The Primitive or Original Way from Oviedo to Santiago

The Original Route or Camino Primitivo was the first used to reach Santiago de Compostela, when in the 9th century most of Spain was under Moorish control. This was the route traditionally followed by pilgrims from further afield in Northern Spain and Europe. This Camino is one of the most challenging of all the routes but the scenery is simply breathtaking. The route crosses the Cantabrian mountains, giving walkers outstanding views of the Picos de Europa mountain range, and winding through quaint mountain villages in Asturias and Galicia. It includes the city of Lugo, with its old town nested inside the only fully preserved Roman walls in Spain, which is an impressive UNESCO World Heritage site. From Lugo, the Original Route continues towards Santiago de Compostela through peaceful forests and farmland, joining the final stretch of the French Route at the lively town of Melide, where you should try Galicia’s most famous dish: octopus.ITINERARY: 1st day: ARRIVAL IN OVIEDO2nd day: OVIEDO - GRADO (28 Km - 5h - difficulty 2/3)3rd day: GRADO - SALAS (23 Km - 4h30 - difficulty 1/3)4th day: SALAS - TINEO (22 Km - 5h - difficulty 2/3)5th day: TINEO - POLA DE ALLANDE (31 Km - 7h - difficulty 2/3)6th day: POLA DE ALLANDE-BERDUCEDO (18 Km - 6h15 - difficulty 3/3)7th day: BERDUCEDO- GRANDAS DE SALIME (20 Km - 4h30 - difficulty 2/3)8th day: GRANDAS DE SALIME - A FONSAGRADA (28 Km - 7h - difficulty 2/3)9th day: A FONSAGRADA - O CÁDAVO (26 Km - 6h45 - difficulty 2/3)10th day: O CÁDAVO - LUGO (32 Km- 7h45 - difficulty 2/3)11th day: LUGO - A PONTE FERREIRA (29 Km - 6h45 - difficulty 1/3)12th day: A PONTE FERREIRA - MELIDE (20 Km - 5h - difficulty 2/3)13th day: MELIDE - ARZUA (13 Km - 3h45 - difficulty 2/3)14th day: ARZUA - RUA (18.5 Km - 5h - difficulty 1/3)15th day: RUA - SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (18.8 Km - 4h30 - difficulty 1/3)16th day: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELADAILY DEPARTURES FROM END OF MARCH UNTIL FIRST DAYS OF NOVEMBER