If you are planning to walk one of the Camino paths in Spain, it is highly likely that you will see limitless photos and read endless commentary about how busy the Camino is these days, and what a stressful rush it is to secure a bed at the end of each day. I am here to tell you that those comments mostly relate to the Camino Frances (in my experience) and there are alternate paths that will deliver a calmer and more solitary experience if that is what you are after.
In this post I summarise my recent Camino Combo adventure where I joined together three separate and individual paths – the Camino Madrid, Camino San Salvador and Camino Primitivo – arriving in Santiago de Compostela after 31 days and +/- 850km later.
If this appeals, read on…
Camino Madrid
- Starts From: Madrid, Church of Santiago and San Juan Bautista
- Ends In: Sahagun – on the Camino Frances (a couple of days before Leon)
- Number of Days: 12.5
- Distance – Planned: 318km Distance – Actual: 338km
- Stayed in: Albergues, youth hostels and small hotels.
- Number of Pilgrims Met: 3 in total the whole 12.5 days.
- Resources: Buen Camino app (free) and small Confraternity of St James guidebook (very out of date, but good background information).
- Highlights: Roman roads, Segovia, beautiful scenery, peace, quiet and no stress to get a bed, sometimes I had the entire albergue completely to myself.
- Lowlights: It was a bit too quiet and it would have been nice to have someone to chat to at the end of each day.
Day 1 – Madrid to Tres Cantos – 27km – HERE
Day 2 – Tres Cantos to Manzanares el Real – 27km – HERE
Day 3 – Manzanares el Real to Cercedilla – 25km – HERE
Day 4 – Cercedilla to Segovia – 29.7km – HERE
Day 5 – Segovia to Santa Maria la Real de Nieva – 35.4km – HERE
Day 6 – Santa Maria la Real de Nieva to Coca – 26km – HERE
Day 7 – Coca to Alcazaren – 26km – HERE
Day 8 – Alcazaren to Puente Duero – 25km – HERE
Day 9 – Puente Duero to Penaflor de Hornija – 28km – HERE
Day 10 – Penaflor de Hornija to Medina de Rioseco – 24km – HERE
Day 11 – Medina de Rioseco to Villalon de Campos – 29km – HERE
Day 12 – Villalon de Campos to Grajal de Campos – 31km – HERE
Connect to the Camino Frances through Sahagun…
Day 13 – Grajal de Campos to El Burgo Ranero – 25km – HERE
Day 14 – El Burgo Ranero to Valdelafuente – 32km – HERE
Connect to the Camino San Salvador through Leon…
Camino San Salvador
- Starts From: Leon, in front of the Parador.
- Ends In: Oviedo, at the Cathedral.
- Number of Days: 4.5
- Distance – Planned: 127km Distance – Actual: 135km
- Stayed in: Albergues.
- Number of Pilgrims Met: 5-10 on a daily basis.
- Resources: Camino Assist app (free).
- Highlights: Breathtaking scenery over glorious mountains.
- Lowlights: Some seriously lung-busting climbs and descents over narrow, high and loose rocky paths.
Day 15 – Valdelafuente to Cabanillas – 27km – HERE
Day 16 – Cabanillas to Buiza – 24km – HERE
Day 17 – Buiza to Pajares – 25km – HERE
Day 18 – Pajares to Pola de Lena – 25km – HERE
Day 19 – Pola de Lena to Oviedo – 34km – HERE
Camino Primitivo
- Starts From: Oviedo, in front of the Cathedral.
- Ends In: Melide, on the Camino Frances.
- Number of Days: 9.5
- Distance – Planned: 255km Distance – Actual: 271km
- Stayed in: Albergues and small hotels.
- Number of Pilgrims Met: 20-40 each day. I recommend you book ahead.
- Resources: Buen Camino app (free), although it is so well waymarked that I didn’t look at the app once.
- Highlights: More glorious views over misty valleys and mountains.
- Lowlights: Relentless climbs and descents. I totally underestimated this path.
