CAMINO DE SANTIAGO: Primitivo

The Primitive Way (also called Original Way, Spanish: Camino Primitivo) begins in the old Asturian capital of Oviedo and runs west to Lugo and then south to Santiago de Compostela joining the more popular French Way in Melide for the last two hiking days. Camino Primitivo is approximately 320 km in length.

In 2017, I went on my “first Camino after the first Camino”,on the Camino Primitivo.

Day 0: Oviedo – 11.08.Friday

I arrived in Oviedo the day before so that I could set off on my second Camino the next day in peace. My friend Andrej had been walking the Camino del Norte for a long time and that day we met in Oviedo to continue the Camino Primitivo the next day.

We used that afternoon to tour this beautiful city and its sights. It is primarily a beautiful cathedral that preserves treasures of immense value, primarily the famous Sudarium (also known as the Facecloth of Jesus).

We were positively surprised by what the antique store Dolse Antigues has to offer.

In addition to historical heritage, we visited places that testify to good local gastronomy. Sidreria Tierra Astur Gascona and Pulperias a Fiera.

We stayed at a Hotel Silken Monumental Naranco that offers everything a pilgrim needs to have a good rest at a reasonable price. In addition, it is extremely conveniently located as the starting point of the first stage of the Camino Primitivo.

One more thing, when you are in Oviedo, if you can, go visit the church of Santa María del Naranco! I didn’t make it this time, but I’ll make up for it in the future.

Day 1: Oviedo to Grado – 12.08.Saturday

Since our hotel is “strategically located” right at the exit of the city on the Camino Primitivo trail, the start of this Camino was very easy.

This is my “first Camino after the first Camino” and before starting I was very curious about what kind of feeling I would have at the beginning of this second Camino. The conclusion came by itself, most naturally: the first step on the new Camino is simply a successor step to the last step from the previous Camino.

We spent the first day in relative silence, the areas we passed through were beautiful, but somehow they didn’t touch us in any special way. Our entry into Grado was very calm.

We found accommodation in Hotel Restaurante Auto-Bar which included a modest breakfast the next morning.

Day 2: Grado-Salas – 13.08.Sunday

We leave Grado, which remains shrouded in mist. The first notable place on our way is the church of Santa Eulalia in Doriga.

Then, across the Narcea River, we reach Cornellana and its beautiful Monastero de San Salvador.

In Cornellana we stop for a sandwich in the La Taberna.

I’m starting to feel pain in my Achilles tendon. I don’t want to admit to myself that my boots don’t fit. It can’t be, I paid too much for them, I don’t want to admit it! I sat down on the ground. I can’t do this anymore. An elderly pilgrim from Germany comes up to me and tells me clearly that my boots don’t fit. I almost chased her away. I feel like crying. I won’t cry… I’m crying. I had previously agreed with Andrej that he would continue on to Tineo to get a room, and I would come back a little later. Step by step I manage to reach Salas.

We settled into a comfortable Hotel Soto. There is a beautiful church in the village and we found a places to eat and drink something: Bar Uruguay and El Arco Cafe.

Day 3: Salas-Tineo – 14.08.Monday

With new shoes I have a chance, but I have to be very careful and reduce the load. So today we will walk a very short distance to Tineo, where I will rest as long as possible and even manage to get ultrasound therapy that will speed up the recovery of my Achilles tendon.

We visited Palacio de Meras and had luch in Restaurante La Fogaza.

Our today’s accommodation was in Pension La Posada: a pension in the village, with a view out the village.

Day 4: Tineo-Campiello – 15.08.Tuesday

We decided to do another short stretch to help me recover. On our way through the fresh forest, we came across and discovered a real treasure – the abandoned Monasterio Santa Maria la Real de Obona! The name is probably an abbreviation of Aqua-Bona („good water“).

Today we are staying at Casa Herminia, whose huge metal facade and upper part look like a large hangar.

