Primitivo stages & accommodation.

[Jessiek9]

I am doing the Primitivo route late August /Sept '24.
I have three weeks, I would like to keep daily distances less than 25k.
Would anybody have an itinerary with suggested stages & accommodation to share?

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Jessie, most do the Primitivo in 12 to 14 days, with 14 days bringing the stages in at under 25km per day on average. If you really want to slow it down you could take the whole 3 weeks and do extremely short days - see the recent thread from @Thomas1.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camino-primitivo-4-2024.86290/

With 3 weeks you have time to walk the Primitivo in and continue on to Finisterre should you so wish.

 

[Anhalter]

The Gronze stages are pretty much all between 20 and 25, with one exception. That would bring you to Melide in 11 days, 2-3 more to Santiago.
I'd like to mention that especially on the Primitivo you should look more towards the elevation profile of the stage than its total lenght. I remember a few days where i would have gladly exchanged the 5km of continuous ascent for 20km of flat Meseta ;-)

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@Anhalter is right about the elevation. And, unlike many people's expectations, it's not all before the Hospitales!

Incidentally an extremely useful guide is the 'Village to Village' Camino Primitivo , which has elevation, stages, accommodation etc all listed. Should be available from Ivars store, here on the forum.

A quick look at my old guide shows me:

Oviedo - Paladin, 20km
P - Cornellana 17
C - Bodenaya or La Espina, appx 20
B - El Espin 25
E - Berducedo 25km, via the Hospitales
B - Castro 26
C - A Fonsagrada 21
A - O Cadavo 24
O - Vilar de Cas 15
V - Lugo 15,5
L - Ferreira 26
F - Melide 21
M - A Calle 22
A - Lavacolla 23
L - Santiago 10

15 days of stages that are within you or very close to your limits. There are so many individual variations. It's not as easy as on the Frances to play around, but always possible if you have the time. It would be easy to shorten some of these days even further and add an extra day or two to your Camino.

However bear in mind that the last few days are practically flat (compared to the earlier stages) and so much easier to do longer days. Especially as by then you will well and truly have your Camino legs under you!

If you are not interested in walking on to Finisterre then I would stay an extra day in Oviedo before you start, and Lugo whilst underway. Still gives you a couple of days in Santiago.

There are a few things to look at for whilst underway, have a browse through the forum and you'll find a number of suggestions.

Happy planning!

 

[Teddie]

I'd like to mention that especially on the Primitivo you should look more towards the elevation profile of the stage than its total lenght. I remember a few days where i would have gladly exchanged the 5km of continuous ascent for 20km of flat Meseta ;-)

Agree....25km did seem a 35km day

 

[jsalt]

A small group of us are planning the following accommodations in Sep. It might give you some ideas for your own itinerary. The figures on each line are the number of kilometres. May see you there!

Bus MAD T4 to Oviedo La Hospederia Oviedo
Escamplero 12.6 Municipal Albergue
Grado 13.2 Albergue La Quintana
Cornellana 11.4 Municipal Albergue
Salas 11.3 Albergue Casa Sueno
La Espina 8.4 Albergue El Cruce
Tineo 11.6 Alb. Palacio de Meras
Campiello 12.9 Albergue Casa Herminia
Pola de Allande 14.2 Alb. La Casita de Aba
La Mesa (or bus 10,5km) 22.2 Albergue Miguelin
Grandas de Salime 16.0 Alb. Porta de Grandas
Fonsagrada (no buses) 26.2 Albergue Casa Cuartel
O Cadavo (or bus 12,7km) 24.7 Albergue Porta Santa
Vilar de Cas 15.0 Alb. A Pocina de Muniz
Lugo 15.9 Hotel Mendez Nunez
Ferreira (no bus at w/e) 26.8 Albergue Ponte Ferreira
Melide (no bus at w/e) 20.7 Albergue Arraigos
Ribadiso 11.2 Alb. Los Caminantes
O Pedrouzo 21.8 Albergue Mirador
Santiago 20.3 Hospederia San Martin

 

[Camino Chrissy]

stay an extra day in Oviedo before you start, and Lugo whilst underway. Still gives you a couple of days in Santiago.

