Overview
The Camino Primitivo, or Original Way, is considered to be the very first of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago and is believed to have been the route taken by King Alphonse II in the 9th century. The Camino Primitivo is also the link between the Northern Way, which starts in San Sebastian and ends in Oviedo, and the French Way, which merges with the Camino Primitivo in Melide, after Lugo. Our cycling itinerary follows this authentic route, which was very popular in the early Middle Ages when pilgrims aimed to avoid the constant conflict between Christian and Moorish kingdoms in Central Spain. Throughout this trip, the history and beauty of ‘España Verde’ will act as a backdrop for your pilgrimage, as you cycle through the surprisingly varied countryside of Asturias and Galicia.
The Camino Primitivo is a route which is a lot quieter compared to the French Way or the Portuguese Way as it crosses the rugged and diverse landscapes of the Asturias in Northern Spain, where you will witness spectacular views of the Embalse de Salime, the River Navia and the surrounding mountains.
We have designed this cycling itinerary so that depending on your riding style you can choose between following the Original Way’s mountain trails (more challenging and appropriate for a mountain bike) or take alternative routes, following surfaced country roads with little traffic, riding parallel to the historical footpath. In both cases, you’ll see all the major highlights and get a true taste of the special atmosphere enjoyed by pilgrims on the walking trail. If you prefer a more leisurely approach, you might be interested in our 11-day version of this tour.
- Great cycling through the gorgeous landscapes of Asturias and Galicia
- Old trails, Medieval villages and traditional architecture
- Welcoming locals and excellent gastronomy
- Charming accommodations in rural areas or historical settings
- Mountainous terrain, dense forests, green pastures and exciting mountain passes
- Oviedo, Lugo and Santiago; three cities with a great historical legacy
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Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Oviedo
Visit the Gothic Cathedral devoted to San Salvador and enjoy Oviedo’s charming historical centre’s lively atmosphere, with plenty of cafés, restaurants, bodegas, and cider bars. Accommodation in a modern hotel on one of the most central streets of the city.
- Accommodation: Hotel Fruela or similar
Day 2: Oviedo to Salas | 51km
You start your pilgrimage following the Jacobean copper shells through the city centre’s narrow lanes, getting out into the green Asturian countryside. Tarmac lanes, old footpaths and country roads take you through quiet villages and hilly countryside. You will get to Cornellana Monastery, founded in 1024; it was a centre of great religious and political importance throughout the Asturias’ Christian kingdom’s early history. After a rest stop, you will take on the last stage with some ascents and descents, until you reach Salas. Your hotel is located in the historical town centre, inside a former castle with a museum of Pre-Romanesque architecture next to it.
- Cycling for the day: 51km
- Accommodation: Hotel Castillo Valdés or similar
Day 3: Salas to Pola de Allande | 49km
You start cycling south, via Soto de Los Infantes, through the beautiful Narcea River Valley before you ascend to Tineo, a historically significant town on the Camino. As you continue èn route, you will pass by the Romanesque church and Monastery of Obona. These monuments, partly in ruins, formed part of an important cultural and intellectual centre for centuries. From here a succession of small churches and chapels will lead you up to Lavadoiro Pass (812m) before you descend to Pola de Allande, a lovely little town with Asturian flavour. Default accommodation at a good 2** hotel famous for its local cuisine.
- Cycling for the day: 49km
- Accommodation: Hotel Nueva Allandesa or similar
Day 4: Pola de Allande to Fonsagrada | 70km
A tough day, since you have to climb 625m this morning to reach Puerto del Palo. At 1,146m, the pass divides the green, wooded area of Allande from the vast, more barren mountains to the south. But then, there is the reward; you will be able to `sail down´ the 35km left to Lake Grandas, from where you will have 4 km to your final stop, located at the top of a hill. Grandas is a pleasant town with a Romanesque church and ethnographic museum worth visiting. Another steep ascent still awaits Alto del Acebo Pass (1,030m, 475m up), before you glide down into Fonsagrada, where your next accommodation is.
- Cycling for the day: 70km
- Accommodation: Hostal Cantábrico or similar
Day 5: Fonsagrada to Lugo | 60km
Once you cycle into Galicia, you leave the steep ascents and mountainous areas behind, moving into a gentle rural landscape, dotted with picturesque hamlets. This section is easier and will allow you to truly enjoy the Galician countryside, with exquisite traditional architecture such as the ‘Pazos’ and ‘Casas Grandes’, well-preserved country homes on large estates, all impressive buildings in stone and wood. At the end of the day, Lugo awaits with its Roman walls, dating back to the 3rd century, and many interesting buildings to be visited in the old town secluded inside these walls. Outside the walls, there are Roman baths at the natural hot springs on the River Miño. Accommodation is at a 3-star hotel in the historic centre of Lugo.
- Cycling for the day: 60km
- Accommodation: Hotel Méndez Núñez or similar
Day 6: Lugo to Melide | 48km
You might have some time to visit the major monuments in Lugo, and maybe do some shopping before you get back on your bike today. The Camino Primitivo merges with the more recent, but more popular French Route from Lugo onward, somewhere between Palas de Rei and Melide. The quiet lanes and paths get busier, and you will feel a stronger “pilgrim atmosphere” from here.
