"LA RUTA DEL SALVADOR"    2011 - 2012

From LEÓN to OVIEDO (120,7 kms) 

The cathedral in the centre of Oviedo

is named "El Salvador". It will be the end of your walk from

the City of León along the "Ruta del Salvador". However,

it may also be the starting point of another pilgrimage along

the "Camino Primitivo", which will eventually bring you to

Santiago de Compostela. The length of this pilgrimage along

the Primitive Road is 300 kms.  (Full details in the Handbook.)

Albergues along the "Ruta Del Salvador" may be found in:

* León (2-3 albergues; at least one of them is open all year) (good)

* La Robla (Sixto & Valentín; opened March 2011) 16 beds/kitchen   659 093 647 (good!!) (end of main street, left)

* La Pola de Gordón (shelter in a sports complex built by the Council) (closed)

* Buiza (12 beds) (at 4 kms past Pola de Gordón) (good) (at the entrance of village, on the right)

* Poladura de la Tercia (Casa rural/albergue  987 69 83 13) Ring up the day before arrival (OK)

* Pajares  985 492 247 (20 beds; food served; drinks/snacks machine; ask for Marisa)   645 93 00 92 (good!!)

* Pola de Lena (In Calle Ramón y Cajal; 20 beds; close to railway station)  985 49 04 17 or 985 49 06 17 (good!!)

* Urbiés (a few kms off the camino - to the right - before Mieres)    619 09 91 80 (temporary closed?)

* Mieres del Camino (in Antiguas Escuelas de la Peña, one mile past the village; 10 beds) (reasonable)

* Oviedo (in Calle Adolfo Posada 3; close to the old albergue)  985 228 525 (reasonable)

                (in Calle Emigrante 12, near Ronda Sur; Albergue Villa Cecilia) 618 725 561 or 606 506 061 (good)

 Please, ring up the Albergues to make sure that they are open, in particular in winter!

SAN MARCOS PLAZA - LEÓN

This sign stands on the large roundabout next

to the San Marcos Monastery in León. When

you stand on the roundabout, and look at the

building adjacent to San Marcos (on its right)

you will see this sign. Now: start walking!

 "Quién va a Santiago y no pasa por El Salvador, visita al criado, y no al Señor."

The "Ruta del Salvador" may be divided up into 5 or 6 stages.

1. León - La Robla (28 kms)

You start your walk in León, on the right side of the San Marcos Monastery on the roundabout.

Do not cross the river, but stay on the eastern side and follow it upstream to the north (on your left).

After leaving the roundabout you follow the Avenida de Peregrinos along the river.  Do NOT make

detours to the right (to a monastery) because your walk will be long enough (28 kms) without detours!

 You will pass villages like Carbajal de la Legua (bars etc.), Villalbura, Cabanillas and Cascantes (bar)  before

reaching La Robla. During the day you will notice a difference in altitude of some 150 meters.

Your walk is sometimes fairly steep, and rocky or muddy! After Cabanillas there are some fountains

and a first-aid kit in the field. On the other side  of the river (in La Seca) there is a bar, which can be

reached via a new bridge, but this means making a detour. In La Robla you will find a variety of services

(restaurants, shops, pensions, money machines etc.) All is well indicated and you enter La Robla through

a tunnel and via a large metal bridge after having passed an enormous electricity plant from Fenosa.

Do not walk this track alone in bad weather, because you will receive little help outside the villages.

Pensión Mundo - La Robla     987 570 733  (OK, with a somewhat grumpy owner)

Hostal Residencia Ordoñez de Celis - La Robla    987 572 342

In León: Hostal Don Suero, Avenida Suero de Quiñones 15    987 23 06 00

(See picture on the My Top 10 page.) This Hostal is at 100 meters from San Marcos.

2. La Robla - Poladura de la Tercia (21,3 kms) (Or, you may stay at Buiza: 13 kms)

You will climb from 800 meters to just over 1200 meters. First you walk to Pola de

Gordón (8,5 kms) along the carretera. You walk underneath an aquaduct and cross the village

of Puente Alba.  More carretera will bring you to the "Buen Suceso" Ermita, and soon you cross

the railway and the Bernesga river via a bridge. Just before reaching Nocedo de Gordón you

turn right, walk underneath the AVE train, and through a tunnel. Now cross the railway again

and the river to get to Pola de Gordón. From here you walk to Buiza (4 kms),

and then to Poladura de la Tercia (at 12,2 kms from Pola de Gordón). This route is

the most common one used, as several Albergues will await you (and a small bar in Buiza).

In WINTER you may keep right at Pola de Gordón and walk to Villasimpliz along the carretera.

Anyway: turn right in front of the church in Buiza and then follow a path towards the carretera.

After Buiza a steep climb in desolate landscape awaits you, too risky to walk alone in bad weather!!

