MKalcolm M
Solvitur ambulando - It is solved by walking
- Time of past OR future Camino
- north route spring 2013
Camino San Salvador, 11th to 16th August 2017.
I’m recently back from the San Salvador, and here are some details of the walk, for anyone who would like to use them.
In Leon I stayed in the alberge run by the Benedictine nuns. Though not catholic, I went to Mass that evening at seven, and after dinner, went to the pilgrims blessing at 9.00pm. At both services the nuns singing was lovely, and were a nice way to start the camino.
First day, Leon to La Robla 27km
Breakfast started at 6.00am, so I was on the path for 6.30. I walked through town in the dark, and quickly got to the point where the camino divides, and found the first of the wooden markers for the San Salvador. I walked out of town following the path by the river, which gives a nice feeling of having left the town quickly, rather than walking along the road through suburbs. The sun rose as I walked by some horses grazing, which was a pleasant start to the walk. I didn’t find the route away from the river in time and was confronted by a six foot chink-link fence, but managed to get over it with minimal loss of blood and dignity. A bit further on, I found the pilgrims monument and water fountain and stopped for a few minutes. Shortly after this the tarred road ends and the dirt track starts, and town is now behind you. I walked on to Cabanillas, where there is a lovely little square with a water fountain and trees for shade, and so stopped for a rest and ate food that I carried with me. A few kms on you pass but don’t enter a town, then come to the village of Cascantes where the bar is a welcome watering hole serving up coffee and natural orange juice. I liked the notice on the wall which said “There is no WiFi, talk to each other instead.”
Continuing on, the path walks past a large power station, and you finally pass a huge chimney which has been visible for several kilometes. Arriving in La Robla, there are several cafes and shops, and there was a market in the centre of town that day, where I bought fruit and tomatoes very cheaply. The alberge is at the far end of town and is very civilised. There was no one around except another pilgrim, so we entered and made ourselves at home, brewing up tea and doing our washing. The kitchen is well served and most people cooked up meals rather than eating in town. I was fed by two Italians, who cooked up a huge quantity of spaghetti and shared it with me. We walked into town for coffee and a chaser, which made a good end to the day. Of the 16 beds, 14 were filled by pilgrims that night.
Second Day, La Robla to Poladura de la Tercia 24km
In order to try and not be walking in the heat of the day, I left town at 6.00am, and walked to the end of town, passing the ancient bridge, and heading into the hills. You now start to walk through the pass between the hills which were ahead for most of the previous day. The path takes you to a lovely old church, with a bar opposite, which made for a good caffeine shot and some breakfast.
After the town of Pola de Gordon, which was all closed up when I walked through, the next part of the walk is where the scenery really kicks in, with many great sights as you walk along. I saw a peregrine falcon, soaring beautifully as it returned to its nest on a cliff face. After a few kms, the camino follows a quiet road through a deep valley, with huge rock formations on either side. Because of the steep sides, the walk is in shade, which is a big help for us Northerners who stroke instead of tan. There is a heart stopping moment when you encounter a wolf on a rock formation... This road leads to La Buiza, where the shade ends, and the climb begins. There is a water fountain here, with clear, cold water. Drink deep, and fill your water bottles, as there is no more water for the rest of the day.
The way now starts to climb, a hot and dusty path, which at times feels steeper than the route taken by a home sick angel. I wheezed and puffed up it, admiring the views and the rock formations. Near the top the path enters an area of green pasture, where it is not so steep, then all of a sudden you cross the ridge, and the view into the next valley opens into a vast panorama. This is a moment to savour. The path descends through oak woods, before following the edge of a hill with spectacular scenery all around. The quietness, with only the buzzing of bees and the distant ringing of cow bells, is delightful. Fate plays a trick and a small town comes into sight, but this is not the end of the days walk, which is still a few kilometres away. As the path descends, you enter into another valley with a different panorama, through which to walk. Town finally arrives, with an alberge which is blessedly cool inside.
