Camino Primitivo with a Dog – Overview

We did this Camino in Autumn 2022 and it’s one of our favourites! It stretches for 321km, starting in Oviedo and traverses mountain passes in the Asturias and Galicia. It takes just under 2 weeks to complete, which is ideal for those who have to take annual leave/vacation days from work. This can be combined with Camino San Salvador (Leon to Oviedo) or Camino del Norte.

Here we provide a guide to make planning your Camino Primitivo with a dog simpler!

History

The pilgrimage to Santiago started back in the 9th century when, upon hearing of the discovery of the remains of St James the Apostle in Galicia, the Spanish King Alfonso II walked from his capital Oviedo with the Catholic Bishop to verify the remains. Afterwards he ordered a shrine to be built at the location of the discovery which became what we now know as Santiago de Compostela. Primitivo means the Origin, as it represents the Original Way taken by medieval pilgrims.

Route and stage planning

It is often regarded as one of the toughest Camino due to the frequent ascents and descents as pilgrims traverse across the mountainous Asturias. Most of the elevation changes happen in the stages between Oviedo and Lugo. The biggest ascent was to Puerto del Palo (1146m) followed by steep descent to the reservoir in Grandas de Salime. From O Cadavo – Lugo, the track flattens out significantly and more road walking is involved.

We loved it because a lot of time we walked on natural paths through forests or over the mountains, past quaint villages and historic towns. Although my fellow 4-legged friends will need to be careful as some sections can be quite rocky and sharp.

In the early stages, you will find that most pilgrims will stop for rest and stay overnight at the same places. Therefore, it is easy to make friends, form “camino family” as some may say, even though it is less crowded than Camino Francés.

When is the best time for hiking?

For pilgrims walking with their peRRegrinos, I would advise against walking in the main summer months (i.e. July and August). Even though the average highs in the Asturias (and likewise Galicia) may not be as high as the rest of Spain/Northern Spain, temperature will quickly rise to above 20C and remains over 20C for longer in those peak summer months and ground temperature, especially on paved roads will be even higher. July and August are also the busiest months for the Camino and accommodation may be tight in some bottleneck places. Therefore, on balance, I would say that the best times to walk the Primitivo with a dog would be in late spring (June) and early autumn (September) according to the chart above.

We would not recommend walking in the winter: many albergues closed in the off season (November to March) and in 2022, some even decided to start closing a week earlier, in the last week of October! A lot of the paths in the Asturias would also be difficult and even treacherous to trek in the winter months as a good part of the route is over 800m in elevation. It would be cold and rain a lot.

In heavy rain, some sections may become very muddy, for example the forest trail between La Espina and Tineo. You may want to walk along the highway in this case. Just be careful when walking with your pup!

The route splits after Borres: the main route goes via Pola de Allande and the alternative goes via Hospitales. If the weather is really bad, I would recommend going via Pola, or if you really wanted to go via Hospitales then sit out for a day – or do longer stages in the preceding days so you will arrive in Borres a day earlier. Speak with the locals as they would understand the local weather more. A little bit of rain should not bother you too much, but it can be very foggy which can be disorienting and dangerous.

Along the way, there are numerous sources of water except during the Hospitales route (the first water fountain is opposite the church in Lago, 20 km from the start of the route). There are also plenty of creeks/river/waterfall for your pup to cool their paws. If you are going via Hospitales (instead of Pola de Allande), remember to buy food in Campiello the day before, as this is the last place with a shop before your Hospitales trek.

Suggested walking stages

We have put together some suggested walking stages, focusing on the availability of dog friendly accommodation. Our recommended standard stage is 13 days and for those feeling more adventurous, we have put together an itinerary over 11 days. The shortest stage is the theoretical minimum distance that a pilgrim need to cover each day, and with the exception of Escamplero on day 1, there are dog friendly accommodation in each town.

After Melide

The Camino Francés merged with Primitivo in the town Melide (the stage after Ferreira). After more than a week of quiet pleasant walk, often in solitude, watching cattle grazing in the meadows and opening up spider web covered paths with our hiking poles, this can be a shock through the system! So be prepared 😀

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One of the ways to avoid the crowd is to avoid ending your day in the main towns on the Francés: Melide, Arzua, and O Pedrouzo. A lot of large organised groups also aim to arrive in Santiago on the weekend, especially if there is a religious festival. So if you can avoid arriving in Santiago between Friday – Sunday (work backwards when planning your start day), you will meet significantly fewer pilgrims between Melide – Santiago.

Getting started on the Camino Primitivo

Check out our guide on walking the Camino de Santiago with a dog, where we have discussed the best ways to get to the starting point of your Camino. In general, Europe is quite a dog friendly place and that’s why we love to travel around Europe.