A geat suggestion, Peter. I stayed two nights in each of those cities. There is much to see and do in both of them.

 

[peregrina2000]

Pola de Allande 14.2 Alb. La Casita de Aba

If it’s getting cool in September, I would recommend the Fabada Asturiana in the Hotel Allandesa’s restaurant. It is highly acclaimed and as good a place as any to try it.

Melide (no bus at w/e) 20.7 Albergue Arraigos

And p.s., thanks for the mention of Ribadiso. I am helping someone plan a Primitivo now and I had forgotten all about it, definitely a good stop!

Grandas de Salime 16.0 Alb. Porta de Grandas

I’m assuming you have this all set, but have you thought about continuing beyond Grandas to Castro? That would also have the advantage of shortening the next day. The excavation in Castro has reopened and the museum is small but very interesting if your group is into that kind of thing.

 

[jsalt]

I’m assuming you have this all set, but have you thought about continuing beyond Grandas to Castro?

Thanks for the suggestion. Castro looked a bit “grim”, with only two places to stay – a small youth hostel and a small casa rural – both with “dodgy” reviews. I know my group , and decided Grandas de Salime was probably a better option for us for an overnight stay, especially after that long uphill slog to get there! After 10 short days of hiking we should be ok for the long haul to Fonsagrada the next day.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I know my group , and decided Grandas de Salime was probably a better option for us for an overnight stay, especially after that long uphill slog to get there!

My overnight at the hotel there was one of my very favorites! I hadn't planned to stay, as I was winging it day to day, but after stopping for an afternoon drink on the beautiful terrace overlooking the dam area in sun, I asked if they had a room available. It was lovely, and even our twin room had a great view.

 

[jsalt]

My overnight at the hotel there was one of my very favorites!

I was very tempted to stop there too (2018), but after a delightful long cold beer decided to keep on going. I stayed at the municipal in Grandas and found that I had caught up with my “camino family” (sorry, for those that don’t like “camino families", but that’s how it was), and early next morning (my birthday) the Italians in the group sang “happy birthday” to me – one of my fondest memories of the Primitivo.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Thanks for the suggestion. Castro looked a bit “grim”, with only two places to stay – a small youth hostel and a small casa rural – both with “dodgy” reviews. I know my group , and decided Grandas de Salime was probably a better option for us for an overnight stay, especially after that long uphill slog to get there! After 10 short days of hiking we should be ok for the long haul to Fonsagrada the next day.

Well that small youth hostel - Juvenil der Castro - is dodgy no longer! A young brother and sister team took it over in July last year, and they are absolutely fantastic. Very tasty communal meal and breakfast. (The coffee took a little while because he only had a little one cup machine and there were 12 of us for breakfast!) Everything was very clean.

I really got lucky last year, I hit three places within a week or less of them opening/ taking over from the previous owners: Bodenaya, Casa Pascual (new), and JD Castro. Loved them all!

 

[jsalt]

Does it belong to the International Youth Hostel Federation? i.e you have to have a membership card to stay? If not, why is it called a "youth hostel"?

 

[peregrina2000]

To round out the reviews of the places to stay in Castro, I stayed in the Hotel Rural Chao San Martín in fall 2022. I’m not sure how it gets to use the label “hotel”, since it is really a house with rooms to rent out. But having said that, I took a look at the gronze reviews and have to say I think the bad ones are quite a bit over the top. It was a perfectly clean room and bathroom. The proprietors may have a few quirks (though the woman is very friendly and chatty), and I am glad I went to the restaurant in the albergue to eat, not because of cleanliness, but just because I saw what was on offer. But I think the room was 30 or less for a single, and I have absolutely no complaints. For me the real attraction was the ability to see the castro and the museum, and it’s in a great location for that.

I have to say that the more I read reviews on Gronze, the more I think that there has been a huge shift in accommodation expectations.

