Camino Primitivo (Original Way) to Santiago de Compostela
The Camino Primitivo — also called the Original Way — is the oldest route of the Camino de Santiago: the path first walked by King Alfonso II in the 9th century to visit the newly discovered tomb of the Apostle James. Starting in Oviedo, it crosses the mountains of Asturias and Galicia, and is today the choice for pilgrims seeking the most authentic and physically demanding route of all.
All the distances for the main routes in one place: How Many Miles Is the Camino de Santiago?
It is a mountain route, far less crowded than the Camino Francés and the Camino Portugués, and since 2015 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Camino del Norte. For anyone who wants to live the Camino de Santiago at its origins, it is also one of the routes on which Ultreya Travel prepares self-guided itineraries.
Camino Primitivo from Oviedo
From Oviedo to Santiago it is about 313 km in 14 stages on the itinerary through Grandas de Salime, Fonsagrada and Lugo. It has more climbs and descents than any other Camino route, with its highest point at Puerto del Palo, and calls for good fitness — the reward is mountain scenery few routes can match.
Where the Camino Primitivo starts and ends
The Camino Primitivo starts in Oviedo, in front of the Cathedral of San Salvador — by tradition, pilgrims visited the Savior before setting out for Santiago. You can also start in Lugo, about 100 km from Santiago. At Melide, the Camino Primitivo joins the Camino Francés for the last three days.
And like every Camino, it ends in Obradoiro Square, in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Main towns on the Camino Primitivo — distance and days to Santiago
- Oviedo – about 313 km to Santiago – 14 days of walking (historic start of the Camino Primitivo)
- Tineo – about 252 km – 11 days
- Grandas de Salime – about 183 km – 8 days
- Fonsagrada – about 158 km – 7 days (first town in Galicia)
- Lugo – about 100 km – 5 days
- Melide – about 54 km – 3 days (where it meets the Camino Francés)
- Santiago de Compostela – arrival
From Oviedo to Grandas de Salime: the mountains of Asturias
The first stages cross western Asturias: Grado, Salas with its medieval tower and collegiate church, Tineo above the valleys, and the climb to Puerto del Palo, before dropping down to the Salime reservoir and the Navia River.
“Walking the Camino Primitivo is retracing, step by step, the first pilgrimage in history — that of a king who knelt before the Apostle’s tomb before any other pilgrim.”
In 2027, a Holy Compostela Year, that history adds another layer: the plenary indulgence for those who cross the Holy Door of the Cathedral.
At the Alto del Acebo, the Camino leaves Asturias and enters Galicia. After Fonsagrada and the Galician hills, it reaches Lugo, the only city in the world still fully enclosed by its Roman walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Flavors of the Camino Primitivo: from Asturias to Galicia
Asturian fabada, Cabrales cheese, traditional Asturian cider — and, in the final stretch, Galicia’s pulpo à feira and Ribeiro wine between Melide and Arzúa.
In Melide, where the Camino Primitivo meets the Camino Francés, pulpo à feira served on a wooden plate is almost a rite of passage for pilgrims.
“Buen Camino, pilgrim. The oldest route is also the most authentic.”
From Melide to Arzúa, O Pedrouzo and Santiago, the last three days follow rivers, bridges and oak woods, now alongside pilgrims from every route, until the Cathedral towers appear from Monte do Gozo.
Entering Santiago, the Camino Primitivo pilgrim arrives in Obradoiro Square, in front of the Cathedral, where history’s first pilgrimage ended.
How long does the Camino Primitivo take?
The Camino Primitivo from Oviedo, about 313 km on the itinerary through Lugo, takes 14 days of walking. Starting from Lugo, you walk about 100 km, in 5 days.
Want to know how many days each route takes? See: How Long Does the Camino de Santiago Take?
The Camino Primitivo with Ultreya Travel
Pablo Machado Soares walked the Camino de Santiago twelve times before founding Ultreya Travel, and he has lived in Spain, near the routes to Santiago, for 17 years. That experience guarantees carefully chosen accommodations even along the most remote stretches of Asturias, on one of the longest and most demanding routes in the Ultreya catalog.
On the self-guided package from Oviedo, you walk at your own pace, with accommodation booked on every stage, daily luggage transfers and 24/7 emergency assistance throughout your journey.
Want to compare it with other routes? See all our Camino de Santiago tour packages on one page.
Camino Primitivo from Oviedo — Self-Guided
16 days/15 nights: ≈313 km across 14 stages, from the historic starting point in Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela.