Camino Primitivo: 320 km in 13 days
The original pilgrimage route through mountainous terrain
- Start: Oviedo, Spain
- End: Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Distance: 320 km
- Difficulty: challenging
- Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
- Note: Original Camino route. Mountainous terrain with steep ascents. Less crowded, authentic experience.
See the attractions & sights guide for this route →
Stops on this route
Oviedo, Spain
Oviedo is the capital of Asturias and the traditional starting point of the Camino Primitivo, the oldest of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes, first walked by King Alfonso II in the 9th century. Its cathedral holds the Cámara Santa reliquary chamber, and two nearby pre-Romanesque churches, Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites from the early Asturian kingdom.
Oviedo Cathedral
Oviedo is the capital of Asturias and the traditional starting point of the Camino Primitivo, the oldest of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes, first walked by King Alfonso II in the 9th century. Its cathedral holds the Cámara Santa reliquary chamber, and two nearby pre-Romanesque churches, Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites from the early Asturian kingdom.
Hospitales Route
Lugo
Lugo is a stop on the Camino Primitivo, the oldest of the pilgrim routes, and is famous above all for its Roman walls, a complete circuit over two kilometers long that remains the best-preserved Roman fortification in the world. Visitors can walk the full ramparts, which ring the old town and offer views over its rooftops and cathedral.
Melide
Monte do Gozo
Santiago de Compostela is the spiritual endpoint of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage network that has drawn walkers to the tomb of Saint James for over a thousand years. Its granite old town, centered on the Romanesque cathedral, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the great pilgrimage cities of Europe.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Santiago de Compostela is the spiritual endpoint of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage network that has drawn walkers to the tomb of Saint James for over a thousand years. Its granite old town, centered on the Romanesque cathedral, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the great pilgrimage cities of Europe.
Road charges and rules along the way
Spain
- Environmental Sticker (Distintivo Ambiental DGT): €5 — https://sede.dgt.gob.es
Mandatory equipment: Safety vest (reflective, high-visibility), Warning triangle, Spare bulbs (headlights), Snow chains
Driving in Spain: full guide →
Plan this route with EuroDrive Scout — tolls, vignettes, ZTL alerts, fuel and parking →