El Camino Primitivo in June

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After walking the Camino de San Salvador from Leon to Oviedo, I continued onto the Camino Primitivo, which begins in Oviedo and passes through the Asturias and Galicia regions. It eventually joins with the Camino Frances for the final two days before reaching Santiago de Compostela, but time constraints only allowed me to walk the first 208 km from Oviedo to Lugo. This worked out well since I wouldn't enjoy walking with hundreds of pilgrims at the end of the French Way.

It’s called the Primitivo because it was the first camino, not because it is the most primitive, though the accommodations are mostly basic albergues, which are like basic hostels - bunk bed, one big bathroom, little privacy. It’s busier than El Camino de San Salvador, with maybe 40-50 pilgrims in each etapa (stage). But I only ended up seeing about half every day since I didn’t get walking till around 9:30 each morning.

I’m not going to give any directions or trail descriptions because they can easily be found free online. I paid $7 to download a very long pdf book from PilgrimageTraveler.com, which was just ok for this walk. Most everyone else was using the Camino app, but I didn’t have cell service. I learned about e-sim cards too late for this trip - see under 'packing list' below.

Below are just some thoughts about each day, followed by a packing list.

Day 1 - Oviedo to Grado (25km)

The Asturias region is known for its rain.
It rained off and on all day during this etapa.
Therefore, I know Asturias.

Day 2 - Grado to Salas (24km)

Eating dinner alone makes you hyper-aware of what waiters and the general public are up to. It's easy to get caught staring. Here's why photo 5:a plaza in Salas is special to me:

Dusk on the summer solstice in a tiny plaza in Salas. White umbrellas cover the only three dry tables. The waiter is Latino and the reggaeton is not too loud.

Teenage girls drink Coke and talk like adults as the arroyo below sounds like rain.

Men with white hair and women with dyed hair drink coffee but Rioja is still my wine in this town.

A woman in a red jacket sits on a bench crying. A woman wearing a black anti-swastika sweatshirt lights a cigarette and sits next to her.

Local boys with muddy shoes arrive to flirt with the girls as I cross the bridge and hastily take a photo.

Day 3 - Salas to Campiello (33km)

El Rey de Los Caminos
Every so often on these walks you meet someone with an impressive camino resume. I met a 66-year-old German in Salas and then again in Casa Herminia in Campiello who over 10 years has logged 17 caminos and nearly 10,000 miles. I valued his opinion that the extra suffering on the optional Ruta de Los Hospitales - a steep ascent and lots of sun exposure above the tree line - would be worth the effort.

Day 4 - Campiello to Berducedo (27km) via la Ruta de los Hospitales

I was under the impression that I’d be seeing old hospitals. While exploring the ruins I came across an Argentinian woman, the only person I saw above the clouds. She explained that they weren’t really hospitals but basically refuges for pilgrims, more in line with the word ‘hospitality.’ She had walked the entire Primitivo and when she reached Santiago, decided to walk all the way back to Oviedo to see it from the other side. It’s too bad we can’t do the same with life.

Apparently, there’s a popular book about two pilgrims on the French Way, one who stayed in private rooms and one who stayed in albergues, which are basically dormitories of usually 8-12 bunks. I’m sure it preaches that roughing it makes for a better experience because it creates a ‘camino family,’ but it’s pretty easy to meet people while walking on the Primitivo. And when a pilgrim told me that she cried through the night because of snorers, or when another said the older walkers are just as guilty as the younger ones of making noise late at night, it confirmed my choice of relative luxury in single rooms.

But everything was full in Berducedo, so I had no choice but to sleep on a paper sheet in the bottom bunk of a 16-bed dorm. It was only half-full and no one made any noise, so I slept fine.

Day 5 - Berducedo to Hotel las Grandas, 5km before Grandas de Salime (15km)

Heat wave today so I took a relative rest day to ensure a private room. After dinner with a Scottish couple named Claire and Steve, I sat on the veranda to take in the impressive view of the reservoir below.

Day 6 - Grandas de Salime a Fonsagrada (30km)

The morning climb of nearly 1,000 meters to walk among the windmills was pretty brutal but I was mentally prepared and well rested. At dinner at a pulpería I was seated upstairs next to the same Scots.

Day 7 - Fonsagrada a O Cadavo de Baliera (24km)

The beauty of a relatively unpopulated camino is that it’s easy to start a conversation with strangers. I walked most of the day with another Steve, this one from Ecuador. After hours of exchanging travel stories, I found out he was the guide for the large American group we’d all been mildly cursing. All forgiven.

My hotel room was next door to the Scots’ room.

