normally walked in two stages). It's only the last few kms into Gijon that are a bit industrial (it's a city, after all), and because the stage is so long, lots of pilgrims choose to catch a bus from the city outskirts. Personally, I quite like the city sections, as it reminds one of "the good, the bad, and the ugly", all part of life.

If you choose to go to Oviedo, there are a few albergues along the way that allow you to break the stage up. Some info here. Oviedo is a great city, with a famous cathedral (home to the "sudarium" or cloth used to mop Jesus' brow during the crucifixion).

[Edit: disclaimer!! the description below, which comes from Gronze, appears to be inaccurate. In the post below this, Laurie provides an alternative description of the Villiviciosa-Oviedo-Aviles variant]

But the walk into Oviedo is also very industrial. According to Gronze: "Entry to the city of Oviedo consists of 5 kilometers of highways and industrial estates, not exactly a dream landscape for the pilgrim." You'd then have to walk 29km from Oviedo back up to the coast at Aviles. You'd basically be walking through the outskirts of Asturias' 3 main cities, however, so it kind of defeats the purpose of avoiding the industrial zones! To translate what Gronze says: "This linking stage to continue the Norte along the coast sees few pilgrims... A significant part of the stage goes mostly through urban, commercial and industrial environments, although there are a few pleasant rural and wooded sections."

 

[peregrina2000]

That

But the walk into Oviedo is also very industrial. According to Gronze: "Entry to the city of Oviedo consists of 5 kilometers of highways and industrial estates, not exactly a dream landscape for the pilgrim." You'd then have to walk 29km from Oviedo back up to the coast at Aviles. You'd basically be walking through the outskirts of Asturias' 3 main cities, however, so it kind of defeats the purpose of avoiding the industrial zones! To translate what Gronze says: "This linking stage to continue the Norte along the coast sees few pilgrims... A significant part of the stage goes mostly through urban, commercial and industrial environments, although there are a few pleasant rural and wooded sections."

I have driven but not walked from Villaviciosa into Aviles and it is a very heavy industrial area.

I usually find Gronze to be very accurate but I have to disagree with what they say about this variant.

The walk from Villaviciosa into Oviedo goes through commercial city outskirts (car dealerships, building supply stores) but no industry that I remember. I have walked this way several times and I am pretty sure it has been improved and taken more off road than what I remembered from the first couple of times.

Leaving Oviedo there is absolutely no commerce or industry, you walk up a hill near the train station and you are in total rural-ness. And the entrance into Avilés from the Oviedo variant has no industry either.

I really love this option because not only can you visit a pre-Romanesque church at Valdedios in a lovely valley, (well marked soon after the split to Oviedo) you can also visit Oviedo, one of Spain’s prettiest little cities IMO, with some stunning pre-Romanesque of its own.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Jan_D]

Leaving Oviedo there is absolutely no commerce or industry, you walk up a hill near the train station and you are in total rural-ness. And the entrance into Avilés from the Oviedo variant has no industry either.

I really love this option because not only can you visit a pre-Romanesque church at Valdedios in a lovely valley, (well marked soon after the split to Oviedo) you can also visit Oviedo, one of Spain’s prettiest little cities IMO, with some stunning pre-Romanesque of its own.

Sounds nice, Laurie. I might actually do this variant when I return (hopefully in June!)

I've only done the Villaviciosa-Gijon-Aviles variant. I remember being warned against it by other pilgrims, making it seem like you were going to be walking through Mordor!! Although there are some industrial bits before Gijon and Aviles (and at one point even a bit of smog, not great), it only ever takes an hour or two to walk through these "urban zones", so in my humble opinion not worth stressing about too much.

 

[Dorpie]

I haven't caminoed through Gijon, so take this with a pinch of salt but I have spent a couple of days there and aside from the sweeping beachfront I saw nothing at all to recommend it. I passed a couple of pilgrims while driving out of town towards the west and indeed it was an industrial wasteland for quite a few kms.

 

[LTfit]

Interesting viewpoint. Everyone i meet (and my wise pilgrim book) says it’s a full day of walking between trucks, trains, motorways - worst than walking through any other big city on any Camino. :/

Thanks for your reply. I’ll consider Gijón.

I've done it and also didn't find it so bad. Real nice? No, but if you have ever taken the normal Camino route out of Leon, the one into Gijon is scenic

 

[AngieOttawa]

That

I have driven but not walked from Villaviciosa into Aviles and it is a very heavy industrial area.

I usually find Gronze to be very accurate but I have to disagree with what they say about this variant.

The walk from Villaviciosa into Oviedo goes through commercial city outskirts (car dealerships, building supply stores) but no industry that I remember. I have walked this way several times and I am pretty sure it has been improved and taken more off road than what I remembered from the first couple of times.

Leaving Oviedo there is absolutely no commerce or industry, you walk up a hill near the train station and you are in total rural-ness. And the entrance into Avilés from the Oviedo variant has no industry either.

I really love this option because not only can you visit a pre-Romanesque church at Valdedios in a lovely valley, (well marked soon after the split to Oviedo) you can also visit Oviedo, one of Spain’s prettiest little cities IMO, with some stunning pre-Romanesque of its own.

Buen camino, Laurie

Thank you... just got to my albergue in Amandi and the hospitaliaro confirmed it was the way she would recommend if i have an extra day. So it looks like I’ll be walking toward Oviedo tomorrow morning (will take the two days to not kill my legs).

Thanks for your input everyone!!!

 

[AngieOttawa]

I've done it and also didn't find it so bad. Real nice? No, but if you have ever taken the normal Camino route out of Leon, the one into Gijon is scenic

I took the alternative out of Leon... wasn’t nice either but no highway at least

 

[AngieOttawa]

I haven't caminoed through Gijon, so take this with a pinch of salt but I have spent a couple of days there and aside from the sweeping beachfront I saw nothing at all to recommend it. I passed a couple of pilgrims while driving out of town towards the west and indeed it was an industrial wasteland for quite a few kms.

Yeah, i am not a fan of but cities on the Camino anyway... i will skip it

 

[oursonpolaire]

I did the Gijon stretch once. I now advise people only to walk it if their confessor has decreed that they walk every step in reparation for some particularly vile sin.

 

[AJGuillaume]

Last year we walked from Villaviciosa to Valdedios where we stayed at the Convent. Then we walked to Vega de Poja where we stayed at Casa Rural el Calero. From there to Oviedo.
We returned to the Norte and Avilés and broke the journey in two, stopping at Hotel Royal in La Miranda-Llanera. That stretch is mostly along a road, but in a rural area, and on a footpath so you're safe from passing cars.
We had read about the industrial nature of Gijón, and what convinced us to go to Oviedo is the beauty of the place.
Moreover, there's a Spanish saying: "Quien va a Santiago y no al Salvador, visita al criado y no al Señor", El Salvador being the name of the cathedral in Oviedo. Loosely translated: if you go to Santiago but not to El Salvador, you'll visit the servant and not the Lord.

 

[Little Flower]

Hello. I am Teresa from California, USA. I plan to go Camino Norte next spring (maybe end of April).
I will start to walk from Irun to Santiago; it will be my 4th Camino.

I plan to go to Irun from LAX to Madrid, and will take bus or train to Irun.
Is anyone can give me some advise which way is the best from Madrid to Irun?
Is it easy to take bus or train at Madrid Airport or I have to move to the Station?

Appreciate your input.