Hostal Residencia Fontañan - Pola de Gordón   987 588 458 (end of village)

El Arenal - Pola de Gordón    987 588 303 or:  615 052 414 (centre of village, left)

Posada "El Embrujo" - Poladura de la Tercia   987 69 83 13

 The "Albergue de La Robla"

3. Poladura de la Tercia - Pajares (15,5 kms)

If you move to the right at Pola de Gordón you will pass villages like Vega de Gordón,

Santa Lucía, Ciñera and La Vid before reaching Villasimpliz. From here you can quickly

reach the Albergue of Buiza if necessary. Otherwise, walk on to Villamanín, Villanueva

and Busdonga to reach Sta. María de Arbás del Puerto. On this route accommodation may be

obtained in hostals and hotels. This route is lower than the other one as it follows the river

Bernesga. Arbás is reached after a 200-meter climb, next you reach the border of Asturias,

followed by a steep descent which will continue all the way to Pajares. (The border

between Castilla & León and Asturias is on the highest point, just past Arbás.)

If you take the left option from Buiza to Pobladura de la Tercia, then a climb to 1550 meters

awaits you towards Arbás. This way you reach the Puerto de Pajares. The views are breathtaking!

Conclusion: in front of the church in Buiza an important decision has to be made.

Follow the river (go right) or take the high road I(go left).  In winter go right

unless you are in a group and very well equipped. Do not rely on cell phones.

Hotel La Venta de Arbás - Villamanín   987 685 021 (not open?)

Apartamentos La Tercia - Villamanín   987 598 036 (not open?)

Hotel CTR Puerta de Asturias - Villamanín   987 598 369

Hostal La Pradera - Villamanín   987 598 129 (very good, cheap, also good menu)

(Villamanín is situated at 10 kms from Arbás.)

Casa de aldea "Güela" - in Pajares   669 469 409 (ring them up to make sure they are open)

In Arbás there may not be any services offered at all, except for a good bar.

In Pajares the pilgrim will find a good albergue, with helpful staff. Food served; drinks machine; @

 Marisa, hospitalera of the "Albergue de Pajares"

4. Pajares - Pola de Lena (22,5 kms)

After you enter Asturias you follow the carretera to Pajares. The descent is steep (17% or more).

Also a path on the left brings you to Pajares, but the carretera is quite convenient and not busy.

Pajares has a very good Albergue, with computers and food served. Pajares is followed

by Romía de Arriba and Navedo to Puente de los Fierros.  Via La Frecha and Vega del Rey

everyone walks to Pola de Lena.  This walk is mainly downward, from a top of 1500 meters

just past Arbás down to 300 meters (Pola de Lena). The other option is to move down to

the valley to San Miguel del Río and follow the valley route. Ask Marisa for advice in Pajares.

This path follows the left hand side of the Pajares river. The right option stays on the carretera.

Before reaching Pola you follow that carretera, and walk to the upper part of the village

to find the Albergue.  It is close to the railway station.

Hotel Lena - in Pola de Lena    985 493 234

Hotel Santa Cristina - Pola de Lena   985 49 19 95 or:  985 49 18 76

 5.  Pola de Lena - Mieres del Camino (14 kms)

Via villages like La Vega, Vilallana and Ujo you follow the route to Mieres.

The route is mainly flat, at an altitude of some 300 meters. From Pola de Lena

you follow a busy carretera, passing La Vega and Villalana to Ujo. From there

a nice path leads you to Mieres along the Caudal river. All is indicated.

In Mieres: several hostals/hotels Also Hospital V. Álvarez Buylla

Hostal Pachín   985 46 59 27

Pensión Astur    985 45 35 74

Pensión La Peña   985 46 67 15 or: 985 46 13 53

 6. Mieres del Camino - Oviedo (20 kms)

You walk to La Peña, next to Padrún, Olloniego and Venta del Aire to Oviedo.

To Padrún you will experience a climb of 200 meters. Next: down to Olloniego.

Then 200 meters up to Venta del Aire, and a reasonably flat track to Oviedo.

The route follows the carretera again, but this time a fairly quiet one. You enter

Oviedo through the San Lázaro neighbourhood in the south. You are not far

from the cathedral (and Albergue nearby). Just ask for the San Francisco Park.

Many hotels / hostals can be found in Oviedo. (See the Camino de Santiago

de Compostela Ultimate Handbook.)

* Note that during the winter months you will be on your own. Your cell phone might

not always operate well (because of the lack of antennas), so there are certain risks which

should be taken into consideration.  Walking with 2 or more pilgrims is advisable!

Do not expect the help from "locals" because there might not be any.

* Although the road is fairly well indicated, you should look out for the arrows with due attention,

as it is easy to miss one and get lost. This may well happen after passing Buiza!

* Up to date guides on the "Camino del Salvador" do not yet exist, mainly because of the fact that

they are not commercially viable.  Most websites are out of date, so beware!

* Finally: ask the locals in the villages which route is best to walk. This depends heavily on

the weather; a walk in January will be totally different from one in August.

* Note that there is a railway line from León to Gijón which follows the route which you are walking.

Quite a few railway stations will serve you, in case of an emergency. (Villamanín, Buspongo, Pajares,

Pola de Gordón, Pola de Lena, Mieres, Oviedo).

  Jack takes a break on day one.