Stage routesSpain
Camino Primitivo
306 km from Oviedo to Santiago across the Asturian mountains and Lugo. The oldest Camino, and one of the toughest.
What the Camino Primitivo is like
It is the way King Alfonso II walked from Oviedo in the 9th century. It crosses western Asturias through forests and passes, climbs the ridge on the Hospitales route, enters Galicia at A Fonsagrada and passes Lugo's Roman walls before joining the Francés at Melide.
Fewer people than the Francés and much more climbing. The Hospitales stage, Borres to Berducedo, is the most beautiful and the most exposed: nowhere to buy food all day, and in fog you go via Pola de Allande and the Palo pass instead.
Key facts
| Type | On foot |
|---|---|
| Distance | 306 km |
| Start and finish | Oviedo → Santiago de Compostela |
| On foot | 14 days, 22 km a day on average |
| By bike | 6 days, 51 km a day on average |
| When to go | May to October. In winter the Hospitales ridge and A Fonsagrada can have snow and thick fog. |
From where to where?
The whole route is 14 stages. Pick where you start and finish: always in a stage town.
Usual: 14 days.
Altitude of each stage town; each stage's climbing is in its details.
14 days and 306.2 km: about 21.9 km a day and 13 nights on the way.
- Oviedo → Grado25.2 km · 425 m D+
- Grado → Salas22.3 km · 646 m D+
- Salas → Tineo19.8 km · 676 m D+
- Tineo → Borres15.9 km · 292 m D+
- Borres → Berducedo24.1 km · 963 m D+
- Berducedo → Grandas de Salime20.4 km · 985 m D+
- Grandas de Salime → A Fonsagrada25.2 km · 858 m D+
- A Fonsagrada → O Cádavo24.3 km · 710 m D+
- O Cádavo → Lugo29.5 km · 509 m D+
- Lugo → A Ponte Ferreira26.5 km · 521 m D+
- A Ponte Ferreira → Melide20 km · 320 m D+
- Melide → Arzúa14 km
- Arzúa → O Pedrouzo19 km · 351 m D+
- O Pedrouzo → Santiago de Compostela20 km · 318 m D+
Create your account and build Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela in 14 days.
It is free and takes a minute.
- Save the plan and pick up where you left off
- Carry it on your phone, map and times included
- Send it to your group with one link
- Download the itinerary and the calendar
How to plan it
It is 14 stages and 306 km, about 22 km a day; joining Melide and O Pedrouzo makes it 12. From Lugo, about a hundred kilometres in five days, it earns the Compostela.
Hostels are small, especially in Berducedo and Grandas de Salime, and fill early in summer. Walk it from May to October: in winter the ridge and A Fonsagrada get snow and thick fog.
Stages
- Oviedo → Grado25.2 km · +425 m
- Grado → Salas22.3 km · +646 m
- Salas → Tineo19.8 km · +676 m
- Tineo → Borres15.9 km · +292 m
- Borres → Berducedo24.1 km · +963 m
- Berducedo → Grandas de Salime20.4 km · +985 m
- Grandas de Salime → A Fonsagrada25.2 km · +858 m
- A Fonsagrada → O Cádavo24.3 km · +710 m
- O Cádavo → Lugo29.5 km · +509 m
- Lugo → A Ponte Ferreira26.5 km · +521 m
- A Ponte Ferreira → Melide20 km · +320 m
- Melide → Arzúa14 km
- Arzúa → O Pedrouzo19 km · +351 m
- O Pedrouzo → Santiago de Compostela20 km · +318 m
One stage a day, town to town. Approximate distance and climbing: every GPX varies a little.
Frequently asked questions
In Keago this route becomes a plan: one card per stage with time and duration, the daily track, each night's accommodation with link and location, the meals, and both travel tickets where the whole group can see them. Everyone confirms and you know who is missing.
Create your account and keep building your Camino Primitivo plan.
It is free and takes a minute.
- Save the plan and pick up where you left off
- Carry it on your phone, map and times included
- Send it to your group with one link
- Download the itinerary and the calendar