There is a kitchen in the alberge if you have carried food with you. I had phoned ahead the day before, and ordered a meal from the Casa Rural. If you choose this option, be careful regarding timing. You will be asked when you want your meal, basically lunch time or evening. I said 2.00pm, which is roughly when I hit town. Others arrived famished, but were told no food until 6.30pm. This so upset my Italian friends that they cancelled their order, called for a taxi and took it to the nearest town and came back clutching enough tuna and pasta to feed an army. Of the 14 beds, 13 were full of pilgrims.
Third day, Poldura to Pajares 15km
This was not a route to start walking in the dark, so I left the alberge at 6.50am, just as dawn was breaking. The route quickly leaves the road and starts heading up hill, but mercifully not as steeply as the day before. After a steady climb, the route follows the contours of a valley, into a spectacularly beautiful basin. The sun was rising on the distant hills, turning the rocks a gold colour while the green of the pastures balanced the grey of the rocks, I walked on taking pictures as I went, then suddenly the cross of the Salvador is above you. Keep a piece of fruit or some chocolate to munch here, as it is the best breakfast spot, anywhere in the world. The views are a tonic and ample inspiration for the weary walker. I continued on climbing again, through high green pastures, passing a rock angel who welcomes you into the next stage, then up to a ridge marked by an iron cross to a summit, where again you cross the range and a whole new vista beckons. A steep descent follows, then another climb and descent to an old church which was sadly closed when I got there. A trot along the main road takes you to a bar, opposite a closed Parador Hotel. The cake, caffeine and orange juice at the bar goes down very easily. The views from here are magnificent, and mark the boundary with Asturias, where the camino signs change from wooden posts to white painted concrete with scallop shell tiles. The path continues to a high point, then starts to descend faster than a hammer down a mine shaft. Take this path slowly and carefully, as it’s a very long way down with nothing to break your fall.
Once down the side of the hill, the road wends its way to Pajares, which is a lovely little red roofed town. The alberge was closed, but the hospitallero answered our phone call and said she would be there within five minutes. The alberge is comfortable, with fantastic views from the windows. There are no shops, but there is a bar.
Here arose the only sour note of the camino. The kitchen was locked, and when we asked to use it the hospitallero called the bar, and booked us in for lunch. The food was mediocre and overpriced. Come evening we asked if we could use the kitchen, but were told no, as apparently pilgrims stole the pans. I had carried food for three of us, and we had already eaten lunch at the bar, so did not want to pay for another cooked meal. I pleaded, grovelled and used all my resources to finally get to borrow a plate and a knife, just to make up sandwiches. Later we were told that the hospitalleros niece owned the bar, and this was why the kitchen was locked. There was nowhere to get breakfast the next morning, we couldn’t brew up in the locked kitchen and the vending machine did not dispense coffee as it claimed, so we were a grumpy bunch of deprived caffeine addicts when we left.
Six pilgrims who arrived here were not happy with the situation, so at 4.00pm decided to walk to Buendenos, 16kms further on, so there were only about eight of us in the alberge that night.
Fourth day, Pajares to Buendenos 16kms
This day started cool with thick cloud hovering over the mountains, which made for brisk walking. Again, the path drops like a bucket down a well, until you find a little town at the bottom, from where it starts to climb slowly along the side of a valley. This walk through woods and fields is very pleasant. The path takes you through a few small towns, at each of which my Italian companions would ask for a bar in order to calm the caffeine demon within, but the answer was always the same. “No hay”.
After 15kms is the little town of Erias (or Herias, on some maps), from which the alberge at Buendenous is clearly marked, and is 1.5kms away. I thought this would just be a hop, skip and a jump, but the road is so steep that it was hard going, and it was a relief to finally arrive.
