Tag Archives: Camino Primitivo

Camino de Santiago, Spain

Highlights of some of the Camino De Santiago -Primitivo

The different days along the Camino De Santiago are unique and yet very similar in some aspects. Although each day brings new vistas and experiences they also bring similarities and rituals. Each morning we would awake early and get ready for the day.  There was a ritual of cleaning up, stretches and applying our anti blister balm on our feet before starting the days camino.  We would start out without breakfast or coffee. Walking the camino until we would find a place to stop for breakfast and coffee. On other days we would take our coffee and snack to go.

snacks and coffee on the go.

We carried a small amount of food in case of long gaps between places. On some days it was not until noon or even later before we came to our first cafe or food spot. 

From the town of Salas we continued to head upwards higher into the mountains of northern Spain.  It seemed at times that we were always ascending or descending. 

Shelley along one of the many climbs towards the windmill along the Camino Primitivo

At this point Shelley had twisted her knee and it was causing her difficulty and pain. We decided to send out packs ahead to lessen the weight on her knee. We would take more breaks along the way. This was also a chance to stop and enjoy the amazing views. 

Going up towards the windmills on the Primitivo
The Dam at the reservoir of Embalse de Salime on the Camino Primitivo.

This dam was amazing to see and is a designated world heritage site.

Ray along the ridge area of the camino de Primitivo
The view along the primitivo in the upper section of the mountains.

The further along we went unfortunately the worse Shelley´s knee became until we decided that we would stop at Lugo and take a few extra days to recuperate and see if her knee would get better. 

The primitivo is an amazing route with spectacular views. Here are just some of the vistas we saw along our way to Lugo from Salas. It was an amazing section of the primitivo but not for the faint of heart as the route is very taxing and difficult with steep and long ascends through the mountains. 

We arrived at Lugo and we were grateful for the few days of rest before continuing on the camino. The city of Lugo is beautiful and we enjoyed being a tourist in the city for a while.. But that is for another post.

“Disfruta de cada momento y experiencias de la vida”

Camino de Santiago, Spain

The start of the Camino Primitivo

We started our camino de Santiago by taking a train from Alicante to the town of Oviedo in Asturias. We stayed the night in Oviedo before starting our camino the next morning.

The cathedral of St. Saviour  in Oviedo which is the starting point of the Camino Primitivo

Oviedo is the starting point for the Camino Primitivo and was the starting point of Alfonso II the Chaste King of Asturias who took this route in the 9th century to see the recently discovered tomb of St James the Apostle. 

We began the camino in the pouring rain from Oviedo. Our spirits were high with excitement and determination.

We set out at 7:30 in the morning from the Cathedral. We walked for a short while and before long we were in the countryside.

Park on the edge of Oviedo
At the outskirts of Oviedo,

There was lush greenery everywhere and the camino soon began to narrow into a trail. 

We walked through the rain into some steep declines and inclines along the rail. Some of the trail was very rough and required that we walk slowly and carefully to avoid slipping or falling. 

Part of the trail along camino Primitivo between Oviedo and Grado.

Although it was raining the entire day, along our journey we came across some beautiful small communities, sites and views. 

Our first day was a challenge, we walked the entire day in the rain.

Rain water flowing down the road like a small river.

Although it was difficult at times, our enthusiasm and spirits remained high. 

Shelley and Ray on the Camino Primitivo between Oviedo and Grado

We walked around 28 kilometers and finished our day in a town called Grado. We were tired but content for completing day one of our camino.

We settled into our room and although we had ponchos and rain jackets we were partly soaked. Our waterproof hiking boots had been exposed to rain, mud and water the entire time.  It turned out that the hiking boots were not quite waterproof. 

Feet wrinkled by walking in wet shoes

We cleaned up, changed into dry clothes and enjoyed a well deserved refreshment.

We enjoyed a well deserved refreshment and celebrated our achievement of day one.

¨Buen Camino¨

Camino de Santiago, Spain

Preparing for the Camino de Santiago Primitivo

We are preparing for the Camino de Santiago Primitivo which is listed as World Heritage. This particular way of the camino is the route that Alfonso II King of Asturias followed to make his pilgrimage. He took this route to go to the tomb of the Apostle James in the 9th century.

The Primitivo is considered one of the most difficult routes in part because of the elevations and declines walking through some of the mountains. This is possibly one of the hardest routes of the existing Camino de Santiago. The route begins in Oviedo at the Cathedral of St Saviour. 

The Cathedral of Oviedo Spain. Starting point of the Camino Primitivo.

We have been preparing for the start of our camino by walking nearly every day. We began approximately a month and half prior to our planned camino. At the beginning we walked around 7 kilometres each day and slowly increased our daily distance to approximately 20 kilometres. We then began to carry our pack which was loaded with all our weight for the trip, it was around 5.5 Kilos. This was a challenge at first but was soon easier than expected. We then began walking up a steep incline route with our packs to help condition us for the Primitivo. This has helped to prepare us for the upcoming adventure.

Map of the Camino de Santiago Primitivo route

Packing for the Camino

We have been trying to ensure we bring only the items we will need on the Camino. Our goal is to carry our pack throughout the trip. 

If your interested in a detailed list of our gear and packsack check out this link  Our packing list

So we have our camino credentials,  planned our daily route and booked our rooms for each stage of the Camino.

The route has been broken down into fourteen days.

We will average around 23 kilometres each day, however the reality is some days we will walk almost 40 kms while others are only 15 kms. The terrain will be a challenge with steep inclines and declines over the mountains. We are excited and looking forward to start the adventure.  

¨Buen Camino¨