Cycling from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela – The Original Pilgrims’ Trail
Cycling from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela – The Original Pilgrims’ Trail
May to October
£1095.00 Per Person Based Upon 2 Sharing
Follow the route first taken by King Alfonso II in 829AD on his pilgrimage to visit the bones of the apostle St James. 'Espana Verde' will be the stunning backdrop to your cycling holiday as you travel through the varied countryside of Asturias and Galicia.
Basic Itinerary
Day 1 Arival in Asturias. Your first night will be spent in the historic city of Oviedo. Your hotel is close to the train/bus station and only a few minutes walk from the old town.
Day 2 Cornellana to Tineo
Day 3 Tineo to Pola de Allande
Day 4 Pola to Grandas de Salime
Day 5 Grandas to Fonsagrada
Day 6 Fonsagrada to Lugo
Day 7 Lugo to Palas del Rei
Day 8 Palas de Rei to Touro
Day 9 Touro to Santiago de Compostela
Day 10 Breakfast and depart
What's Included:
• Bed and breakfast accommodation in small to medium size hotels
• 18 to 21 gear bicycles with pannier bag, pump, tool kit, map holder, and lock
• Maps and route details in English
• Taxi transfer on day 2
• Luggage transfers
• Emergency support
N.B. Helmets are not included, but available for sale on arrival. Although you are unlikely to be stopped helmets must be worn according to Spanish law.
Getting There:
Fly to Oviedo: There are daily flights with Easyjet from Stansted to Oviedo Airport. Alternatively, Iberia Airways has flights on a Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from Gatwick to Oviedo Airport
Transfers from / to the airport, at the beginning / end of the tour (to be booked separately). There are good public bus connections from airports to city centres. Tickets can be booked in advance.
Fly to Oviedo: There are daily flights with Easyjet from Stansted to Oviedo Airport. Alternatively, Iberia Airways has flights on a Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from Gatwick to Oviedo Airport
Transfers from / to the airport, at the beginning / end of the tour (to be booked separately). There are good public bus connections from airports to city centres. Tickets can be booked in advance.
Day 1: Arrival in Oviedo Visit the Gothic Cathedral devoted to San Salvador, an important Saint to whom many pilgrims express devotion. Enjoy the lively atmosphere of Oviedo’s charming historical centre, with plenty of cafés, restaurants, bodegas and cider bars. Accommodation in modern Hotel (B&B) near the main train- & bus station and 10min walk from historical centre.
Day 2: From Cornellana to Tineo (42km) In the morning, a taxi will take you to Cornellana, where you start cycling right at the entrance to San Salvador Monastery (11th century). To avoid heavy traffic, you will not follow the original trail but make a small detour south via Soto de los Infantes, through the beautiful Narcea River Valley before you ascend to Tineo, a historically significant town on the Camino. Accommodation at a 4-star historical hotel in the centre of town (B&B + optional menu). If you have rented a bike, then you will be first taken to the bike rental shop to try out your bikes and make the necessary adjustments.
Day 3: From Tineo to Pola de Allande (40km; 400m ascent) Today you first visit the Romanesque church and Monastery of Obona. These monuments, partly in ruins, formed part of an important cultural and intellectual centre for centuries. From here a succession of small churches and chapels leads you up to Lavadoiro Pass (812m), before you descend to Pola de Allande, a lovely little town with Asturian flavour. Accommodation at a good hotel famous for its regional cuisine. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 4: From Pola de Allande to Grandas de Salime (43km; 800m ascent) A tough day, since you have to climb 625m this morning to reach Puerto del Palo. This pass, at 1146m, divides the green, wooded area of Allande from the vast, more barren mountains to the south. Of course, you always have the option of walking your bike and enjoying the scenery! You then literally sail down 35km to Lake Grandas, only to find that your destination is still 4km further ahead… at the top of a hill! Grandas is a pleasant town with a Romanesque church and interesting ethnographic museum. Lodging in recently renovated 2-star hotel with a good regional fare. (B&B; a la carte restaurant)
Day 5: From Grandas de Salime to Fonsagrada (27 OR 51km, 475m ascent) Again you start the day in ascent, up to Alto del Acebo Pass (1030m, 475m up). Then you glide down into Fonsagrada. Optional detour to the intriguingly beautiful villages of San Martin and Santa Eulalia de Oscos, famous for their traditional architecture in dark slate. Once you cycle into Galicia, you leave the steep ascents and mountainous areas behind, moving into a gentle rural landscape, dotted with picturesque hamlets. Lodging at a 4-star hotel with lovely views, situated at the outskirts of this small mining town. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 6: From Fonsagrada to Lugo (65km, 300m ascent) A relatively long tour today, with lots of prolonged downhill sections and some short ascents. The easy riding allows you to truly enjoy the Galician countryside, with exquisite traditional architecture such as the ‘Pazos’ and ‘Casas Grandes’, well-preserved country homes on large estates, all impressive buildings in stone and wood. At the end of the day, you reach Lugo, where the town centre was declared a National Historical Monument in 1973, mostly due to the impressive 3rd century walls which merit a place on UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage List. There are several interesting buildings to be visited, including the Romanesque-Gothic cathedral and Baroque town hall and Palace. Outside the walls, there are Roman baths at the natural hot springs on the banks of the River Miño. Accommodation at a 3-star hotel in historical centre of Lugo. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 7: From Lugo to Palas de Rei (32 or 51km, 200m ascent) This morning you have time to visit the major monuments in Lugo, and maybe do some shopping, before you get back on your bike for a relatively short ride. From Lugo onward, the Camino Primitivo merges with the more recent, but more popular French Route, somewhere between Palas de Rei and Melide. There are several routes to choose from, to reach Palas de Rei (32km to 51km). Accommodation with traditional Galician hospitality at a charming ‘casa grande’ in the country. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 8: From Palas de Rei to Touro (45km, 100m descent) Suddenly, you find yourself joining many other pilgrims along the route, as everyone begins to feel the excitement as they near Santiago. But since there is also heavy traffic on this last section of the Camino, we make a detour just past Arzúa and head south. Accommodation near the village of Touro, at one of these typical Pazos with a well-known restaurant. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 9: From Touro to Santiago de Compostela (32km) Again you avoid busy roads as you cycle along small lanes, directly into the heart of Santiago. If you insist making a detour by way of Monte del Gozo (where pilgrims catch their first glimpse of Santiago), you then follow the official Camino, sharing the atmosphere with other pilgrims as you approach St James Cathedral in the historical city centre. Accommodation at a charming hotel*** in the centre (B&B). The afternoon is free to spend exploring Santiago.