Every camino I have walked has one alberge which stands out as truly memorable, and this is Buendenous on the Salvador. It is opposite the old church and is truly lovely. I arrived, had time for a shower, and was invited to lunch, which was a great feast. In the evening a large meal was served up amidst much humour and conviviality. Here, we were informed that the alberge at Mieres where most of us planned to stop the next day had closed suddenly due to the ill health of the hospitalero. This caused a fair amount of debate and map consultation, with some people saying they would walk to Pola de Lena, a very short walk the next day, and a very long last day to Oviedo. I elected to walk on to Mieres and look for some alternative accommodation, and my Italian friends decided to do the same.
Fifth day, Buendenous to Mieres 24kms.
We left as dawn broke and followed the route back down to town, continuing to Campomanes where we found an open bar and fuelled up on caffeine and fresh orange juice. The path follows a river for a while, then leads up steeply to a very old but lovely chapel. Unfortunately, much of the route now follows beside a noisy motorway, which is a total contrast to the peace and beauty of the previous days.
In Pola de Lena we again stopped for a while in a local watering hole, which was very hospitable and pleasant to spend time in.
The route continues for quite a while near the motorway, but is relatively flat so it is easy walking. By the time we reached Mieres we were all really tired and foot sore, and walked into the centre of town, looking for the local tourist information office, to find a pension for the night. A festival was due soon, so everywhere was closed, including the tourist information office. A local told us there was a pension just around the corner and lead us to it. It was pricey but we were too tired to care and all got rooms there.
In the evening we headed out in search of food, and were steered to a local Sideria (Cider house). This being the heart of cider country we drank this, and saw all the waiters demonstrating pouring from the bottle held high over their heads, into a glass held below the waist. The food was superb and brought in vast quantities. It was the only time I saw my Italian friends defeated by the amount, and unable to finish their plates.
Last day, Mieres to Oviedo, 25kms.
There was no breakfast in our pension, but my companions tracked down a bar just off the camino route, which served the biggest croissants I have ever seen, plus coffee, so well fed, we set off for our last day. Again we started with grey skies and thick cloud, which was pleasantly cool to walk in. After 2.5kms we passed the closed alberge, and here the road starts to climb, as you leave town behind. The area is very green and verdant, which is a pleasant contrast to the industrial complexes in the bottom of the valley.
Again, the path leads to a high point, after which the route descends into another valley, leading down to the town of Olioniego. At this high point, the clouds broke, opening up the sky to glorious sunshine, and a green and pleasant path which is a real contrast to the grey route beside the motorway of the day before. This path goes through some twists and turns, and again opens up to magnificent views, and then turning a corner Oviedo appears across the next vista.
We stopped in a little plaza, knowing that the end would come within the next hour or so, and all too soon we were entering town, and en-route to the cathedral. Normally the ending of any camino is at the cathedral, but my Italian friends spotted a supermarket, and bought massive quantities of food, and we went past the alberge and so went straight in, booked a bed and proceeded to the kitchen where they cooked up a storm. After a shower, a snooze and a change of clothes we went into the centre and got our Salvadoranas in the cathedral.
And there it ended.
A few basic points.
The route is well marked, easy to follow and you are never far from a yellow arrow. I didn’t get lost at any point. Enders guide is ample, and lays out your options clearly.
Carry plenty plasters, Compeed, foot treatments, etc. that you are likely to need, as shops are few and far between.
If staying in Poldura then your food options are to pre order from the casa rural the day before or carry food to cook up in the alberge kitchen.
There are food delivery vans which retail either bread or fruit and veg in the towns. If you hear several loud, regular blasts on a car horn, then it is a food vendor arriving in town. This is a great chance to buy fresh bread and/or veggies.
All the alberges are small, and the bunks are pretty close together, so ear plugs to allow sleep amongst the snorers were essential for me. (One of my Italian friends snored loud enough to wake the dead).
Very few people along the route speak English. I speak very little Spanish, but managed to get along ok, often with the help of fellow pilgrims who were bi-lingual.
There were many other pilgrims on the route at this time of year, but not enough to overfill the alberges. As far as I know, everyone that needed found a bed each night, so there is no need to worry about a bed race.
This is the hottest, highest, hardest camino I have walked. It is also the most beautiful, the most peaceful and the most memorable. If the world was going to end next week, I would spend this week walking the Salvador one more time.
