12 days to walk the Primitivo: What's different?

[soleysoul]

This week I start Oviedo > SdC, with 12 days to do it. And I'd love to take a zero day in Lugo... so 11 days of walking. I'm fit and have past Camino experience.

For those that have walked Oviedo > SdC in 12 days:

• How did your stages differ from the "official" stages? Was there any stage you regret changing? Was it mostly Lugo>SdC that you made up for time?
  
  
• If you took a zero day, was it Lugo or elsewhere?
  
  
• What's the social cost of going faster like this? Making new friends is important to me. Did you end up having to leaving most of your new found friends behind because of this faster pace? Or did you find most walk it in this amount of time?

Thanks!

 

[trecile]

I think that most people tend to roughly follow the stages on Gronze and finish in 13-14 days, excluding rest days.

Camino Primitivo | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

But you will probably find a few walking longer (or shorter) stages.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I walked it in 13, including a rest day in Lugo - it would have been 12 however I turned off at Lugo onto the Verde.

I walked past Salas to Bodenaya, then on day three on to Casa Pascal (just before Borres). That's one day faster than the 'standard' stages. I had several people with me from Bodenaya onwards, I regularly met several others doing similar stages up until Lugo.

As said I turned off at Lugo after my rest day onto the Verde, however looking at the so-called standard stages it would be very easy to pick up an extra day after Lugo.

Probably 70% of the people I saw on the trail were walking fairly 'standard' stages.

Most of the rest were walking shorter stages, just one or two were walking longer stages than I and my companions.

None of the people I knew took a rest day in Lugo, it was just me. From what I've read it seems the most common place to take a break. It's certainly a very pleasant town, I thoroughly enjoyed strolling both the walls and the streets of the Old town.

 

[MikeJS]

I walked it in 8 days, but had started in Bilbao on the Olvidado so was very fit. Details - https://mikesroaming.blogspot.com/2019/10/

 

[Kiwi-family]

I met a girl who had just walked it in 7 days and by the time she got to Santiago she could barely move on her blistered feet!!

 

[howardd5]

This week I start Oviedo > SdC, with 12 days to do it. And I'd love to take a zero day in Lugo... so 11 days of walking. I'm fit and have past Camino experience.

For those that have walked Oviedo > SdC in 12 days:

• How did your stages differ from the "official" stages? Was there any stage you regret changing? Was it mostly Lugo>SdC that you made up for time?
  
  
• If you took a zero day, was it Lugo or elsewhere?
  
  
• What's the social cost of going faster like this? Making new friends is important to me. Did you end up having to leaving most of your new found friends behind because of this faster pace? Or did you find most walk it in this amount of time?

Thanks!

There are some long hard days on the Primitivo, just do what feels good on the stages and let it happen . It’s not a race

 

[peregrina2000]

And I'd love to take a zero day in Lugo... so 11 days of walking. I'm fit and have past Camino experience.

Hi, @soleysoul, Welcome to the forum!

At a younger age, about 15 years ago, I did walk the Primitivo in 11 days. I didn’t plan it that way, it just happened. I fell in with a congenial group, and it felt like the thing to do. It’s always nice to walk alone during the day, run into people as you go, and then meet up at night at the pre-arranged place.

Since then, I’ve been back several times, and I find that the 12-14 day range is perfect. I am a planner, and I always have my less traveled caminos plotted out, but for the Primitivo, it just seems to work out that no plan is necessary and things fall into place. There are two “bottlenecks” - Grado and Berducedo. In Grado, there are several good private options, and I either reserve a few days before or walk further on to the great albergue in San Juan de Villapañada. Berducedo comes after the two variants (Pola de Allande vs. Hospitales) merge, so it’s a good idea to have something lined up there. Or walk a few kms further on to La Mesa where there is a large private albergue/pensión.

I think you should just start out and see how you feel - since you are fit and have camino experience, I think you can adjust on the fly and be fairly confident about getting to Santiago in 12 days total. With or without a rest day depending on how things go.

One possibility instead of a rest day is to walk a long day before Lugo. Assuming you will sleep in Fonsagrada, it’s about 32-33 to Castroverde, where there is an albergue and a pensión. Then the next day you have only about 20 to walk into Lugo. With an early start, that will give you most of the day there. Kind of a “half rest day.”

Buen camino, and let us know what you decide.

 

[LTfit]

I've walked the Primitivo twice, April 2019 and June 2021 (after the San Salvador) and walked it in 9 days or 13 days including the Salvador but I didn't follow the standard Gronze stages and on several days I walked two "normal" stages since I was feeling good.

Walking alone is fine with me and although I enjoy sharing a meal or drinks with other pilgrims, I prefer to walk long stages and so don't usually meet up with the same group of pilgrims.

