Vadiniense -> San Salvador

[Pizote]

Hello all. In 2025 I will be walking my 7th Camino. This one however is bouncing around multiple routes and I wanted to get peoples opinion on the route overall, but mostly for the San Salvador and the Vadiniense as they are the least documented.

Route is as follows:
Camino Norte from Bilbao -> Santillana Del Mar - 6 days days
Camino Vadiniense from Santillana Del Mar -> Cistierna - 8 days
Camino Olvidado from Cistierna -> La Robla -
Camino San Salvador from La Robla -> Oviedo
Camino Primitivo from Ovideo -> Lugo or Ferreira
Bus to A Coruña then
Camino Ingles from A Coruña -> Santiago

So a couple of things:

Going from the Vadieniense to the San Salvador, I have noticed that there are a lot of marked trails for the Camino Asturias in the area generally going between the two just north of the Camino Olvidado. Does anyone know what the infrastructure is like in this area? Slimmer than the Olvidado?

How's the infrastructure on the Vadiniense?

 

[dick bird]

The Vadiniense/Lebaniego begins at San Vicente de Barquera, not Santillana del Mar. You would need to look at Gronze to see what albergues are open on the Vadiniense, but if you are prepared to use hotels and pensions, it should be doable, if anything better than the Olvidado and usually waymarked. The first part is particularly scenic (the Lebaniego) but quite technical.

 

[Pizote]

You're right - the Besaya begins in Santanilla Del Mar. Anyone have any info on the Besaya as well?

 

[peterott]

The Camino del Besaya begins/ends in Santander.
There is actually a route highly similar to the Besaya called "Calzade De Los Blendios", which starts/ends in Suances.

I collected some info here in the corresponding subforum:

Thread 'Ruta/Camino del Besaya (ES30a) = Calzada romana = Calzada de los Blendios (GR73)?'

Aug 14, 2024

Hello,

just some sort of stupid question: I found a very nice Spanish book from 2002 (ok, pretty old one) which describes - according to my limited Spanish language knowledge - the development of a hiking route La Calzada de los Blendios in the late 90es from Herrera De Pisuerga to Suances and then describes the trail in 7 legs
The book: https://www.cervantes.com/libro/9788495742124/calzada-de-los-blendios-la/
web description: https://www.desnivel.com/excursionismo/calzada-de-los-blendios-gr-73/

Now I am reading that the Ruta/Camino del Besaya is from Santander to Carrión de...

• peterott
• Replies: 7
• Camino de Santiago Forum: 🇪🇸 Ruta del BESAYA (Santander-Carrión de los C.)

 

[peregrina2000]

Going from the Vadieniense to the San Salvador, I have noticed that there are a lot of marked trails for the Camino Asturias in the area generally going between the two just north of the Camino Olvidado. Does anyone know what the infrastructure is like in this area? Slimmer than the Olvidado?

How's the infrastructure on the Vadiniense?

Technically, it’s the Camino Lebaniego from San Vicente to the monastery, and the Vadiniense from Potes to Mansilla de las Mulas, so that adds another camino to your list!

I walked the Lebaniego/Vadiniense years ago, and had no accomomodation problems. I walked without a GPS and that was my last camino without a GPS, definitely a good idea. Bad Pilgrim walked last July and had a fine time. See his live thread.

There’s plenty of information on the Salvador, and in high summer it even gets “crowded.” Ender’s guide has a ton of info, maybe too much for you. The guide is from 2022, but I think most of it is up to date.

There have been several forum members who have made the Vadiniense - Olvidado-Salvador connection in La Robla. The two days that will make that connection (Cistierna - Boñar - La Robla) are not really going to give you much of a taste for all the beauty that the Olvidado offers. I know you are using this more as a transit option, but I think you should put the Olvidado on your list for “must walk spectacular mountain Caminos”.

Buen camino, @Pizote, hoping it’s a wonderful walk.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

(...)
Camino Olvidado from Cistierna -> La Robla -
Camino San Salvador from La Robla -> Oviedo (...)

I will closely follow this thread as I wonder if this year I should walk the San Salvador to Oviedo, but starting somewhere on the Olvidado No definite plans yet, but it is an option.

 

[lovingkindness]

Hi there @Pizote

Hello all. In 2025 I will be walking my 7th Camino. This one however is bouncing around multiple routes and I wanted to get peoples opinion on the route overall, but mostly for the San Salvador and the Vadiniense as they are the least documented.

Route is as follows:
Camino Norte from Bilbao -> Santillana Del Mar - 6 days days
Camino Vadiniense from Santillana Del Mar -> Cistierna - 8 days
Camino Olvidado from Cistierna -> La Robla -
Camino San Salvador from La Robla -> Oviedo
Camino Primitivo from Ovideo -> Lugo or Ferreira
Bus to A Coruña then
Camino Ingles from A Coruña -> Santiago

So a couple of things:

Going from the Vadieniense to the San Salvador, I have noticed that there are a lot of marked trails for the Camino Asturias in the area generally going between the two just north of the Camino Olvidado. Does anyone know what the infrastructure is like in this area? Slimmer than the Olvidado?

How's the infrastructure on the Vadiniense?

Hola @Pizote

I don't know about the infrastructure for the Vadiniense today, but back in 2011 when I walked much the same route that you have planned, I got by with sleeping on church porches, in albergues and as a guest in peoples homes. I didn't take a bus to A Caruna, but I can see why a foot weary peregrino might do so...from Lugo I detoured via Friol to Sobrado dos Monxes then walked a lot on roads to Betanzos then A Caruna. I had all the time in the world to reach Santiago de Compostella so dallied where I could.

Here's a link to a few photos and a very very long conversation on the forum (Days 348-424). I'll understand if you don't read it

L

Post in thread 'Trondheim (Nidaros) to Santiago de Compostela'

Aug 9, 2011

Day 348 Cobreces to San Vincente de la Barquera

...It´s sunny again! 19 days of rain in Julio and now all the world is hitting the beach. Yes!

I´m reading headlines in El Bar having cafe con leche y chocolates. As soon as I´m packed I´ll walk to Comillas and swim. I´ll dive deep in the surf and emerge like Boticelli´s Venus-in-a-Conch-shell-plus-ropas. I´ll take the coastal road to San Vincente de la Barquera, crash in the surf again then head straight to the Albergue and sleep. I´ve improved! I´m doing ok! I haven´t felt hostile in...

• lovingkindness

• 

Happy planning, peregrino!


La Robble. 42°C (Sept 2011)

 

[Pizote]

Thank you all for your responses. I use GaiaPro to plan my routes, and there are -many- published trails and even the Camino de las Asturias within the triangle that I am looking at. I use the Outdoors base map.

@peregrina2000, I am familiar with the Olvidado. A wonderful walk indeed. Thanks for the sub link.

@lovingkindness, the bus to A Coruña is due to timing, I will be meeting someone there off-camino and timing doesn't allow the walk.

@peterott, thanks for the sub link. I will check it out.

At this point in my Camino experiences, starting from the exact starting point or walking the "entire" named route is of little importance or interest to me.