Pola de Allande to Grandas de Salime

This long mountain day joins into a single stage the two central stretches of the valley variant of the Camino Primitivo: the legendary climb to Puerto del Palo from Pola de Allande and the descent to the Salime reservoir on the way to Grandas. At nearly 38 kilometres and with a considerable cumulative ascent, it is one of the hardest and most beautiful days of the whole Camino, reserved for pilgrims in good physical shape and best tackled with plenty of daylight and favourable weather forecasts.

From Pola de Allande, at 525 metres, the ascent to Puerto del Palo begins immediately. It is about nine kilometres of sustained climbing, first on road and then on path, gaining more than six hundred metres to crest at 1,147 metres above sea level. It is the roof of the Camino Primitivo and its most demanding stretch, but also one of the most spectacular: endless heathland, ancient burial mounds and views taking in much of the Cantabrian Mountains.

Once over the pass, the Camino advances high along the sierra, among gentle rises, until reaching Berducedo, a small hamlet with services where many pilgrims make a stop. From here the route turns westwards and begins to descend, first moderately and then decisively, until it overlooks the impressive Salime reservoir, one of the most recognisable images of the Primitivo.

The final stretch combines a long descent to the tail of the reservoir, around 200 metres above sea level, with the closing rise that climbs to Grandas de Salime. After crossing the dam and climbing by track and road, the pilgrim reaches this town in the province of Lugo, equipped with every service and known for its excellent Ethnographic Museum of Grandas de Salime, which recreates traditional mountain life. After such a long day, the arrival feels especially like a reward.