Day 20 – Oviedo to San Juan de Villapanada – 32km – HERE
Day 21 – San Juan de Villapanada to Bodenaya – 28km – HERE
Day 22 – Bodenaya to Campiello – 26km – HERE
Day 23 – Campiello to Berducedo – 33km – HERE
Day 24 – Berducedo to Grandas de Salime – 21km – HERE
Day 25 – Grandas de Salime to A Fonsagrada – 26km – HERE
Day 26 – A Fonsagrada to O Cadavo – 25km – HERE
Day 27 – O Cadavo to Lugo – 31km – HERE
Day 28 – Lugo to Ferreira – 28km – HERE
Connect to the Camino Frances through Melide…
Day 29 – Ferreira to Fraga Alta – 29km – HERE
Day 30 – Fraga Alta to O Pedrouzo – 25km – HERE
Day 31 – O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela – 21km – HERE
General Comments:
- Rest Days: I had a rest day in Segovia (an amazing city) and Oviedo. If I did this route again, I would consider adding in additional rest days in Leon and also Lugo (a place definitely worth a slower/more detailed visit).
- Timing: In each of the posts I have included my walking time. This time reflects the terrain, but you can probably cut off 30-45 minutes to cancel our rests, coffees and getting lost!
- Waymarking: Generally, the waymarking on both the San Salvador and the Primitivo was very good to excellent. Signage on the Camino Madrid was way more hit and miss, and the app was very useful to provide reassurance that I was still on the right track.
- Albergues: The standard of albergues overall was also very good to excellent. On the camino Madrid and San Salvador I did contact the albergues a day or two before just so they could expect my arrival. There was no real need to book as beds were available and it is totally up to you whether you do this or not.
- Overall: These three paths were all incredibly beautiful and revealed to me many parts of Spain that I had never visited before. Each had its challenges of course, but are definitely worth considering if you are looking to avoid Camino crowds.
A final Buen Camino to you…for a while anyway. 🙂
#caminodesantiago #buencamino #pilgrimpath #caminomadrid #caminofrances #santiagodecompostela #pilgrimage #longdistancewalking #caminosansalvador #caminoprimitivo
Life...one big adventure 
Mel, wonderful insightful notes and hopefully one day I might be able to action some of them. It was fun and a privilege to read your daily posts while you were doing the Camino.
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Thanks so much, Suzanne. It was an amazing experience and made even better by all your support. Happy walking to you! Mel
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You’re welcome. Have you completed the coastal walk camino in Spain?
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I have walked the Camino Portuguese which included a coastal section from Porto upwards. Incredibly beautiful. The Camino del Norte, which follows the northern coastline, is on the list! 🙂
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Yes, the Camino del Norte appeals as it goes through areas we haven’t been to before. Perhaps, you could be a mother hen of sorts and gather up bloggers who want to do a camino and need a guiding hand 😉
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Ooooo – the temptation!!! 🙂
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Tell me about it 🙂
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🙂
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Forgot to mention, we were also in awe of Segovia, and we have seen quite a few places in Spain.
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Yes, I can’t wait to return one day for a more detailed and more relaxed look. Spain has so many wonderful cities and towns. I understand that Toledo is equally gob-smacking!
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Yes, Toledo is amazing place to explore, we stayed outside the walled town and the sunsets looking towards the place were incredible. As we needed a car to get to various housesits it made visiting these places much easier.
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Yes, a car would be ideal to get about and explore the lesser known places. They do have amazing bus/train infrastructure too and that is tempting.
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The Spanish roads are a breeze, especially compared to our infrastructure. Train journeys are very enjoyable and we have done a few.
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My husband is a bit of train fan (me too, to be honest), so I can imagine it would be the highest on the transport list. Then we both get to relax and enjoy, but what am I thinking?? This sort of trip is no where near on the agenda…yet!
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Can vouch for a campervan! We spent three months exploring Spain in the camper. Was so easy.
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Oh dear, another thing to add to the Bucket List!
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Ha ha there are so many things to experience and ways to experience them right! Spain is so big and so diverse it’s a never ending treasure chest of gems. And that’s only one country. Mel I just visited the Gaudi’s el Capicho in Comillas and was blown away. Put that on your Norte list.
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and the list just got longer again!! 🙂
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😂 It’s not just a post it note 📝 this list of yours!
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That’s for sure!
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Fantastic photos. Somewhere, we will probably not get to see and we’re certainly not up for that much walking (both have dodgy knees). Shaun
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Many thanks for the lovely feedback. I hear you re: dodgy knees, but don’t rule out walking in Spain. There are many much gentler parts to stroll through and there are companies that will transport your luggage and you get to walk with a day pack only, but whatever floats your boat and you certainly have a fabulous time exploring Aus.