Day 8 - O Cadavo de Baliera a Lugo (30km)

Since I had no injuries or blisters, ate well every day, and carried very little, I left the caminos feeling stronger than I was when I began El Camino de San Salvador 13 days and 328km/203mi earlier. It's hard to say if this would be the case if I'd walked at that rate for another week or two. It was the perfect mix of solo hiking and talking to like-minded peregrinos searching for something or walking for no reason like I was. Since I’d done very little research beforehand in terms of the towns, landscape and terrain, everything was a pleasant surprise. And to cap it off was Lugo, a wonderful city that I wish I had more time to explore. I'll probably be back to walk another one someday... perhaps next year?

Packing List

Footwear

Nothing matters more than your shoes and socks. Most people do well with trail shoes/runners. The ‘ankle support’ argument for boots is mostly bs because if they help you to avoid injuring your ankle, something still has to give, like your knee. And you'll mainly be walking on paved roads or well-maintained trails. Everybody is different but in general you should avoid waterproof shoes/boots and cotton socks. If your shoes are breathable, your feet will dry if they get wet from rain, puddles or just plain sweat. If it’s very wet, wool socks will hold the heat without causing blisters as easily. I met someone last year who wore waterproof shoes and had to go to the hospital because of blisters and fear of infection, so it’s important to test out any shoes you plan to wear on a few long hikes.

I took a pair of Lems Primal Pursuit and Cairn Bedrock sandals so I could switch back and forth based on terrain and weather, and to avoid any hotspots. A small roll of duct tape can prevent hotspots from developing into blisters.

Backpack

Your backpack shouldn’t be over 20lbs/10kg if you’re doing it the same time of year I did. Everyone I met who struggled on the trail had either foot problems or was carrying too much weight. My base weight without water or food was 13 pounds, but a true ultra-light backpacker could get it down to 5. I used my old Osprey 38L pack and it wasn’t close to being full. Most peregrinos paid to have their luggage transported for a small fee.

Clothes

I took 3 50-50 cotton/poly t-shirts (some say polyester or merino wool are the only ways to go), 3 pairs of Exofficio underwear, a pair of shorts, a pair of zip-off pants, a long-sleeved shirt, 2 pairs of wool socks, a very lightweight raincoat, and a buff. I washed the clothes I wore for the day in the sink as soon as I arrived at my hostal and hung them on my pack the next day if they didn't dry overnight.

Nights can drop into the 40s in June but as soon as the sun hits temperatures rise quickly. Even if I was chilly in shorts and a t-shirt to start, I warmed up very quickly.

Food

This depends on your budget, but you should always have food with you. Some pueblos don’t have a restaurant or store so do research ahead of time. I avoided staying in those towns so I always ate breakfast and dinner at a cafe/restaurant and then ate lunch on the road. My go-to lunches are basic: bread or crackers with a small can of tuna or peanut butter. Snacks like chips or trail mix obviously work well too.

Water

Every town has a fountain and there’s usually a sign telling if it has potable water. You could possibly get away with just carrying 1 liter but I always carried 2 just to be safe. La Ruta de Los Hospitales requires 3 liters on a warm day.

Walking Sticks

I can’t imagine doing this trek without hiking poles. There are many elevation changes and they take a lot of pressure off the knees. They’re a pain to get through airport security so I usually just buy a pair wherever I’m traveling and pass them on to someone else at the end.

Quemadura del Sol

Sunscreen is also very important. Since the walk is due west, the sun is generally behind or directly above you. Much of the walk is very exposed.

Telefono

If you're American and have a locked iPhone, consider downloading an e-sim card through Airalo. I found out about it during this trek and used it in Ghana; I paid only $9 for 2 gigs of data in 10 days and only used half of it. If you stick to Google Maps, WhatsApp, and basic web browsing, you won't use much data.

The rest is mainly about your personal preference and comfort.

There are more photos below.

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Photos

Asturias
Most of the walk looks something like this.

Above the Clouds
On the ascent of the hospitality route.

Plaza in Salas
See my description from day 2. Zoom in to see the characters.

Hórreo
Most rural houses in Asturias still have these small granaries on their property.

Senderismo sin fin
I’m working on it!

End of the Road
My last night on the Camino, with Curly and Steve.

The Art of Road Walking
“Always walk against traffic.” Nothing is always. Do you really want to walk on the left here with no shoulder and surprise a driver coming around the bend?

A Good Pour
To aerate the sidra, apparently.

Another chapel
It’s pretty interesting that each one is has an entirely different design.

Pine forest
The best surface to walk on.

Roman Gold Mine
A recent fire has added to the ruins.

Refuge on Ruta de Hospitales
These date back to the 1500s, but there isn’t much left of them.

Terra Cotta Tile
Make a donation to the church, decorate a tile.

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Marvelous blog
Thanks for taking us along on this adventure.