Day 5: Campiello-Berducedo – 16.08.Wednesday (Ruta de los Hospitales)

The Hospital Route is the „queen stage“ of this Camino. It is a challenging high-mountain traverse of approximately 13 to 21 kilometers. It runs from the Borres area to Berducedo (Asturias, Spain) across exposed peaks with no services.

We’ve read that this route is beautiful, but only walking it can reveal its full beauty to each individual.

Our first coffee at Bar El Barin gave us energy for the climb ahead then came the most beautiful part of this Camino.

Along the route are the ruins of old medieval hospitals (such as the one in Paradiella) that provided shelter to pilgrims. People say that this section is very demanding, but it didn’t seem that way to us, perhaps because the beauties it gave us were a balm for all the efforts.

At the top of the hill Puerto del Palo (1.146 m) we were pleasantly surprised by the offer of refreshing drinks from the mobile bar. Then followed a rather difficult descent. We additionally refreshed ourselves with a drink at Lago.

Tired, but happy to have found accommodation in some rooms close to the parish church.

We replenished our energy with a strong protein dinner at Albergue Bar Restaurante Camino Primitivo.

Day 6: Berducedo-Grandas de Salime – 17.08.Thursday

Dense fog followed us until late morning. First we descended through “scorched earth” – entire hills that had recently been ravaged by fires and left behind a lot of charred trees and scrub. The smell of burning still lingered in the humid air, but even in this hellish landscape, there was a “pearl” such as a circular stone “fortress” that protected the beehives with bees from greedy honey-eater bears.

After crossing the river over an imposing dam, the road began to climb. We stopped briefly for a drink at Hotel Las Grandas.

In Grandas de Salime we first visited the church San Salvador de Grandas then relaxed at Cafe bar Centro. After a good lunch at Restorante La Parilla we went to visit the great Ethographic museum de Grandas de Salime.

We had accommodation today in La Barra Hotel.

Day 7: Grandas de Salime-Fonsagrada – 18.08.Friday

Today we enter Galicia, but accustomed to entering the O Cebreira area, this entry seems to lack some of the magic. Still, a nice walk today.We drank coffee on the pass Acebo in the Cafe bar O Acebo.

In Fonsagrada („holy spring“) we are located in Albergue Pension Cantabrico (Fontem Sacra). Had a nice meal at Pulperia Calderia.

In this place I came across a post office and mailed back home the goiters that almost threatened me this whole Camino.

Day 8: Fonsagrada-Castroverde – 19.08.Saturday

Today was one of those days on the Camino when you set off in the morning into one landscape and its microclimate, and then throughout the day of walking you arrive in a completely different one. Today was like that: in the morning we walked through forests, hills, and clearings covered in mist, and in the afternoon we were in sunlit valleys. From the old Hospital Montouto and the nearby dolmen As Piedras Dereitas down to the valley and Cadabo.

After the descent we had coffee in Casa meson (Paradavella).

We ate something in the restaurant A Marronada (Cadabo).

The last part of today’s section seemed a bit depressing since the settlements seemed somewhat deserted.

Today’s accommodation was in a somewhat strange Pension Residencia Cortes.

Day 9: Castroverde-Lugo – 20.08.Sunday

An average section today brought us to the historic town of Lugo. It has an interesting cathedral (Santa Maria), fully preserved ancient Roman city walls, and a museum that (at the time) was open for “a few minutes” a day.

In the old part of the city, in the charming narrow streets, there are a number of bars and restaurants offering excellent wines. We were happy to stop for a while in one of these: Bar Tosar.

We were accommodated in a (at the time) somewhat run-down, but good and very affordable Gran Hotel Lugo (later renovated Eurostar).

Day 10: Lugo-Casacamino – 21.08.Monday

We didn’t expect it, but a long and difficult stretch awaited us.

Primarily because of the extreme heat, which even the asphalt on the ground began to melt!The worst thing is that we are running out of drinking water at one point, but there was no end to our joy and gratitude when we suddenly stumbled upon a divine source of natural water Fonte de San Xurxo de Augas Santas!

