Stage 3. Salas – Tineo (19.1 km)

From the beginning of the stage the Primitive Way, in Salas, enters an area of pastures full of large houses, quintanas, water mills, crosses and old hermitages that extends to Tineo, and that recall great devotions of other times that have had great importance in this part of Asturias. The first part of the ascent to La Espina is dominated by large areas of forest with magnificent views of the plain as we approach the end of the stage. The richness of this council is found in the forests of beech and oak, ancient trees full of legends and that are a jewel of the Primitive Way .

This stage is part of the The Primitive Way. Would you like to walk it with your accommodation already booked? These organised trips include it: Primitive Way from Oviedo to Lugo and Camino Primitivo from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela.

You say goodbye to Salas under the arch linking the Palacio de Valdés to the medieval tower, then follow a pleasant path beside the river, among oaks and chestnuts. After a demanding climb up to La Espina, the final stretch rewards you with gorgeous rural views all the way to Tineo, a charming village of traditional houses scattered between the lower area and the hilltop. (If it's rained, wear waterproof footwear: there's mud.)