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Stage guide · Holy Year 2027

Camino Primitivothe very first, from Oviedo

About 310 km from Oviedo cathedral: the route King Alfonso II followed in the 9th century to visit the Apostle’s tomb. Asturian mountains, forests, the Palo pass and the Salime reservoir, and in Galicia the Roman walls of Lugo, until it joins the Francés at Melide.

310kilometres
14stages
12–14days
2regions
OviedoGradoTineoGrandas de SalimeA FonsagradaLugoMelideSantiago
The whole route, with the end of each stage.

Work out your Camino

How many days do you need?

Move the slider to your pace. Suseia then splits the route into stages based on the albergues in each town, and you can adjust them by hand.

14days

walking 23 km a day

15 km · relaxed35 km · fast

Each dot is a day of walking to Santiago.

Illustration of the Camino Primitivo in a travel journal, from Oviedo to Santiago through the mountains of Asturias and Lugo

The route at a glance

Mountains, forest and silence

The ranges of western Asturias, with their summer pastures and hórreos, the Palo pass and the great Salime dam. Then the Lugo mountains of A Fonsagrada, the walls of Lugo and the hamlets to Melide.

Stage by stage

The 14 stages of the Camino Primitivo

The usual split, via Pola de Allande. At Borres you can take the Hospitales Route, higher and lonelier. From Melide the path is the same as the Francés.

Distances are approximate: they can vary by a kilometre or so depending on the variant you take.

When to go

The best time to walk

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
▮▮▮▮ Ideal▮▮▮ Good▮▮ Possible▮ Hard

May to October. Summer is mild in the mountains and it is when every albergue is open.

In winter it can snow on the Palo pass and the Alto do Acevo, and the Hospitales Route is dangerous in fog or snow. Check the weather before you climb.

2027 is a Holy Year. The Primitivo is still quiet, but its albergues are small: in high season book wherever you can.

100KILOMETRES

The Compostela

From Lugo, the last 100 km

To get the Compostela you must walk at least the last 100 km. Lugo is just about 100 km from Santiago: the perfect starting point, and you set off from a city whose Roman walls are a World Heritage Site.

It is five stages: San Romao, Melide, Arzúa, O Pedrouzo and Santiago.

Start with the Lugo – San Romao da Retorta stage →

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Camino Primitivo?

About 310 km from Oviedo to Santiago.

Is it very hard?

It is the most mountainous: several stages have more than 800 m of climbing. In good shape and without rushing, it is hugely enjoyable.

What is the Hospitales Route?

A variant that climbs from Borres past the old pilgrim hospitals, above 1,000 m. It is very beautiful, but has no services and is dangerous in bad weather.

Your Camino, stage by stage

Choose where you start and how many kilometres you want to walk each day. Suseia builds your plan all the way to Santiago, free and without signing up.