If you have a small dog <10kg, you can travel by train to Oviedo. They have to be inside a carrier with max diameter 60 x 35 x 35 cm. You also need to get a pet ticket. There are direct trains from Madrid or with connection in Leon. I would not recommend travelling with your dog by bus as not only will they have to be inside a carrier, but the carrier must go in the cargo area. Once you arrive in Oviedo, you may want to ship your pet carrier ahead to Santiago? You can use either the Spanish national post (Correos) or Casa Ivar.
If your dog is >10kg then you will have to take a car: drive your own/hire one/taxi/rideshare app like BlaBlaCar. If you are driving your own car and looking for a place to park your car while you walk the Primitivo, I recommend Parking Campa, located less than 10 minute walk from the Cathedral. Two week long-term parking cost €45 (October 2022) and the car park is manned from about 0600-2200 everyday and has CCTV. When you arrive in Santiago, you can take a bus back to Oviedo to retrieve your car while your pup can go sightseeing in Santiago with your camino buddies!

Don’t forget to get a canine credential for your pup to collect stamps/sellos along the Camino. They totally deserve it! You may need to get this online so don’t leave it too late, get your canine credential NOW!

Dog friendly accommodation

We have put together a list of dog friendly accommodation on the Camino Primitivo. Sign up below to get a link to download our guide FREE.

During this Camino, I (Fuji) was able to stay in the same room as Mommy every night, and we were able to reserve accommodation in all stages except in Borres, where ironically the only dog friendly accommodation was the municipal albergue! A lot of private albergues offer private rooms as well as dormitory accommodation, that way we didn’t feel too excluded from our friends. Some albergues allow dogs inside dormitory rooms too, so it depends on the albergue. What is important though, is to contact the albergue in advance and discuss your situation to avoid any last minute surprise. Also note that some albergues will say that they accept pets but they must stay outdoors or indoors but in the hallway etc.

Although we have mostly pre-booked our dog friendly accommodation, it was important to confirm at least a day before of our arrival. Also, we have found that when we had to make changes to our dates, most albergues were very understanding, as long as they still had availability.

Cost-wise, private albergues cost on average €15/person for shared accommodation, and private room with twin beds usually cost €40/room, so it’s only a little bit extra if you are sharing a room!

Final thoughts

Highlights of this Camino for us:

Breathtaking sceneries, hilltop sunrise, and watching cloud inversions (a few times).
Visiting the Cathedral of San Salvador in Oviedo to see the Shroud of Oviedo, the pre-Romanesque UNESCO World Heritage sites of Santa María del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo, and San Julián de Los Prados.
Mommy was so worried we won’t get a bed in Borres, so we left super early she forgot her poles (we went back to get them), and we were the first one to arrive.
The camaraderie. A Belgian pilgrim walked an extra 6 km round trip back to the previous town because he needed to buy food for himself, so he also bought ingredients for a group dinner (for 6), including 3 bottles of wine – he did say they started to feel quite heavy towards the end.
The camaraderie pt 2. The dog friendly place in Borres was on the upstairs landing by the staircase. It’s semi-outdoors so it was cold, damp, and had a lot of insects. There was a lightbulb but no power socket. I was miserable as there were SOOOOO many flies! Miraculously, all the pilgrims that stayed there that night loved me so they let Mommy and I slept downstairs in the dormitory and she grabbed the last lower bunk.
The Ethnographic Museum in Grandas de Salime. Really? Really. Mommy is a dork.
The STEAK! Mesón Catro Ventos in Barbeitos, 6 km before A Fonsagrada. You must stop here for lunch (you’ll need the energy before that final steep ascent into A Fonsagrada).
The hielos (ice cubes). Mommy’s twin friend (their names are anagrams) taught her an improvement on café con leche (as if it was possible) for a hot day, that is café con leche con hielos. So when Mommy and her friend ordered coffee, Aquarius (energy drink), and a bowl of water for me, oh and some hielos… I got a bowl of icy cold water with some ice cubes! I love ice cubes, they’re like bones, but super cold?

What we didn’t really like:

The rain.
The hot rain.
I personally didn’t mind the rain, it’s fun! But I find people didn’t like muddy dogs, at least they prefered clean Fuji.
Weekend shop opening hours. They’re not open. Also Spanish national holidays, they have about 50 a year. Great for parties (!) but Mommy was looking to buy pet supplies for me and everything was also closed.

For a detailed day-by-day account of our Camino Primitivo in 2022, click here.

So there you have it! Our guide to walking the Camino Primitivo with a dog. Will you walk the Camino with your dog this year? Or have you done it already? Tell us below!