Camino del Norte Day 17: Colunga to Villaviciosa

I literally don’t know where I am anymore. I’ve gotten to that point on this Camino del Norte.

I know I left Colunga following a wonderful stay at my little Casa Indiana with its adorable attic room and perfect garden. Today being such a short day I was able to sleep in. I had a leisurely breakfast and left close to 10am. I was at my destination just after 2pm.

The walk itself was quite rolling, up and down, through beautiful countryside. Most of it transpired along pavement. But there were some forays into forested trails. After days of rain however, the trails were quite muddy and slippery. 

In any case the stage was over in the blink of an eye. I’m now in Villaviciosa. The town is cute enough. I’m too tired now to care that much to be honest. Importantly for me, tomorrow is my final stage on the Camino del Norte.  No. I’m not done just yet. Rather, I will be veering off the Northern Way as I head towards Oviedo. 

Villaviciosa is essentially right before a split in the road. A split that asks pilgrims to choose. Will they stay on the Norte or veer off towards the Camino Primitivo on their way to Santiago?

For those pilgrims looking to walk the very first Way to Santiago, the Camino Primitivo is your choice. It is from Oviedo where King Alfonso II became the first pilgrim to Santiago more than 1,000 years ago. The Camino Primitivo is said to be spectacularly beautiful, but very tough.

Sadly, I will not be embarking on it this time. Rather I will conclude my Camino del Norte in Oviedo, the place where the very first Way began. Two walking days till the end. 

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Today’s Stats:

Distance: 11.7 miles (18.7K)

Elevation gain: 1,513 ft (461m)

Walking time: 4:21hrs

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Food and Accommodation:

Hotel Avenida Real. This was a perfectly acceptable Bed and Breakfast to spend the night. The rooms were well-sized and comfortable. The breakfast was nothing special, basically, coffee, juice and toast. It is a walk up. I was on the third floor so that’s important to note for those who might have an issue with mobility. But it’s well located and the receptionist was kind and helpful.

Dinner: Casa Bedriñana. This place bills itself as serving award winning Fabada. It is a stew made out of Lima beans, chorizo, blood sausage and other parts of the pig. I first tried it in Santillana Del Mar and did not like it at all. I blamed the restaurant. So I decided to give this traditional Asturian dish another try. I can now definitively say t’s just not for me. Just way too greasy and heavy.