 

[dbier]

A small group of us are planning the following accommodations in Sep. It might give you some ideas for your own itinerary. The figures on each line are the number of kilometres. May see you there!

Bus MAD T4 to Oviedo La Hospederia Oviedo
Escamplero 12.6 Municipal Albergue
Grado 13.2 Albergue La Quintana
Cornellana 11.4 Municipal Albergue
Salas 11.3 Albergue Casa Sueno
La Espina 8.4 Albergue El Cruce
Tineo 11.6 Alb. Palacio de Meras
Campiello 12.9 Albergue Casa Herminia
Pola de Allande 14.2 Alb. La Casita de Aba
La Mesa (or bus 10,5km) 22.2 Albergue Miguelin
Grandas de Salime 16.0 Alb. Porta de Grandas
Fonsagrada (no buses) 26.2 Albergue Casa Cuartel
O Cadavo (or bus 12,7km) 24.7 Albergue Porta Santa
Vilar de Cas 15.0 Alb. A Pocina de Muniz
Lugo 15.9 Hotel Mendez Nunez
Ferreira (no bus at w/e) 26.8 Albergue Ponte Ferreira
Melide (no bus at w/e) 20.7 Albergue Arraigos
Ribadiso 11.2 Alb. Los Caminantes
O Pedrouzo 21.8 Albergue Mirador
Santiago 20.3 Hospederia San Martin

I can speak well of Albergues El Cruce, Casa Herminia, and Ponte Ferreira from last September.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Does it belong to the International Youth Hostel Federation? i.e you have to have a membership card to stay? If not, why is it called a "youth hostel"?

No membership card required, and only pilgrims were present. No idea about the name. It's 4 bedrooms, each with 4 beds, and four bathrooms each with shower and toilet. The rooms are small and the walls are thin, but it's nice being in a smaller dorm.
Local's drop in for an hour or so in the evening for a drink, but it's very quiet and extremely civilised - not rowdy like some Spanish bars! I think they love being able to go out for coffee and cake.... That little coffee machine was taking a hiding. Patricia & Chemi? (sp) were new, but great hosts - it was Chemi's dream to open an Albergue, and Patricia quit her job to help him. Both have travelled and so 'get it'.

 

[David Tallan]

@Anhalter is right about the elevation. And, unlike many people's expectations, it's not all before the Hospitales!

Incidentally an extremely useful guide is the 'Village to Village' Camino Primitivo , which has elevation, stages, accommodation etc all listed. Should be available from Ivars store, here on the forum.

A quick look at my old guide shows me:

Oviedo - Paladin, 20km
P - Cornellana 17
C - Bodenaya or La Espina, appx 20
B - El Espin 25
E - Berducedo 25km, via the Hospitales
B - Castro 26
C - A Fonsagrada 21
A - O Cadavo 24
O - Vilar de Cas 15
V - Lugo 15,5
L - Ferreira 26
F - Melide 21
M - A Calle 22
A - Lavacolla 23
L - Santiago 10

15 days of stages that are within you or very close to your limits. There are so many individual variations. It's not as easy as on the Frances to play around, but always possible if you have the time. It would be easy to shorten some of these days even further and add an extra day or two to your Camino.

However bear in mind that the last few days are practically flat (compared to the earlier stages) and so much easier to do longer days. Especially as by then you will well and truly have your Camino legs under you!

If you are not interested in walking on to Finisterre then I would stay an extra day in Oviedo before you start, and Lugo whilst underway. Still gives you a couple of days in Santiago.

There are a few things to look at for whilst underway, have a browse through the forum and you'll find a number of suggestions.

Happy planning!

Just a note that the stage to Berducedo over Hospitales can be shorter if you spend the night before in Samblismo or Albergue Los Hospitales.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Just a note that the stage to Berducedo over Hospitales can be shorter if you spend the night before in Samblismo or Albergue Los Hospitales.

True, but that’s 6km or so from El Espin, meaning either completely reworking the stages I suggest or a 31km day…