Day 10: End of program After breakfast your cycling trip comes to an end.
Day 2: From Cornellana to Tineo (42km) In the morning, a taxi will take you to Cornellana, where you start cycling right at the entrance to San Salvador Monastery (11th century). To avoid heavy traffic, you will not follow the original trail but make a small detour south via Soto de los Infantes, through the beautiful Narcea River Valley before you ascend to Tineo, a historically significant town on the Camino. Accommodation at a 4-star historical hotel in the centre of town (B&B + optional menu). If you have rented a bike, then you will be first taken to the bike rental shop to try out your bikes and make the necessary adjustments.
Day 3: From Tineo to Pola de Allande (40km; 400m ascent) Today you first visit the Romanesque church and Monastery of Obona. These monuments, partly in ruins, formed part of an important cultural and intellectual centre for centuries. From here a succession of small churches and chapels leads you up to Lavadoiro Pass (812m), before you descend to Pola de Allande, a lovely little town with Asturian flavour. Accommodation at a good hotel famous for its regional cuisine. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 4: From Pola de Allande to Grandas de Salime (43km; 800m ascent) A tough day, since you have to climb 625m this morning to reach Puerto del Palo. This pass, at 1146m, divides the green, wooded area of Allande from the vast, more barren mountains to the south. Of course, you always have the option of walking your bike and enjoying the scenery! You then literally sail down 35km to Lake Grandas, only to find that your destination is still 4km further ahead… at the top of a hill! Grandas is a pleasant town with a Romanesque church and interesting ethnographic museum. Lodging in recently renovated 2-star hotel with a good regional fare. (B&B; a la carte restaurant)
Day 5: From Grandas de Salime to Fonsagrada (27 OR 51km, 475m ascent) Again you start the day in ascent, up to Alto del Acebo Pass (1030m, 475m up). Then you glide down into Fonsagrada. Optional detour to the intriguingly beautiful villages of San Martin and Santa Eulalia de Oscos, famous for their traditional architecture in dark slate. Once you cycle into Galicia, you leave the steep ascents and mountainous areas behind, moving into a gentle rural landscape, dotted with picturesque hamlets. Lodging at a 4-star hotel with lovely views, situated at the outskirts of this small mining town. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 6: From Fonsagrada to Lugo (65km, 300m ascent) A relatively long tour today, with lots of prolonged downhill sections and some short ascents. The easy riding allows you to truly enjoy the Galician countryside, with exquisite traditional architecture such as the ‘Pazos’ and ‘Casas Grandes’, well-preserved country homes on large estates, all impressive buildings in stone and wood. At the end of the day, you reach Lugo, where the town centre was declared a National Historical Monument in 1973, mostly due to the impressive 3rd century walls which merit a place on UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage List. There are several interesting buildings to be visited, including the Romanesque-Gothic cathedral and Baroque town hall and Palace. Outside the walls, there are Roman baths at the natural hot springs on the banks of the River Miño. Accommodation at a 3-star hotel in historical centre of Lugo. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 7: From Lugo to Palas de Rei (32 or 51km, 200m ascent) This morning you have time to visit the major monuments in Lugo, and maybe do some shopping, before you get back on your bike for a relatively short ride. From Lugo onward, the Camino Primitivo merges with the more recent, but more popular French Route, somewhere between Palas de Rei and Melide. There are several routes to choose from, to reach Palas de Rei (32km to 51km). Accommodation with traditional Galician hospitality at a charming ‘casa grande’ in the country. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 8: From Palas de Rei to Touro (45km, 100m descent) Suddenly, you find yourself joining many other pilgrims along the route, as everyone begins to feel the excitement as they near Santiago. But since there is also heavy traffic on this last section of the Camino, we make a detour just past Arzúa and head south. Accommodation near the village of Touro, at one of these typical Pazos with a well-known restaurant. (B&B + optional set menu)
Day 9: From Touro to Santiago de Compostela (32km) Again you avoid busy roads as you cycle along small lanes, directly into the heart of Santiago. If you insist making a detour by way of Monte del Gozo (where pilgrims catch their first glimpse of Santiago), you then follow the official Camino, sharing the atmosphere with other pilgrims as you approach St James Cathedral in the historical city centre. Accommodation at a charming hotel*** in the centre (B&B). The afternoon is free to spend exploring Santiago.
Day 10: End of program After breakfast your cycling trip comes to an end.