Camino Francés or Camino Primitivo, that is the question

Photo Courtesy of the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, Montgomery County Audubon Collection, and Zebra Publishing

A known fact about me in the Sunseri household: I analyze everything until there’s nothing left to analyze. And then, I analyze some more.

Some people might see this as a fault. I would argue I just like to be well-informed about a subject. Are you an over-analyzer? Tell me I’m not alone!

Anyway… When I said I went down a rabbit hole regarding the Camino de Santiago in a recent post to you, I probably should have called it more of a sink hole. ‘Cause I am sunk!

I have listened to podcasts, read a large number of blog posts, and watched YouTube videos of people’s walks. I’ve even started researching equipment for my own walk — equipment I might not even need. (Like walking poles — if you use these, please tell me why! I’m looking for advice.)

I mean, Mike and I hike a lot, but we’ve never used walking poles. We did make a trip to REI recently and purchased day packs with hydration systems. So, when I say I’m seriously considering this long trek across Spain, believe me! I would leave today if I could. If I lived on the European continent, I probably would have already started my journey.

But I’m more of a planner, and as you’ll read below, there’s a lot to consider. I couldn’t even decide which route to take at first.

I began my quest for information about the Camino by researching the French route of the Camino with the thinking I would make the pilgrimage on my own.

The Camino de Santiago Francés is the most famous and the most popular route to Santiago. Pilgrims, or peregrinos, begin their 790 km/490 mi trek in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and finish in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, crossing through several regions of Northern Spain, including Navarre, La Rioja, Castille and Leon, and Galicia.

Many of the podcasts I have discovered explore the French route in detail. And if I were to make the journey solo, I decided that this is the route I would take.

But I have since begun studying the Camino Primitivo.

The Camino Primitivo, also known as the Original Camino, is the oldest Camino de Santiago. According to my research, King Alfonso II the Chaste was the first-ever pilgrim on this route, beginning in the city of Oviedo, in Asturias, continuing across Northern Spain, and finishing in Santiago de Compostela. King Alfonso made the trek in the 9th century with the mission to confirm the remains found in Santiago were in fact those of St. James the Apostle. (Whether he actually confirmed this, I’ve yet to discover.)

Starting at the cathedral of Oviedo and finishing at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, the total distance of the Camino Primitivo is 321 km/ 200 mi, and it’s thought to be the most difficult of the routes to Santiago de Compostela due to the many steep ascents and descents, passing through two Spanish provinces — Asturias and Galicia. According to the Stingy Nomads, and to the statistics from 2019 (the last “normal” year for all of the Caminos due to the pandemic), “only 4% (about 16,000 people a year) of all pilgrims who walk the Camino de Santiago choose the Primitive Way.”

So, why am I leaning toward walking the Camino Primitivo over the more popular route of the Camino Francés?

First, while my husband has been 100% supportive of me making the pilgrimage from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela by myself, he also would like to complete a Camino, but doesn’t wish to commit the time (about 35 days) it would take to complete the French route. He also is intrigued by the Primitive Way, a route that would be more of a scenic “hike” through a hillier region of Spain than the French route.

Mike and I discussed doing separate walks. I would begin my journey in St. Jean Pied de Port, he would start a few weeks later in Oviedo, and we would meet up when the two routes merge just before entering Santiago de Compostela. This plan is still on the table, but it is quickly becoming replaced with the idea of us completing a route — the Camino Primitivo — together.

Second, I, too, am intrigued by the Camino Primitivo and some of the other routes, like the Costal Route of the Portuguese Camino (Who doesn’t want to walk along the coast for days?), simply because I’ve read these two routes are more scenic routes than the Camino Francés, which can lead you along busy highways for days at a time.

Side note: Author J F Penn is walking the Portuguese Costal Route currently. Follow along on her Instagram for beautiful photos and short narrations of her journey.

Third, my husband and I have always been a travel “team”. While he completes solo hikes from time to time, we, for the most part, always travel and go on adventures as a team. And while I am certain that I would grow from a solo pilgrimage across Spain, and the idea of it doesn’t intimidate me in the least, I’m feeling led to consider making the trek with Mike.

So, that’s where I am currently with my plan to walk the Camino de Santiago. One thing I know for certain at this point in my research: No matter which route I/we choose, it will be rich with lessons in history, geography, spirituality, religion, humanity, and self-discovery. And I couldn’t be more excited.

So, like I said in my last post to you, stay tuned.

I’m dying to know if you’ve ever considered a long hike or walk? Or have you considered taking on a challenge that your family and friends have looked at you funny for even considering? (We’re definitely getting some of those looks — the kinds of looks that tell you they’re talking about your when you leave the room.)

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