Primitivo Day 3: The Sound of Music

by | May 3, 2024 | Camino Primitivo, Spain, Trail Journals | 0 comments

Friday – May 2, 2025

  • Start: Porciles, Spain
  • End: El Espin
  • Distance: 30.2 km (18.9 miles)
  • Lodging: Albergue Casa Pasqual

Day 3 of the Camino Primitivo began with fog and clouds again and the promise of more rain in the forecast. Low clouds loomed overhead most of the day, and the trail was muddy from the heavy overnight rain. But the hillsides were so green and lush, and there were lots of cows and horses too. I reached the town of Tineo around lunchtime and stocked up at the grocery store before enjoying a picnic lunch in the town’s plaza. The green hills in the afternoon left me wanting to twirl around like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. The landscape was so pretty. I ended my day in another small acogida tradicional Jacobeo in El Espin, where my host shared that the Camino Primitivo is busier than ever this year. Is this because 2025 is a Jubilee year?

The morning started out with a dense fog and very few views
Once the fog lifted, the beautiful green landscape emerged
Lots of horses
But the trail was also quite muddy from the heavy overnight rain
A small chapel on my way to Tineo
I stopped in Tineo to get some food at the grocery store, then sat in the plaza near the green city hall, enjoying a picnic lunch as the parade of familiar pilgrims passed by.
Leaving Tineo meant another steady climb back into the mountains, but the views and scenary made it worth the effort.
Looking back at Tineo and the surrounding hills. What a cute town.
Lush tranquil forest
But, I wasn’t thrilled to have these five guys on dirt bikes roll up behind me, gunning their engines on the dirt trail that doubled as the Camino Primitivo
Back out in the countyside and enjoying the green fields and wildflowers under some dark clouds
Lovely views and livestock
The afternoon was filled with fantastic green views and yellow flowers
Hello there, friend!
More great views, but I have my fingers crossed that the rain holds off until I get to the albergue
Heading downhill toward some dairy farms under the sizzling sun. The nearby town of Campiello was the last stop for supplies for the next 30 km, but I didn’t buy anything. I already grabbed enough food for tomorrow while I was in Tineo.
I was staying in another acogida tradicional Jacobeo tonight, and our host was an Italian woman named Sylvia, who told me this was the busiest Camino she’s ever seen.
Inside the albergue, which used a renovated stone farm building for the sleeping quarters
Sylvia and the 15 year old twin boys from the Czech Republic who were walking the Camino with their mom
Around 17:30, a torrential downpour began. One of our fellow pilgrims, a German man named Harold, was still several kilometers away when the rain began, and he showed up before dinner, soaking wet.

Highlights

  • Today’s landscape on the Camino was so lush and green with wildflowers everywhere. I felt like I was walking through hills in The Sound of Music.
  • Although today’s forecast called for rain, it held off until around 17:30. I’ve done a good job of dodging the storms these past few days.
  • I stayed in another acogida tradicional Jacobeo tonight, and it was such a delightful experience with another small group of pilgrims. As an added bonus, our host, Sylvia, served the best bruschetta ever with our dinner.

Challenges

  • I was not a big fan of the five guys on dirt bikes who came motoring up behind me on the Camino this afternoon. Dirt bikes and chainsaws can ruin any tranquility instantly.
  • The number of pilgrims on the Camino Primitivo is somewhat startling. I decided to walk this route because I thought it would be more tranquil and quieter. But Sylvia said she’s seeing about three times the normal number of pilgrims this Spring, and the albergue is completely full every night. It’s not even the peak season yet!
  • I’ve noticed there are many more Eastern European pilgrims (Czechs, Poles, Hungarians, and Slovaks) on the Primitivo than I’ve seen on any other route. Luckily, most of them speak some Spanish or English, but I’ve had to break out Google Translate more than a few times to ask my fellow pilgrims questions.

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Primitivo Day 4 >>

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