The surroundings were quite bare, which only enhanced the effects of the scorching sun. After a long walk, we came across a real little oasis in the form of the jewel Casa Camino Turismo Rural.

It is home to Coco, a beloved dog who was rescued by the kind owners of the Casa Rural. Coco was beaten and thrown into the hell of a dump, and then rescued to this little paradise.

Day 11: Casacamino-Melide – 22.08.Tuesday

Today we go to Melide to join the section that now belongs to the Camino Frances.

The walk was pleasant and here we are in Melide. We found accommodation in Hotel Carlos 96. Later we went to the inevitable Pulperia A Garnacha.

Day 12: Melide-O Pino – 23.08.Wednesday

We stopped for coffee at a legendary Cafeteria El Aleman.

Unexpectedly, today was a difficult day for walking, so we happily welcomed the accommodation in Hotel Restaurante O Pino.

Day 13: O Pino-Monte do Gozo – 24.08.Thursday

Today we have a short section because we want to reach the huge accommodation complex for pilgrims Monte do Gozo.

In the forest we are “intercepted” by civil protection who offer stamps for our Credentials.

Day 14: Monte do Gozo-Santiago de Compostella – 25.08.Friday

Today we entered Santiago, but we actually just went from the suburbs to the center. We drank coffee in Cafe bar Rey.

We went, of course, to the cathedral and the tomb of St. James. Not immediately upon arrival because the diocese prefers the “God of Money” over pilgrims. Namely, pilgrims were not immediately allowed into the cathedral, into the house of their Father, for mass, because tourists who had paid for “sightseeing” had priority.

We stayed at the “royal” Hostal Real de Santiago de Compostela (Hospital Real de Peregrinos – Paradores; Hotel de los reyes catolicos).

Lunch was ok at Restaurante Raxoi yet the wine was not so ok. We went to look for dessert in Pasteleria Mercedes Mora.

It was a fantastic dinner at Restaurante Casa Marcelo.

Day 15: Santiago de Compostella-Negreira – 26.08.Saturday

A depressing day because we’re leaving Santiago, the sky is gray and there was some rain…

We stopped in a beautiful place, by the old bridge in Restaurante Pontemaceira.

We finally arrived in Negreira and checked into the Hotel Milan. We ate beans, a local pensioner was banging on a poker machine, and there was a certain melancholy in the air.

Day 16: Negreira-Olveiroa – 27.08.Sunday

We started today’s walk with more of a good mood. There was a lot of humidity in the air, but as the day went on the weather got sunnier. Today we have quite a long section, and we keep a good rhythm.

Some time before Lugo, we preferred to change our common sense rather than the path on which the pilgrims are led. We did the right thing! Then suddenly we “flew”, our legs carried us so fast that we were simply racing along the “fast lane”!

After a long and tiring walk, we found accommodation in Casa Loncho.

Day 17: Olveiroa-Finisterra – 28.08.Monday

We start very early, before dawn, and the trail is even lit at the very beginning.

A very interesting section where we start from the inland fields to descend to the ocean coast and a beautiful beach. Then along the coast all the way to Finisterre.

We found refreshments at the Bar Casa Talieiro. A little later we ate something at Restaurante Playa de Estorde. We went to the beach and swam in the ocean.

We had a glass of wine with a mighty view at Restaurante El Semáforo de Finisterre.

We had lunch at As Baleas Fisterra. We got accommodation in Hotel Ancora.

Day 18: Finisterra-Muxia – 29.08.Tuesday

A long and tiring section was waiting for us, but in the end it turned out that we walked it floating, so to speak! We started with a delicious breakfast.

Somewhere halfway, we had doubts about which way to turn, but at that very moment an angel came in the form of a grandfather and showed us the right way.

Later we stopped along the road to eat a sandwich and drink something refreshing.

One pilgrim couple in love was walking right in front of us, it seemed idyllic, but in the end it turned out that they had a fight. That is: the woman shouted at him.