The Primitive Way from Oviedo by bicycle

Stages

• day 1

  Arrival at Oviedo

  The beautiful old town of Oviedo will transport you to the Asturian Middle Ages. It is a small city, designed for the enjoyment of the pedestrian, thanks to its pedestrian streets in which every corner holds a special charm. You can’t start your Camino Primitivo by bike from Oviedo without visiting the Cathedral of San Salvador, the Fontán market and getting lost in its squares tasting cider in its many tascas and chigres (cider bars).
• day 2

  Stage 1. Oviedo - Salas (50 km)

  You will start the first day of your Camino Primitivo by bike from Oviedo with a beautiful route full of breathtaking landscapes that alternates paved stretches with wooded trails. The main difficulty of this day will be to crown two steep slopes, the Alto del Escamplero and the Alto del Fresno, the latter both uphill and downhill. Practically the whole route can be done following the original route. You will discover picturesque villages, forests, meadows, bridges, small hermitages and countless granaries so characteristic of western Asturias. Salas is a medieval village in inland Asturias, which currently retains important heritage elements. Among other things, you can visit the Medieval Tower, the Valdés Salas Palace and the Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor. Of course, as in any corner of Asturias, you will be able to enjoy an unbeatable gastronomy.
• day 3

  Stage 2. Salas - Pola de Allande (48 km)

  Yesterday’s stage will be a walk in the park compared to today. You will enter high altitude mountain areas where; in the rainy season the roads can become impracticable, especially if you travel with panniers. So if you have any doubts, it is better to do this stage by road. You are facing the hardest stage of the whole route, so it is important to measure your strength and make the stops that your body asks for. It is a succession of long climbs and descents, some of them very steep, such as the ascent to La Espina or the ascent to Alto de La Guardia. You will cross villages like La Espina and Tineo, where you will have places to stock up and rest your legs. The last challenge of the day is the ascent to the Alto de Lavadoira. Once you have reached the top, you will descend to the end of the stage, Pola de Allande.
• day 4

  Stage 3. Pola de Allande - Grandas de Salime (45 km)

  The third stage of the Primitive Way by bike goes into the high mountains of Asturias, so the slopes will continue to be the dominant tone. Again, the trails are not very cycleable and require a lot of technique, so we recommend to do this section by road as well. The route leaves from Pola de Allande in the direction of the feared ascent of the Puerto del Palo. Once you have reached the village of Lago, the road turns off onto a very difficult path that climbs up to the pass; less experienced cyclists will have to climb up the road to avoid getting off the bike. There are 10 kilometres of continuous ascent. After a long descent, you will enjoy spectacular views of the Asturian mountains and the reservoir of Grandas de Salime, whose village will be your longed-for end of the stage.
• day 5

  Stage 4. Grandas de Salime - A Fonsagrada (28 km)

  We leave Grandas de Salime from the former collegiate church of San Salvador and cross the road that connects with A Fonsagrada, to head towards the street where the chapel of Carmen is located. The first kilometres are flat and without great difficulties, always close to the AS-28 road, which we cross several times, even walking along the shoulder of the road.
  We pass through the villages of La Farrapa and Cereixeira, where there are a couple of bars: Casa Federico and La Parrilla. Along paths and trails, we reach the village of Castro, which has a youth hostel that admits pilgrims.
  We continue straight on leaving on the right the ruins of the Chao Samartín castro, a Bronze Age settlement dating back to 800 BC and the access to its modern museum. We advance through a wooded area, passing by the rural hermitage of San Lázaro to rejoin the road again. From here the ascent to the Puerto de Acebo starts to become more evident.
  

  In Peñafonte we will see the church of Santa María Magdalena, and next to it a shady fountain that will invite you to refill your water bottle.

  We go up the slope of the Zarro mountain, a quite bearable stretch. We cross the road towards Bustelo do Camín, open a gate and take a path that goes through the gorse trees. The ascent to the mountain of A Curiscada requires more effort and even more to reach the wind farms in the Alto del Acebo, at an altitude of 1,130 metres.
  After a stop to regain strength, it's time for the descent. We leave Asturiasto welcome Galicia with joy. We will see the first Galician indicator and we will notice a small detail: the shell is upside down. Now we must look at the open part of the shell, which is the one that marks the direction to follow. We descend the path next to the Venta do Acebo, whose opening hours are unpredictable.
  