I’m recently back from the San Salvador, and here are some details of the walk, for anyone who would like to use them.
In Leon I stayed in the alberge run by the Benedictine nuns. Though not catholic, I went to Mass that evening at seven, and after dinner, went to the pilgrims blessing at 9.00pm. At both services the nuns singing was lovely, and were a nice way to start the camino.
First day, Leon to La Robla 27km
Breakfast started at 6.00am, so I was on the path for 6.30. I walked through town in the dark, and quickly got to the point where the camino divides, and found the first of the wooden markers for the San Salvador. I walked out of town following the path by the river, which gives a nice feeling of having left the town quickly, rather than walking along the road through suburbs. The sun rose as I walked by some horses grazing, which was a pleasant start to the walk. I didn’t find the route away from the river in time and was confronted by a six foot chink-link fence, but managed to get over it with minimal loss of blood and dignity. A bit further on, I found the pilgrims monument and water fountain and stopped for a few minutes. Shortly after this the tarred road ends and the dirt track starts, and town is now behind you. I walked on to Cabanillas, where there is a lovely little square with a water fountain and trees for shade, and so stopped for a rest and ate food that I carried with me. A few kms on you pass but don’t enter a town, then come to the village of Cascantes where the bar is a welcome watering hole serving up coffee and natural orange juice. I liked the notice on the wall which said “There is no WiFi, talk to each other instead.”
Continuing on, the path walks past a large power station, and you finally pass a huge chimney which has been visible for several kilometes. Arriving in La Robla, there are several cafes and shops, and there was a market in the centre of town that day, where I bought fruit and tomatoes very cheaply. The alberge is at the far end of town and is very civilised. There was no one around except another pilgrim, so we entered and made ourselves at home, brewing up tea and doing our washing. The kitchen is well served and most people cooked up meals rather than eating in town. I was fed by two Italians, who cooked up a huge quantity of spaghetti and shared it with me. We walked into town for coffee and a chaser, which made a good end to the day. Of the 16 beds, 14 were filled by pilgrims that night.
Second Day, La Robla to Poladura de la Tercia 24km
In order to try and not be walking in the heat of the day, I left town at 6.00am, and walked to the end of town, passing the ancient bridge, and heading into the hills. You now start to walk through the pass between the hills which were ahead for most of the previous day. The path takes you to a lovely old church, with a bar opposite, which made for a good caffeine shot and some breakfast.
After the town of Pola de Gordon, which was all closed up when I walked through, the next part of the walk is where the scenery really kicks in, with many great sights as you walk along. I saw a peregrine falcon, soaring beautifully as it returned to its nest on a cliff face. After a few kms, the camino follows a quiet road through a deep valley, with huge rock formations on either side. Because of the steep sides, the walk is in shade, which is a big help for us Northerners who stroke instead of tan. There is a heart stopping moment when you encounter a wolf on a rock formation... This road leads to La Buiza, where the shade ends, and the climb begins. There is a water fountain here, with clear, cold water. Drink deep, and fill your water bottles, as there is no more water for the rest of the day.
The way now starts to climb, a hot and dusty path, which at times feels steeper than the route taken by a home sick angel. I wheezed and puffed up it, admiring the views and the rock formations. Near the top the path enters an area of green pasture, where it is not so steep, then all of a sudden you cross the ridge, and the view into the next valley opens into a vast panorama. This is a moment to savour. The path descends through oak woods, before following the edge of a hill with spectacular scenery all around. The quietness, with only the buzzing of bees and the distant ringing of cow bells, is delightful. Fate plays a trick and a small town comes into sight, but this is not the end of the days walk, which is still a few kilometres away. As the path descends, you enter into another valley with a different panorama, through which to walk. Town finally arrives, with an alberge which is blessedly cool inside.
