• Is the Camino Primitivo a good alternative to other caminos?

The Camino Primitivo is the original pilgrim to Santiago, which starts only  at about  300km from Santiago de Compostela. The Camino Primitivo is perfect for those wishing a more challenging alternative to the popular Camino Frances.  A journey through quiet unspoilt landscapes and charming medieval villages providing a truly authentic Spanish experience.

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  • How long? How far?

The Camino Primitivo is usually  divided in two stages and it can last 11-13 days if you walk both stages. In the first stage you would start in Oviedo (Asturias) , in the second stage(5 days)  you would start in Lugo (Galicia) , in this stage the Camino merges with Camino Francés so this part of the camino will be crowded in summer.

In this photo you  can watch the Camino Primitivo in 13 days from Oviedo and the kms that can be done each day.

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  • Is it true that Camino Primitivo is a hard camino?

The Camino Primitivo is notorious for being a difficult camino due to its ups and downs. The truth is that there are only a few days on this camino which are long and difficult to walk but you can modify this by arranging for taxi sevices if needed. Camino Primitivo should take a bit extra planning but there are helpful locals and other pilgrims with which you can share the task.  There are also opinions on forums that talk about camino Primitivo´s difficulty.

“I am not by any means a superathlete, far from it, but I have never understood the hype about the Primitivo being hard. I just don’t think it is any harder than any other camino I’ve walked. I walked last summer, and a large group came together on the first day out of Oviedo. People of all types and abilities, two smokers, one with more than a few extra pounds, five or six who had never done anything like this. They all made it fine, though some may have arrived at the destination a bit later than the rest of us. I think if you look at the elevation maps for the Primitivo you’ll see that there is no day with more than 600 0r 700 m elevation gain” Peregrina2000 from Camino Forum, https://www.caminodesantiago.me/ 

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Starting in Oviedo, the former medieval capital of Asturia, your journey stretches across the unspoilt Spanish regions of Asturia and Galicia.  Shadowed by the peaks of the Picos de Europa you follow the ancient paths through the Cantabrian Mountains, rural farmlands and lush green valleys dotted with quaint little settlements steeped in history. The friendly traditional villages and market towns of Northern Spain will fill you with warmth and a lasting impression of the spirit of ‘mi casa, su casa’ (my house, your home).

Without a doubt one of the greatest highlights of any Camino are the culinary delights attached to each region where the natural flavours and aromas follow you every step of the way. The deep rooted traditions and rituals combined with simple fresh ingredients it is easy to understand why the Camino is a natural provider in first class gastronomic culture.

Gourmet delicacies vary between regions from the rich hearty stews of Asturias made with oak smoked chorizo, morcilla sausage and fabada beans typically served with warm crusty bread and a glass of local cider to the Galician star tapa – ‘Pulpo Gallego’, octopus, drizzled with olive oil and sweet paprika, polished off with a glass of chilled Albariňo.

Enjoy your Camino Primitivo !

Buen camino, amigos!

Anxo Saco

Photo Source:

Photo 1map http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es

Photo2 http://mapacaminosantiago.es

Photo 3 http://mapacaminosantiago.es