Three centuries before this universal route reached its peak in the 12th century, the Asturian monarch Alfonso II had already set out for the apostle's tomb. This was in the year 829, inaugurating the oldest known pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
The king in question connected the city of Oviedo with Compostela through the interior lands of western Asturias . He reached as far as Iria Flavia, where the hermit Paio had previously had visions of angels pointing to a burial mound on Mount Libradón.
This announcement reached the ears of Bishop Theodomir, who discovered the tomb and informed Alfonso II the Chaste. Alfonso immediately departed for Galicia and ordered a simple church of masonry and mud to be built over the tomb. The king himself gave full information to Charlemagne, and the news spread rapidly throughout Europe.
This primitive route will lose its pre-eminence in favor of the one that runs along the Meseta, although it will be regularly visited between the 11th and 13th centuries, when the cult of San Salvador de Oviedo acts as a powerful magnet for many pilgrims, who deviated from the Camino French in Leon and went to venerate the reliquary of the Holy Chamber. From Oviedo they followed the footsteps of Alfonso II.
But in addition to the route followed by the king, history has determined that Asturias boasts two main routes of the Camino de Santiago: the Inland Route and the Coastal Route . Both combine to showcase the best of our region: sea and mountains, art, tradition, architectural gems, gastronomy, bustling towns, and secluded spots.
Below we detail the most important sections of the pilgrimage routes in our community:
Route of El Salvador
Port of Pajares-Oviedo.
This is the well-known Inland Route and consists primarily of two stages totaling 58 and a half kilometers. The Camino passes close to high peaks, beech forests, extensive meadows and vertiginous Leon valleys. Already in Asturian lands is the first of the pre-Romanesque jewels that the pilgrim will find: Santa Cristina de Lena in the municipality of Pola de Lena. In this municipality we can rest in a hostel.
Then, heading towards the nearby town of Mieres del Camino , the Camino de Santiago passes through Villallana and the Mieres village of Ujo, a key landmark that boasts the best-preserved Romanesque church in the area. From here, the Camino enters the industrial heartland of central Asturias , continuing its journey along the Caudal River valley. In the town of Olloniego, there is an interesting historical site comprised of an old medieval bridge and the Casatorre de los Quirós.
Heading towards the Asturian capital, we pass through La Manjoya and San Lázaro del Camino . Once in the city center, the route follows La Magdalena street, reaches the Town Hall square, and continues to the Cathedral square.
Eastern coastal route
Bustio-Oviedo.
It consists of 6 stages that add up to 128 kilometers. The northern road enters Asturias through BustioFrom here, the route offers a landscape of rivers, beaches, cliffs, green meadows, and white limestone, leading to the Jurassic Coast and the Sueve mountain range. The first thing you cross is the Deva River via the Bustio Bridge, which spans the border between Cantabria and Asturias.
The Way then passes through Colombres, the capital of the Ribadedeva municipality, a peaceful town where sumptuous mansions built by returning emigrants (Indianos) stand, such as La Quinta de Guadalupe, now home to the Archive of the Indianos. Heading towards the town of Llanes , the Way continues in the shadow of the Sierra de Cuera mountain range, crossing the villages of Buelna, Pendueles, Vidiago, and Puertas de Vidiago. Llanes itself boasts a rich historical heritage, with sections of its walls and buildings dating back to the medieval period, as well as beautiful urban palaces from the 15th to 18th centuries. The road then runs near the Monastery of San Salvador de Celorio and the Romanesque church of San Antolín de Bedón.
After passing through the charming town of Nueva and crossing the Aguamía bridge, you reach the town of Ribadesella . The Camino de Santiago route follows the path of what was once the main street—passing arcades and houses bearing coats of arms from the 16th to 19th centuries, and the Plateresque façade of the Renaissance palace of El Cutre, now the Town Hall. Crossing the bridge over the Sella River leads to the Santa Marina beach; from there, the Camino continues to San Pedro, Abeu, and Leces, where there is a pilgrim hostel.