- Cycling for the day: 48km
- Accommodation: A Lúa do Camiño or similar
Day 7: Melide to Santiago de Compostela | 54km
On your last day, you will feel the excitement of a close arrival to the final goal. You will share the route, scenery and atmosphere with other pilgrims as you approach the Monte del Gozo (where pilgrims catch their first glimpse of Santiago) and then downhill to the St James Cathedral. Accommodation is at a charming hotel in the centre. The afternoon is free to spend exploring Santiago.
- Cycling for the day: 54km
- Accommodation: Alda Bonaval or similar
Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, your cycling trip comes to an end.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in nice, comfortable hotels and guesthouses, located close to the route of the Camino. They all have private en-suite rooms and offer a warm welcome to visitors, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Fruela
- Hotel Castillo Valdés
- Hotel Nueva Allandesa
- Hostal Cantábrico
- Hotel Méndez Núñez
- A Lúa do Camiño
- Alda Bonaval
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 on all days. 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. You can have dinner either at the accommodation for the day or at some of the local restaurants, you can count that you host will give you the best options.
Difficulty and terrain
This trip includes average cycling distances of 60km per day on a mixture of asphalt and dirt roads, with a maximum daily elevation gain of 1,050m. To enjoy the cycling sections, it is recommended that you have some previous experience and are in excellent physical shape (read more about difficulty grades). You can also rent an E-bike, which makes the trip more accessible (previous experience with e-bikes is essential). If you rent hybrid/electric bikes, you will ride on secondary tarmac roads. With the mountain bikes/mountain e-bikes, you ride on gravel tracks and path that the walkers follow as well. The routes are well-waymarked, and the itinerary is easy to follow. We will also provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available from April 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.
Compostela/Pilgrim’s Passport
You can obtain one at the start of your route in the pilgrim’s office or the local church in town. You need to get the passport stamped in churches, restaurants or hotels along the way. At the end of the tour in Santiago de Compostela, you can obtain your Compostela Certificate (only if you have cycled the last 200km finishing in Santiago).
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 ticket 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 rush and enjoy the charms of the city!
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Asturias airport (OVD), Santander (SDR) or Bilbao (BIO).
By train or bus
Arrival in Oviedo
- If you fly to Asturias airport-Ranon (OVD), there’s a regular shuttle bus service to Oviedo city centre. Departures are once per every hour. Travel time is 45min and a single ticket costs approx 8 €.
- If you fly to another airport (Santander-SDR, Bilbao-BIO or Valladolid-VLL), there are good bus connections to Oviedo from those cities. For timetables and reservations, go to www.alsa.es or use the Omio widget above. You can also book your bus tickets in advance with us.
- Direct taxi transfers can be booked in advance as well. Prices are on request, depending on the size of the group.
Departure from 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 30min, to Santander 9h 30min and to Bilbao 11h 30min.
- Bus tickets can be booked online at www.alsa.es or through us upon request.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 overnights as detailed in the itinerary in private rooms
- 7 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers on all cycling days (1 piece up to 20kg per person)
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you prior to departure, and no printed documents are mailed or provided on-site
- 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)
- Tourist tax and entrance fees (to be paid on the spot)
- Bicycle hire
- Personal expenses
- Any items not specifically mentioned as ‘Included’ in the programme
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; as costs are not shared, there is a solo traveller supplement to the standard price (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Extra nights
- Bike rental – depending on the bike rental, you will follow two slightly different routes. If you rent hybrid/e-bikes, you will follow secondary tarmac roads. With the mountain hybrid or e-bikes, you will follow gravel tracks and paths – the same as the walkers. The two types of bikes cannot be mixed.
Bike rental
We offer the rent of hybrid and electro bikes (hybrid); mountain bikes and electric mountain bikes (not to be mixed). Please note that a solo traveller rental supplement is applicable in case you are not part of a group.
- Each rental package includes a repair kit, pump and lock
- Depending on the type of bicycle, you can add (for free, but on request): map holder, 1 front pannier or 1 rear pannier
- Helmet available (on request), free for children
Hybrid bikes
- Bike model: GIANT, ESPECIALIZED or CUBE TOURING
- Bike Type: Hybrid trekking bike
- Frame: aluminium
- Wheels: 28″
- Gears: Adults bikes: 21 or 24 gears // Kids bikes: 7, 14 or 21 gears
- Suspension: Yes
- Frame sizes: (Adults): XS ,S ,M , L, XL
Mountain bikes
- Bike model: MMR KUMA 29
- Bike type: MBT
- Frame: Aluminium 6061-T6 double hydroformed crowned
- Brakes: Shimano MT-200 Hydraulic
- Tires: Hutchinson Python 2
E-bikes: Movelo Kalkhoff or MMR KORE
- Bike model: Movelo Kalkhoff
- Bike type: Hybrid E-bike
- Brakes: Shimano M396 180 mm
- Gear switch: Shimano SLX
- Tyres: Schwalbe marathon GT tour 28 pulgadas
- Battery: Bosch PowerPack 500
- Engine: Bosch Performance CX (75Nm) Cruise (250Watt)
- Weight: 26,1 kg
Sample bikes models: Cube Touring, MMR KUMA 29, Kalkhoff Endeavour MOVE B9 Trapez
Gallery
