Hiking the Camino Norte and Camino Primitivo – 2 great routes
While the most popular route of the Camino de Santiago is the Frances, hikers are increasingly looking for a less crowded or a new route. The Caminos Norte and Primitivo are great choices.
Susan and Ralph Alcorn, who hiked both in 2015-16, strongly recommend the entire 500 miles of Norte, and/or the 200 of the Primitivo. As this website grows, we will bring you answers to many of your pressing questions about the Norte and Primitivo–.not only an overview of the two routes, elevations, accommodations. But also answers to such questions as: Who is hiking it? How difficult is it? What I should pack? How should I train?
Camino Norte and Camino Primitivo Resources
With the resources that are available–books, apps, and so forth, you can plan and do your Norte and/or Primitivo with confidence. I hope to post images of the journey to inspire you to plan that trip of your own that you have been dreaming of.
Meanwhile, check out Susan’s Healing Miles: Gifts of the Caminos Norte and Primitivo.
Guy Joaquin, co-coordinator of the Northern California chapter of American Pilgrims, posted a ZOOM video on his walk on the Camino Primitivo. He gives an introduction about the origin of the route, some packing suggestions, info on mileage and options for starting points and then takes you along on his hike from Oviedo onward. As the route split at the town of Pola de Allenda, Guy walked the lower route, La Pola, and Sue Lopez, chapter member, walked the high route, the Hospitales. Link here.