There is a kitchen in the alberge if you have carried food with you. I had phoned ahead the day before, and ordered a meal from the Casa Rural. If you choose this option, be careful regarding timing. You will be asked when you want your meal, basically lunch time or evening. I said 2.00pm, which is roughly when I hit town. Others arrived famished, but were told no food until 6.30pm. This so upset my Italian friends that they cancelled their order, called for a taxi and took it to the nearest town and came back clutching enough tuna and pasta to feed an army. Of the 14 beds, 13 were full of pilgrims.
Third day, Poldura to Pajares 15km
This was not a route to start walking in the dark, so I left the alberge at 6.50am, just as dawn was breaking. The route quickly leaves the road and starts heading up hill, but mercifully not as steeply as the day before. After a steady climb, the route follows the contours of a valley, into a spectacularly beautiful basin. The sun was rising on the distant hills, turning the rocks a gold colour while the green of the pastures balanced the grey of the rocks, I walked on taking pictures as I went, then suddenly the cross of the Salvador is above you. Keep a piece of fruit or some chocolate to munch here, as it is the best breakfast spot, anywhere in the world. The views are a tonic and ample inspiration for the weary walker. I continued on climbing again, through high green pastures, passing a rock angel who welcomes you into the next stage, then up to a ridge marked by an iron cross to a summit, where again you cross the range and a whole new vista beckons. A steep descent follows, then another climb and descent to an old church which was sadly closed when I got there. A trot along the main road takes you to a bar, opposite a closed Parador Hotel. The cake, caffeine and orange juice at the bar goes down very easily. The views from here are magnificent, and mark the boundary with Asturias, where the camino signs change from wooden posts to white painted concrete with scallop shell tiles. The path continues to a high point, then starts to descend faster than a hammer down a mine shaft. Take this path slowly and carefully, as it’s a very long way down with nothing to break your fall.
Once down the side of the hill, the road wends its way to Pajares, which is a lovely little red roofed town. The alberge was closed, but the hospitallero answered our phone call and said she would be there within five minutes. The alberge is comfortable, with fantastic views from the windows. There are no shops, but there is a bar.
Here arose the only sour note of the camino. The kitchen was locked, and when we asked to use it the hospitallero called the bar, and booked us in for lunch. The food was mediocre and overpriced. Come evening we asked if we could use the kitchen, but were told no, as apparently pilgrims stole the pans. I had carried food for three of us, and we had already eaten lunch at the bar, so did not want to pay for another cooked meal. I pleaded, grovelled and used all my resources to finally get to borrow a plate and a knife, just to make up sandwiches. Later we were told that the hospitalleros niece owned the bar, and this was why the kitchen was locked. There was nowhere to get breakfast the next morning, we couldn’t brew up in the locked kitchen and the vending machine did not dispense coffee as it claimed, so we were a grumpy bunch of deprived caffeine addicts when we left.
Six pilgrims who arrived here were not happy with the situation, so at 4.00pm decided to walk to Buendenos, 16kms further on, so there were only about eight of us in the alberge that night.
Fourth day, Pajares to Buendenos 16kms
This day started cool with thick cloud hovering over the mountains, which made for brisk walking. Again, the path drops like a bucket down a well, until you find a little town at the bottom, from where it starts to climb slowly along the side of a valley. This walk through woods and fields is very pleasant. The path takes you through a few small towns, at each of which my Italian companions would ask for a bar in order to calm the caffeine demon within, but the answer was always the same. “No hay”.
After 15kms is the little town of Erias (or Herias, on some maps), from which the alberge at Buendenous is clearly marked, and is 1.5kms away. I thought this would just be a hop, skip and a jump, but the road is so steep that it was hard going, and it was a relief to finally arrive.
Every camino I have walked has one alberge which stands out as truly memorable, and this is Buendenous on the Salvador. It is opposite the old church and is truly lovely. I arrived, had time for a shower, and was invited to lunch, which was a great feast. In the evening a large meal was served up amidst much humour and conviviality. Here, we were informed that the alberge at Mieres where most of us planned to stop the next day had closed suddenly due to the ill health of the hospitalero. This caused a fair amount of debate and map consultation, with some people saying they would walk to Pola de Lena, a very short walk the next day, and a very long last day to Oviedo. I elected to walk on to Mieres and look for some alternative accommodation, and my Italian friends decided to do the same.
