Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

[andrey]

Hallo everyone.
I understand that after Lugo (or rather San Romao de Retorta) one can go either to Palais del Rei or to Melide. Which way is nicer?
Is there ANYWHERE one can stay in San Romao de Retorta (or nearby)? I don't want to belive that walking from Lugo to Palais del Rey in one go is the only option!?!


Thanks,
Andrey

[sillydoll]

Hello Audrey,
The Primitive Way passes through Lugo to Melide.
Stage 4 is from Lugo PONTE FERREIRA (26 Km)
Stage 5 is from PONTE FERREIRA to MELIDE (22 Km)
You will find maps and mileages on the website:

http://www.amigosdelcamino.com/

Click on Caminos and then on Primitivo and then on Mapa.

and another nice website is:

http://www.galiciadigital.com/pcd/Camin ... :1&lang=en
which indicates that there is an albergue at San Romao da Retorta

[peregrina2000]

Thanks, Sil, for those web links. I suppose it's not surprising that the two sites differ in their computation of km, only off by 4, though.

According to Galiciadigital:
Lugo to San Roman de Retorta -- 19
Retorta to Melide -- 25
Total Lugo to Melide 44

According to the webiste of the amigos de Galicia
Lugo to PonteFerreira -- 26
PonteFerreira to Melide -- 22
Total Lugo to Melide 48

I also thought that the comment made on the Galiciadigital website was interesting, in light of the original question about going to Palas del Rei:

[i]Throughout history, the Primitive Way always go straight on from Lugo to Melide, crossing O Careón along Hospital das Seixas, Santiago de Vilouriz, Vilamor and Compostela. The diversion from Augas Santas to Palas de Rei is a modern invention without any historical rigour.[/i]

And one more little point -- Galiciadigital website indicates that the albergue in Sao Romao da Retorta is still under construction (nor does the other site list an albergue there), so there might not be anywhere to sleep in that town, suggesting that the etapa from Lugo to Ponte Ferreira might be a better bet (at least there appears to be "turismo rural" in that town).

It'd be great to get a report from someone who's walked this route!

[sillydoll]

Hi Audrey,
Perhaps a search through the pilgrim's diaries posted on the
http://www.caminolinks.co.uk website will be of value.

Click on the Camino Norte link on the left.

Or, you could contact Eiler Prytz at eiler@pilegrim.info who walked the Primitivo route last year.

Good luck!

Sil

[andrey]

Thanks everyone.
Is there an albergue in PONTE FERREIRA then? According to google, there isnt. Seems like a bit of a gap between Lugo and Melide, with nowhere to stay overnight?.
Thanks,
Andrey

[sillydoll]

Last resort - email the pilgrim's office in Santiago.

peregrinos@archicompostela.org

Let us know what you find out.

[andrey]

Hi,
Will be there tomorrow morning, although the bus from Madrid arrives 6.30 AM, and the office opens at 10...


A.

[Javier Martin]

Ask Jose Antonio, the hospitalero in Lugo, the best option. There's the option to Mellide, the other one to Palas de Rei and the third one to Friol and Sobrado los Monxes.

The AGACS was marking with yellow arrows the way last spring from El Acebo.

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

[peregrina2000]

Several weeks ago, on the Camino del Norte, we met some people in the albergue in Sobrado dos Monxes (which is the last albergue on the Norte, before it connects with the Frances) who had been on the Primitivo. They had decided to "cross over" from the Primitivo to the Norte from Lugo so as to avoid having to hook up with the Frances for a little longer. As others have mentioned, the Primitivo joins the Frances in Melide, or Palas del Rei if you take the "inauthentic" route. The Norte joins the Frances one day's walk west of there, at Arzua.

These pilgrims told us that the way from Lugo to Sobrado was not marked, that they had to use road maps to figure it out, and that it was all on asphalt (though generally secondary roads). Let us know how it goes for you Andrey. Buen Camino.

[evanlow]

I did the Camino Primitivo this april. When I got into Lugo, the hospitalier recommend taking the 33 km option to Palas.

The pilgrims I know from Lugo all made it to Palas while I ended up in Melide after the over 45 km walk (Not recommended). It was not my intention to walk all the way to Melide but if you follow the sign you will end up there instead. Detour to Palas the as soon as you can.

Palas is the only option right now since there are no albergue in between Lugo and Melide at this moment, and not in San Romao de Retorta either. Only farm houses in this area, so finding alternate lodging is also a challenge.

[url]
http://camino.wificat.com[/url]

[Peter Robins]

These pilgrims told us that the way from Lugo to Sobrado was not marked

this is part of the Interior variant of the Norte, developed by the Amigos in Lugo http://www.lugocamino.com/ (they're also working on a route between O Cebreiro and Lugo). Various press reports (e.g. http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/ed_lugo/no ... TO=5874507 ) state that the route is now marked, but that may just refer to the first bit Ribadeo-Lugo.

that they had to use road maps to figure it out, and that it was all on asphalt (though generally secondary roads).

well, yes, most roads are asphalt these days. You would need to use more detailed maps to find an off-road route. Or alternatively try and get a detailed route description from the Amigos.