The Way leaves the Ribadesella municipality via the beautiful and expansive Vega beach and the village of Berbes. It then follows the coast of the Caravia municipality , very close to the sea, and ends at La Espasa beach and inn, already within the Colunga municipality. Passing through Bueño and Covián, it approaches the town of Colunga , which preserves the chapel of its pilgrims' hospital and its old Romanesque parish church.
In Villaviciosa stands Nuestra Señora de la Oliva, a proto-Gothic church. Further along, the Way passes by the Romanesque church of San Juan de Amandi and crosses the Valdediós River via the Amandi Bridge. The Coastal Route continues through Grases and Niévares, heading towards the city of Gijón , which it approaches through the parishes of Deva and Cabueñes, where the Labor University is located.
Western coastal route
Oviedo-Santiago de Abres.
7 stages, a total of 155 kilometers. AvilésFounded in 1100, it is the oldest coastal town on the route. Towards it, the path passes through the parishes of Santa Eulalia del Valle and San Juan de Tamón, in Carreño, and San Vicente de Trasona, in the neighboring municipality of CorveraThen it enters the old town of Avilés through Rivero Street, where there was a pilgrims' hospital, near the current hostel, and along the way it discovers remarkable monuments from the medieval period.
From Avilés it passes into the municipality of Castrillón , where it crosses Quiloño, Piedras Blancas, the municipal capital, and Santiago del Monte. It then heads towards the Nalón River, whose course it crosses, within the municipality of Soto del Barco, via the N-632 road bridge, located at the foot of the medieval castle of San Martín.
It continues, now in the lands of the council of Cudillero , through the places of El Pito, where the magnificent architectural complex of the Selgas is located, and Soto de Luiña, where it passes between the baroque church of Santa María and the house of the hospital of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Luarca preserves old houses with coats of arms and beautiful buildings built by returning emigrants. In Almuña, near the town, there is a pilgrim hostel. The route continues towards Navia, fording the Frejulfe River.
In the upper part of Navia , which was once walled, some modern-era buildings are preserved; in the newer part of town, there are beautiful mansions built by returning emigrants. Once across the estuary, the Way quickly traverses the municipality of Coaña, stopping at the hospital and chapel of Santa Ana in Jarrio and in the village of Cartavio, before venturing into the municipality of El Franco , whose capital, La Caridad, it passes through. The route crosses the Porcía River, the boundary between the municipalities of El Franco and Tapia de Casariego . A branch of the Way leads to Tapia de Casariego, the capital of the municipality of the same name, which has a hostel.
Once in the Vegadeo municipality , and after passing through its capital, we take the Royal Road of Bustelo, which leads to the Eo River and the towns of Figueras and Castropol . Both towns historically had pilgrim hospitals. From there, one can cross the estuary, as in times past, thanks to a regular ferry service to Ribadeo, the first Galician town on the Coastal Way.
How many kilometers are the Primitive Way?
Oviedo-Fonsagrada.
9 stages, a total of 154 kilometers. According to the route followed by the monarch, the road initially runs through the municipalities of Oviedo and the Regueras to enter Grado after crossing the Nalón River via the Peñaflor Bridge. A Roman road also crossed through the territory of Grado, entering Asturias through the Puerto de la Mesa pass. There are references to the existence of three hospitals in the municipality.
After the Sanctuary of El Fresno, we enter Salas . This is probably one of the stages with the highest concentration of monuments on the Primitive Asturian Way . There were several pilgrim hospitals in the Salas region. Evidence of hospitals existed in Cornellana, Salas, La Espina, Labio, and Faedo.
The Way continues towards Tineo along the right bank of the Nonaya River. Around 1222, King Alfonso IX ordered that all pilgrims pass through Tineo and the Monastery of Obona.
We leave the municipality at La Lavadoira to enter the Allande council and approach its municipal capital, Pola de Allande, which has a hostel. It is one of the most sparsely populated sections of the entire Asturian Camino de Santiago route, but it has the particular charm of offering some of the most beautiful scenery in the Asturian mountains, leading us to Grandas de Salime , the last council on this route in the Principality of Asturias. Here, we are treated to two must-see attractions: the Parish Church of San Salvador, with its excellent Romanesque portal, and the Ethnographic Museum of Grandas de Salime , a true landmark of traditional Asturian culture.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
