Guest Blogger Michelle Jennings: An international development specialist with 25+ years of experience working globally in the environment, biodiversity, climate, economic growth and humanitarian assistance sectors in places like Ethiopia, El Salvador and Central America, Peru and South America, and Haiti. Currently semi-retired, Michelle is an outdoor-nature loving adventure seeker with six grown kids who resides in California.
Photo Credit Michelle Jennings
Brief Overview of the Camino Primitivo Route
The Camino Primitivo, also known as The Original Way, is part of the northernmost network of Camino de Santiago routes, which includes the Camino del Norte and the Camino Inglés. The route begins at the Cathedral of Oviedo and stretches approximately 321 kilometers (200 miles) to Santiago de Compostela. The route is known for its challenging elevation changes, rugged terrain, and spectacular mountain scenery. According to the Pilgrim Office in Santiago, 27,855 pilgrims registered for completion of the Camino Primitivo as of December 2025, making it one of the quieter Camino routes.
Why Walk a Camino?
In 2025, after losing my dream job of 25 years in international development, I leapt at the chance to join a good friend on her second Camino de Santiago walk that fall. She announced, very matter-of-factly, “I’m going with or without anybody,” which immediately told me two things: she meant it—and I wanted in.
It felt like the perfect opportunity to spend time with one of my favorite badass athlete friends who is always laughing, reconnect with another amazing woman (a lifelong friend of hers), shake off the emotional dust of the past year and let my feet, brain, and spirit figure out what came next in life.
The Route: El Camino Primitivo
My friend warned me upfront: the Camino Primitivo route is “not a walk—it’s a hike,” and one of the more demanding Camino de Santiago routes. Naturally, that challenge only made me want to do it more. I loved the idea of remoteness, wild beauty, and scenery so good the route is often referred to as the Camino’s best-kept secret.
The tales were not exaggerated.
The Camino Primitivo delivered stunning farm landscapes, jaw-dropping mountain passes (conveniently soaked in rain during our crossings), endless steep climbs and descents that tested our grit, and forest paths straight out of a fairy tale. Unlike the more popular Camino routes, the remoteness sometimes required real planning—like carrying our own water and food because there would be no café con leche or tortilla española waiting mid-morning at a trailside café. Tragic, yes—but also kind of awesome.
Photo Credit Michelle Jennings – One Of Her Favorite Albergues On The Camino Primitivo
We stayed in a mix of pensiones and albergues, which meant we didn’t have to sprint into every town like competitive pilgrims fighting for a bed at the only hostel. Our favorite albergue belonged to a lovely family who served a warm, communal dinner in a restored space with so much charm and imagination that it was hard to believe we were sleeping in a former pigsty. Along the way, we developed a deep emotional bond with the sport drink Aquarius, the bottomless soup that ushered in three-course pilgrim meals (menú del peregrino) and the dangerously delicious white Albariño wine. Once back in Los Angeles, I searched for my favorite bottle—only to find it priced at $30–$40. That discovery alone was incentive enough to immediately start planning my next Camino.
The Experience
As expected with an experience like this, the people we met along the Camino Primitivo made everything richer. No matter which Camino de Santiago route you choose, the trail brings together travelers from all over the world—many of them repeat pilgrims with stories that could fuel several novels and at least one mini-series. Every conversation added another layer to the journey.
Our three-woman gal-pal unit worked perfectly over the course of the hike. After 16 days, 197 miles, countless laughs, shared stories, and the kind of connection that only forms when you walk day after day with people who truly listen and support each other, we finished happy and inspired.
When we returned to our respective homes and looked back months later, it all felt like a dream.
¡Mil gracias, chicas! I’ll always remember my first Camino. These memories live in my heart forever!
Note no compensation was given or received for this publication. This is not an advertisement.
Route Marker Camino Primitivo. Photo Credit – Michelle Jennings
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