Overview
The Camino Primitivo, or Original Way, is so called because it is believed to be the original route taken by pilgrims to Santiago. It is quieter, quicker and considered more demanding than the Camino Frances or the Camino Portugues as it crosses the rugged and diverse landscapes of the Asturias in Northern Spain. The Camino Primitivo joins up with the Camino Frances in Melide. This seven day walking holiday is on Camino Primitivo Stage 2, between Lugo and Santiago, staying in hotels and guesthouses, with luggage transfers.
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Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Lugo
This beautiful city features impressive city walls surrounding the historic centre, Roman baths and other monuments.
- Accommodation: a family-run hotel in Lugo
Day 2: Lugo – A Ponte de Ferreira | 26.5km
From Lugo onward, several Caminos come together to join the main French Route (Camino Francés). Today you have a long walk to reach the next accommodation, situated in Ferreira.
- Walking for the day: 26.5km, 7-8h, ↑200m ↓200m
- Accommodation: a family-run hotel in Ferreira
Day 3: Ferreira – Melide | 20km
Luckily, today’s stage is not as long as yesterday’s. However, the Camino starts and continues uphill until O Requián, and there is another climb until O Monte da Feira. Once there, the route will be a piece of cake until Melide!
- Walking for the day: 20km, 5h, ↑280m ↓350m
- Accommodation: rural house in Melide (A Lúa do Camiño Guesthouse or similar), breakfast included
Day 4: Melide – Arzua | 14km
Today you begin walking directly from Melide. You have now joined the French Route, or Camino Francés, the most popular of all the Camino variants. Suddenly, you find yourself among many pilgrims from all over the world as you follow trails, country roads and footpaths parallel to the main road. Much of the day is shaded, and shortly after Melide, you will walk through oak and eucalyptus forests. Relax on the river bank at Ribadiso before ascending to Arzua.
- Walking for the day: 14km, 4h, ↑150m ↓200m
- Accommodation: Pension Casa Teodora or similar in Arzúa
Day 5: Arzúa to O Pedrouzo | 19km
The Camino will take you through pretty woods, sleepy villages and across streams for most of the day. The chapel of Santa Irene, with its unique statue of Santiago, is worth a visit. Along the route, don’t miss the lovely hamlet of Rúa. The rest of the route is along a mix of good and calm country roads and forest tracks.
- Walking for the day: 19km, 4h
- Accommodation: A family-run hotel in O Pedrouzo
Day 6: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela | 19km
Your final stage! You will walk mostly through rural settings and eucalyptus groves. Your next point of interest is Lavacolla in the outskirts of Santiago, where pilgrims used to wash in the river in preparation for their arrival in Santiago de Compostela. Rows of tall eucalyptus trees line your journey to Monte do Gozo, and it is from here that you will catch your first glimpse of the spires of the cathedral in Santiago. When you arrive in the city, explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s architecture and delight in the wonderful atmosphere of this spiritual and cultural city.
You should be in Santiago in time for the pilgrim mass (12 pm). After visiting Santiago Cathedral and recovering from your walk, take time to explore this gem of a city, small and vibrant. Its old town will enchant you. In Santiago the Compostela, you will find not only pilgrims but also locals and students enjoying a few bites and socialising over a glass of wine in the many bars, restaurants and cosy cafes.
- Walking for the day: 19km, 4h
- Accommodation: Lux Santiago or a similar in Santiago de Compostela
Day 7: Departure
Arrange extra nights in Santiago or enjoy breakfast and then make your way to Santiago Airport. If you have time, explore the old city of Santiago de Compostela before you leave.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in simple but comfortable hotels and guesthouses, located close to the route of the Camino. All of them have private or en-suite facilities and offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Important: We aim to book you into each town listed on the itinerary. However, in case of low availability, we may book you two nights in the same town with provided transfers. Also, on some occasions, your accommodation can be located a few kilometres away from the trail, so we organise transportation to/from your accommodation.
Click to view default hotels
*Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal or higher value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included (usually buffet breakfast/coffee and toast/bread/croissant) on all days, as well as 10 dinners. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Where no dinner is included, most places serve hearty and reasonably priced pilgrim menus.
Difficulty and terrain
This walk is graded moderate and includes walks of 19km per day on average (the longest one is 30km); the terrain is flat or hilly (read more about difficulty grades). You will follow a mixture of dirt roads, woodland paths, minor roads and some busier roads close to the bigger towns and cities. The routes are generally well waymarked, and the itinerary is relatively easy to follow, but please take care at intersections. There will always be other walkers around in case you are looking for help. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available from mid-March till the end of October. The best months to visit are April – June and September – October as in summer months it may become too hot (and crowded). The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season.
Getting there
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By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Santiago de Compostela (SCQ). The alternative airport is A Coruña (LCG).
By train or bus
Arrival in Lugo
For up to date timetables and reservations, go to www.alsa.es.
Departure from Santiago de Compostela
The closest airport is the one at Santiago de Compostela. If you’re travelling back to Asturias airport (OVD), Santander (SDR) or Bilbao (BIO), there’s a morning bus from Santiago that takes you to Oviedo, Santander or Bilbao. The trip to Oviedo takes about 8h 30mins, to Santander 9h 30mins and to Bilbao 11h 30mins. Bus tickets can be booked online at www.alsa.es
Inclusions
Included
- 6 nights in private en-suite rooms
- 6 breakfasts
- Pilgrim Kit: Credencial (passport) and Vieira (shell)
- Maps
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (one piece up to 20kg per person)
- Guided tour of Santiago de Compostela (old town)
- Galician cheese tasting in Santiago (not on Sundays)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches and dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes & entry fees (payable on the spot)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as ‘Included’ in the programme
Options, extras and supplements
- Supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room / single use of a double room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Extra nights along the way (we recommend the rural hotels in Sama de Grado, Tineo, Castroverde and Arzua)
Compostela/Pilgrim’s Passport
You need to get your passport stamped in churches, restaurants or hotels along the way. At the end of the walk in Santiago de Compostela, you can obtain your Compostela Certificate,
Important: Due to the large influx of pilgrims during summer, and to avoid long waiting times, the Pilgrim Office in Santiago has installed a numbered ticket system for issuing pilgrim certificates (the Compostela). This new system allows pilgrims to collect their tickets and, using a QR Code, to check the status of the queue and estimated waiting time to obtain the Compostela. However, the number of tickets per day is limited, so on days with high numbers of pilgrims arriving, there is a possibility that not all pilgrims will be able to collect their certificate on the day of arrival and will have to return for it on the following morning.
Therefore, if obtaining a pilgrim certificate is important to you, and if you plan to undertake the Camino between April 15th and October 15th, we recommend that you arrange the return travel in such a way that you will be in Santiago de Compostela during the morning after your arrival. Better still, we encourage you to book a second night in Santiago so that you can collect the certificate without rushing and enjoy the charms of the city!
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