  We finally see A Fonsagrada in the distance. We continue along a path full of holly trees, honouring the place name. After a short climb, the track approaches the LU-701 road, running parallel to it. We cross the tiny village of Cabreira before reaching Fonfría. Half a kilometre from Fonfría we turn off to the left of the road and go down to Barbeitos.
  

  If we get hungry we can stop at the Mesón Catro Ventos, where they make delicious grilled meats.

  We continue along the right-hand side of the road, stop for Silvela and shortly after we turn off onto a path on the left-hand side of the road. We reach the hermitage of Santa Bárbara, and further on we reach Paradanova.
  One last effort. Behind the chapel of the Holy Cross we are surprised by two signposts. In August 2017 the historic access road to A Fonsagrada was recovered, so we should not go out to the road, but take the path on the left hand side that will take us directly to the town. We ignore the signpost of Burón that invites us to cross the road.
  In 2017, fortunately, the historical access road to A Fonsagrada has been recovered; therefore, we should not go out to the road, but take a path on the left hand side that takes us directly to the town, with a steep slope at the end. We have to ignore the signpost to Burón that invites us to cross the road. We finally arrive at the end of our stage, A Fonsagrada.
  

  To consider

  When we enter Galicia, we change not only the community but also the indications. In Asturias the famous scallops or shells signaled the way to follow by its narrow part while in the lands of the apostle we must be guided by the open part of the same.
  In Paradanova, someone has indicated A Fonsagrada at the milestone that leads to A Pobra de Burón and there are already several groups of pilgrims who have got lost. Once in Paradanova, seeing the next village at a height of several hundred metres, we must follow the milestone on the left of the road coming from Grandas de Salime, and this road will take us straight to A Fonsagrada.
  

  Of interest

  • Chao Samartín Hillfort Museum
  • Church of Peñafonte - Peñafonte
  • Church of Santa Maria de Lamas de Moreira - A Fonsagrada
  • Church of San Andrés de Logares - A Fonsagrada
  • Granaries of Lamas de Moreira - A Fonsagrada
  • Chapel of San José - A Fonsagrada

  Typical dishes

  • Octopus á feira
  • Partridge and roe deer
  • Chestnuts and mushrooms
  • Veal meats
  • Stew and broth
  • Botelo and homemade sausages
  • Filloas
  • Mountain honey and cheese
• day 6

  Stage 5. A Fonsagrada - Lugo (60 km)

  You will start pedalling from Fonsagrada following the original route to enjoy the impressive landscapes that this part of Galicia has to offer. In case you are very tired, you can also follow the route of the road. The most difficult part of the day is the Alto de A Fontaneira. From the town of Castroverde, the route will turn into a pleasant walk until you reach the city of Lugo and end the day. After so many days in virtually unserviced locations, we’re sure you’ll appreciate the lively atmosphere of a city. If you still have some energy left, we encourage you to walk around the old part of the city and get lost in its taverns tasting delicious tapas and pinchos washed down with a good mencía wine.
• day 7

  Stage 6. Lugo - Melide (47 km)

  After all you’ve been through in the previous days, you’ll be grateful for a stage like this. The only difficulty to highlight will be the ascent to the Sierra del Careón, which is not too difficult. You will ride through beautiful rural surroundings dotted with small villages until you reach Melide. In this town the Primitive Way joins the French Way. From here the route has a better infrastructure and services, as well as a considerable increase in the number of pilgrims. The moments of loneliness are over until we reach Santiago de Compostela! Today we recommend you to rest and get up early to arrive early to Santiago de Compostela.
• day 8

  Stage 7. Melide - Santiago de Compostela (53 km)

  Finally the day arrived, with our minds already focused on getting to Compostela. Today you say goodbye, we don’t know if with joy or sadness, to the Primitive Way that you started a few days ago from Oviedo, to pedal along the French Way until you reach Arzúa, where the North Way also joins. You should take special care with pilgrims on foot, especially in high season you will find numerous groups that occupy the entire trail. Today the rural landscape will disappear, becoming much more urbanized as you get closer to the Galician capital. After riding around the vicinity of Santiago airport, the last climb of the route will be in San Marcos, the broadcasting centre of the Galician television. When you arrive at Monte do Gozo, we invite you to stop and contemplate the views, we assure you that you will understand the reason for the name of this place. Santiago is getting closer and closer! You are in Santiago! Feel happy and proud to have completed your Camino Primitivo by bike. Now we just need to pick up the Compostela certificate and enjoy an incredible day getting to know the Galician capital.
• day 9

  End of the Camino

  After arriving... End of the Camino