San Salvador & Primitivo

[CdnDreamer]

I walked the Camino Frances in 2012 and 2015. This year I will walk the San Salvador and then the Primitivo. I will have just over 3 weeks to walk the two caminos, and I am hoping that will be enough time. Less than two months to go and I am so excited and so terrified. It will be interesting to see if I enjoy walking the San Salvador as I expect that I will be alone most of the time. I am looking forward to the mountains. If anyone has any tips for me, or places I should stop or see, please let me know. I have downloaded the WisePilgrim app for the Salvador and printed out the Enders Guide. I haven't done any research on the Primitivo yet.
Norma

 

[peregrina2000]

I walked the Camino Frances in 2012 and 2015. This year I will walk the San Salvador and then the Primitivo. I will have just over 3 weeks to walk the two caminos, and I am hoping that will be enough time. Less than two months to go and I am so excited and so terrified. It will be interesting to see if I enjoy walking the San Salvador as I expect that I will be alone most of the time. I am looking forward to the mountains. If anyone has any tips for me, or places I should stop or see, please let me know. I have downloaded the WisePilgrim app for the Salvador and printed out the Enders Guide. I haven't done any research on the Primitivo yet.
Norma

Hi, Norma,
I have sung the praises of this combination many times. I have walked the Salvador in 4, 5, and even 6 days! In reality, I find the 5 day version to be about the same as the 4 day, the main difference being that on Day 1 I walked to Pola de Gordón in the four day version, and Day 1 on the 5-day was only to La Robla, which is a pretty short day at 21 km. Just depends on your fitness level. Since you are walking in May, you are unlikely to have any crunch on the beds. August is a different story.

I have walked the Primitivo several times, once in 11 days, once in 12 days, and once in 13 days. I think the 13 day version is pretty standard and if you are a good walker, leaves plenty of time to smell the proverbial roses. But I did like my stages better on the 12 day version! I have summaries posted in the Primitivo forum, you can find them easily if interested.

So, adding these up, say 13 for Primitivo and 5 for Salvador, you still have a good cushion in case you want to spend an extra day in Oviedo or Lugo, both of which I would HIGHLY recommend because they are both very wonderful cities. All in all, a perfect way to spend three weeks! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Ena Nova]

Hi, Norma,
happy to hear that you will be walking Camino del Salvador + Primitivo at the end of May, so we won't be the only ones there on Salvador. We are two peregrinas, we plan to walk from Leon to Santiago in 5+12 days, and we have one spare day, just in case ... We are scared and excited at the same time, looking forward to the Way very much. We'll start walking from Leon on May 18th. See you?
Buen camino!

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

Some tips:
For the Salvador
- on the way to Pajares you come to a sometimes very busy road. You can follow the road to cross the pass, about 500 meters after the pass the Camino trail goes to the left. When there are many trucks this can be very dangerous, because there is not much walking space. Ender has marked an alternative route to the right side of the road: first you climb a few hundred meters, then you descend and cross the road to the Camino trail.This descent I found to be very unpleasant, steep. A next time I would choose to walk along the road unless it was very busy.
The next day I sure would stay in the Sandra's Albergue in Benduenos. It is very lovely.
On the Primitivo
In Tineo there is a luxury hotel which has in the basement a very good albergue (I don't know the name) The same in Fonsagrada.
Weather permitting I would walk the Hospitalesroute after ,Borres.

 

[CdnDreamer]

@Ena Nova - I am arriving in Leon by train on May 19 and will start walking on the 20th. I am walking alone, but there are two other Canadian women who are walking the Madrid and then the Salvador and Primitivo. They are expecting to arrive in Oveido between May 27 and 31st. Maybe this is the year peregrinas take over the Salvador! It sounds like we will all be on the Salvador at the same time.

@Antonius Vaessen Thanks for the tips. I have added them to my guides! Even though I do enjoy walking from bar to bar, I am hoping to get the chance to walk the Hospitales route.

 

[Ena Nova]

Thank you, Antonius, very useful!
The hotel in Tineo is called Hotel Palacio de Merás. It is really great. I slept there last year. Dinner was really delicious, and sauna is included in the price of the albergue.

 

[CdnDreamer]

Wow! I must add that detail to my guide!

 

[Ena Nova]

Nora, you'll be 2 days behind us. So we'll be warming up the albergues for you!
I wish to walk Hospitales route as well. Fingers crossed for the weather ...

 

[wisepilgrim]

I have downloaded the WisePilgrim app for the Salvador and printed out the Enders Guide. I haven't done any research on the Primitivo yet.

I wanted to let you know that I am working on a San Salvador version of my new series of apps, which feature offline maps. I have not been on the Salvador recently enough to call it up to date but it will certainly help to have with you. It should be available before the end of the month, and will be updated a few weeks later with updated information. A Primitivo version will be released any day now, and is very much up to date. If you are on iOS they are both free if you already have the full version of the app. - Thanks for the support and Ánimo!