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These images are so photogenic .Thanks Anita
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That’s my pleasure. Thanks, Anita.
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I really enjoyed following along. This summery is excellent too.
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Thanks, Kay. I love following all your adventures too.
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I was listening so attentively on that Camino de Norte conversation! I really don’t have the get up and go to pull something like this together, Mel. I’m more of a pootler, sadly.
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All good, Jo. There is always a place for pootling! Anything is better than sitting on your toosh all day and just letting the World pass you by.
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Hahaha, I love the word pootler. You are certainly not lazy and going by your walks reasonably fit.
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Agreed…
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Wonderful Mel. I have sent your primitivo day one to people I’m meeting who plan to walk that route. It’s quiet on the trails here, but not a lot of municipal albergue options.
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Thanks, Fran. Glad to hear it is quieter and hopefully that makes the hunt for beds easier.
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Depends! Bottleneck right now because beach towns and summer holidays not many little private albergues either. Booking ahead is a reality here 2:3 nights often. Norte is a more expensive camino option.
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I found Spain more expensive this time than when I was there last. Admittedly that was 8 years ago and I think some businesses are making up for lost time over Covid. Enjoy it all and just drink bottles of E2.50 wine rather than E6 glasses at the bars! 🙂
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Interesting. I imagine noticeable too in exchange with Aussie dollars. Comparatively with NL and euros it’s still cheapish. Accommodation wise though you’d definitely notice a massive difference from the combo. Not possible to go from very cheap albergue to very cheap albergue. Most privates start at €17 a night but alternate accom needed in some stretches as fewer beds. I am in a great one and its €25 per night. Although I’m not finding sleep easy! Even without snorers. I think the private room at the albergues might be my style now. Lol.
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I’m with you. I think I am now officially ‘over’ sharing a room with 35 of my closest friends. Maybe I am getting old??? Nah, just a wee bit smarter!! 🙂
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In my reflections of this latest camino section … for sure I will be doing less sharing next time. sharing dinner, yes but rooms no. I’m so tired. Although a 30 day camino would become expensive without sharing.
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Easier if you have a good friend to share a room with…hint, hint…. 🙂
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This is a great recap and valuable resource for anyone wishing to do a camino. More power to them!
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Thanks for your kind words. No doubt this post will bore some people silly, but hopefully of use to other weird people like me. 🙂
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You had an amazing adventure. Have you ever trekked for more than the 31 days that this trek took?
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Yes, I have done a couple of longer walks. The longest being 41 days from the Swiss Alps to Rome in 2018. Yes, I was a wee bit tired after that one! 🙂
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Really good summary. You know me, ‘a bit too quiet’ sounds perfect!
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Well, what are you waiting for? 🙂 I can’t wait to read more of your adventures!
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I think my family might complain if I disappear for that long. I’ll have to do some work on them 😉
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Sew the seed and see what they say. You are pretty close anyway and could just pop across to Spain for 1 or 2 sections rather than the whole shebang. Good luck and buen camino to you!
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I’ll tell them you said it was okay
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Absolutely! I give you 100% permission to run away for a bit. As I tell my husband, he only needs to worry if I stop coming home!
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That’s good, I’m using that
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It works for me! 🙂
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It’s amazing how few pilgrims you met on the Camino Madrid! I suppose, if I were to ask you, you wouldn’t have a favourite route here 😉. I think you were very smart to put together such a nice combo … it’s definitely something to keep in mind if we ever end up on the Camino again. Thanks Mel, it was nice to see your photos again. Buen Camino 👣.
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I think every camino is my favorite camino, but the Madrid was probably a little too quiet. Next time I will find someone to come with me! Interested?? 🙂
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Wouldn’t that be fun!
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Yep!
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Awesome information. Better than any guidebook! Thank you!
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Why, thank you!
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I was all set to walk the Camino in April 2020 and Covid happened. Now it has lost its luster because I’m an off the beaten path type. I just spent a whole month in Wyoming because no one is there (except in Jackson) Thanks for the tips! Been wanting to get back to Spain
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You can find solitude in Spain and on a camino, it just takes a little more research and planning. Buen camino to you, Mel
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