Fifth day, Buendenous to Mieres 24kms.
We left as dawn broke and followed the route back down to town, continuing to Campomanes where we found an open bar and fuelled up on caffeine and fresh orange juice. The path follows a river for a while, then leads up steeply to a very old but lovely chapel. Unfortunately, much of the route now follows beside a noisy motorway, which is a total contrast to the peace and beauty of the previous days.
In Pola de Lena we again stopped for a while in a local watering hole, which was very hospitable and pleasant to spend time in.
The route continues for quite a while near the motorway, but is relatively flat so it is easy walking. By the time we reached Mieres we were all really tired and foot sore, and walked into the centre of town, looking for the local tourist information office, to find a pension for the night. A festival was due soon, so everywhere was closed, including the tourist information office. A local told us there was a pension just around the corner and lead us to it. It was pricey but we were too tired to care and all got rooms there.
In the evening we headed out in search of food, and were steered to a local Sideria (Cider house). This being the heart of cider country we drank this, and saw all the waiters demonstrating pouring from the bottle held high over their heads, into a glass held below the waist. The food was superb and brought in vast quantities. It was the only time I saw my Italian friends defeated by the amount, and unable to finish their plates.
Last day, Mieres to Oviedo, 25kms.
There was no breakfast in our pension, but my companions tracked down a bar just off the camino route, which served the biggest croissants I have ever seen, plus coffee, so well fed, we set off for our last day. Again we started with grey skies and thick cloud, which was pleasantly cool to walk in. After 2.5kms we passed the closed alberge, and here the road starts to climb, as you leave town behind. The area is very green and verdant, which is a pleasant contrast to the industrial complexes in the bottom of the valley.
Again, the path leads to a high point, after which the route descends into another valley, leading down to the town of Olioniego. At this high point, the clouds broke, opening up the sky to glorious sunshine, and a green and pleasant path which is a real contrast to the grey route beside the motorway of the day before. This path goes through some twists and turns, and again opens up to magnificent views, and then turning a corner Oviedo appears across the next vista.
We stopped in a little plaza, knowing that the end would come within the next hour or so, and all too soon we were entering town, and en-route to the cathedral. Normally the ending of any camino is at the cathedral, but my Italian friends spotted a supermarket, and bought massive quantities of food, and we went past the alberge and so went straight in, booked a bed and proceeded to the kitchen where they cooked up a storm. After a shower, a snooze and a change of clothes we went into the centre and got our Salvadoranas in the cathedral.
And there it ended.
A few basic points.
The route is well marked, easy to follow and you are never far from a yellow arrow. I didn’t get lost at any point. Enders guide is ample, and lays out your options clearly.
Carry plenty plasters, Compeed, foot treatments, etc. that you are likely to need, as shops are few and far between.
If staying in Poldura then your food options are to pre order from the casa rural the day before or carry food to cook up in the alberge kitchen.
There are food delivery vans which retail either bread or fruit and veg in the towns. If you hear several loud, regular blasts on a car horn, then it is a food vendor arriving in town. This is a great chance to buy fresh bread and/or veggies.
All the alberges are small, and the bunks are pretty close together, so ear plugs to allow sleep amongst the snorers were essential for me. (One of my Italian friends snored loud enough to wake the dead).
Very few people along the route speak English. I speak very little Spanish, but managed to get along ok, often with the help of fellow pilgrims who were bi-lingual.
There were many other pilgrims on the route at this time of year, but not enough to overfill the alberges. As far as I know, everyone that needed found a bed each night, so there is no need to worry about a bed race.
This is the hottest, highest, hardest camino I have walked. It is also the most beautiful, the most peaceful and the most memorable. If the world was going to end next week, I would spend this week walking the Salvador one more time.
