Camino Primitivo
from Valleviciosa/Oviedo
via Lugo to Melide on the Camino Francés
322km.

The Camino Primitivo was both the Friendliest as well as the Hardest Camino that I have walked to date, Friendliest because of the Most Helpful Hospitalaro' s, Helpful Restaurant owners who were prepared to open up early to feed hungry Perigrino's often under Curfew Rules, Friendly Shop and Bar Owners and Most Importantly Very Friendly Fellow Perigrino's !!

Hardest because the "Way" was longer than I originally calculated, Once because I failed to double check my daily total and a couple of times due to detours due to road building and associated quarrying and the route is against the grain of the land, often crossing several "Altos" then plunging into deep valleys in one day, Never-the-Less this was still one of my most favourite Camino's to date !!

The route takes you approximately 320k from the north coast at Villavicosa, through the city of Oviedo, across the mountains to the walled city of Lugo and eventually joins the Camino Frances in Melide, a mere 53k from Santiago. This is "The Original "Way" and might well have been taken by King Alphonse "The Chaste" who played a decisive role in confirming that the remains unearthed in Santiago de Compostela did indeed belong to the Apostle Saint James.

With hindsight we were probably a little over ambitious with the way we split the route into stages, we did this way mainly to be able to fit the trip into a 2 week timeframe, If I were to plan the same trip again then I would allow at least 14 days walking and then ideally, instead of ending the Camino at Melide, trek the extra 53k into Santiago de Compostela where everyone else walking with us was heading for.