I usually don' t do much planning or reserve albergues but it was a must in 2021 since there were still Covid restrictions. The great albergue in Bodenaya for example only accepted 5 pilgrims and others were even closed. In 2019 it wasn't necessary but the Primitivo has become quite popular since I've walked it.

My advice would be to go with the flow and see how you feel. Oviedo-Grado is a good first day to test the waters. Both the municipal albergue and the private are nice. And do take the Hospitales route if you can. And Javi who runs the albergue in Samblismo (right after Borres on the Hospitales route) is a good cook. Reserving there would probably be smart.

Buen Camino

 

[peregrina2000]

And Javi who runs the albergue in Samblismo (right after Borres on the Hospitales route) is a good cook. Reserving there would probably be smart.

I can’t find it now, but I know we’ve been told that Javi has closed Samblismo for medical reasons. Gronze doesn’t show it, so that’s some corroboration. Anyone with up to date info? Let’s hope it’s a temporary setback and that he’s soon back in Samblismo. Do you remember the delicious bread he made, @LT?

 

[Trekker One]

My wife and I walked it in 12 days in the fall of 2018 at ages 59 and 58.
No rest days and it didn't feel at all rushed to us. First few days are quite hilly, but not too bad.
By far our favorite Camino out of the seven we have walked.
Not sure we will do another one. No health issues, just more of a 'been there, done that' feeling at this point.
Time for something new.

 

[LTfit]

I can’t find it now, but I know we’ve been told that Javi has closed Samblismo for medical reasons. Gronze doesn’t show it, so that’s some corroboration. Anyone with up to date info? Let’s hope it’s a temporary setback and that he’s soon back in Samblismo. Do you remember the delicious bread he made, @LT?

Sorry to hear! I know Javi from my time as hospi in Ponferrada. He stayed there one winter when I was volunteering and told me all about the opening of his albergue on the Primitivo so when I decided to walk that route I stayed with him. Yes, Laurie, the bread was divine.

Where did you read about the closing (temporary I hope)?

 

[peregrina2000]

Where did you read about the closing (temporary I hope)?

This thread. Thanks to @Peterexpatkiwi for finding the link for me!

 

[David with new Kit!]

Sorry to hear! I know Javi from my time as hospi in Ponferrada. He stayed there one winter when I was volunteering and told me all about the opening of his albergue on the Primitivo so when I decided to walk that route I stayed with him. Yes, Laurie, the bread was divine.

Where did you read about the closing (temporary I hope)?

Definitely shut, I passed it today. I tried to book it earlier this year (unsuccessful) and Javi was hopeful it would hopefully reopen in August, sadly not the case.

 

[soleysoul]

This week I start Oviedo > SdC, with 12 days to do it. And I'd love to take a zero day in Lugo... so 11 days of walking. I'm fit and have past Camino experience.

For those that have walked Oviedo > SdC in 12 days:

• How did your stages differ from the "official" stages? Was there any stage you regret changing? Was it mostly Lugo>SdC that you made up for time?
  
  
• If you took a zero day, was it Lugo or elsewhere?
  
  
• What's the social cost of going faster like this? Making new friends is important to me. Did you end up having to leaving most of your new found friends behind because of this faster pace? Or did you find most walk it in this amount of time?

Thanks!

Thank you everyone for your advice and experience here!

 

[LTfit]

Definitely shut, I passed it today. I tried to book it earlier this year (unsuccessful) and Javi was hopeful it would hopefully reopen in August, sadly not the case.

A quick update about Javi. I had contact with him yesterday and he confirmed that radiotherapy treatment is now over. I didn't ask anything about his albergue, it wouldn't be appropriate given the circumstances, I instead just messaged cuídate mucho.

 

[AgneseSt]

Hi! I made Primitivo in 12 days this summer, without rest days. but with few shorted days and 15 km day before Lugo as i wanted to spend more time to explore city. And i took first 3 days with shorter distance approx 19 km to let my body adapt. So without much effort i deffinately could walk in 11 days. My stages:
Oviedo-Paladin-Cornellana-Bodenaya-Borres-La Mesa-Grandas de Salime-O Pineiral-Castroverde-Lugo-Ferreira-Arzua-Santiago.
Buen Camino

 

[David Tallan]

A quick update about Javi. I had contact with him yesterday and he confirmed that radiotherapy treatment is now over. I didn't ask anything about his albergue, it wouldn't be appropriate given the circumstances, I instead just messaged cuídate mucho.

There is a GoFundMe to help him that is making the rounds on Facebook Camino groups. I know Johnniewalker Santiago shared it on his Camino de Santiago All Routes group.