Camino De San Salvador
15.2 km, 701 m up and 1106 m down, through 4 places, 2 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Pajares. Most are too small to sleep in — a fountain, a chapel, a bar that may or may not be open — but they are what the day is actually made of.
Leaving Pajares, stay on the road to the village limits. The camino turns left and begins a steep descent into San Miguel del Río in the valley below. The drop is significant — take it easy on your knees.
The only meal in town is at El Mirador. Recommended, but call the day before to give them notice: +34 636 933 069. Closed Tuesdays. No grocery in town.
From San Miguel, follow the signs toward Santa Marina. The village is divided, and you want the upper half — turn left at the first fork in the road where a shell marker on your right indicates you should keep on the road. Do not follow the granite marker that tells you to continue straight.
Later, after following the road to Santa Marina, the camino comes to a chapel where you need to pay close attention. The path goes through a gate that appears to lead to a private garage. On the other end of the farm are two more wooden gates, and beyond them another path covering the remaining 2 km to Llanos de Somerón. Trust the arrows — it looks wrong but it's right.
Santa Marina is a tiny hamlet between San Miguel del Río and Llanos de Somerón. There are no services. The village is notable mainly for the confusing camino signage at its chapel — the path passes through what appears t…
From Llanos de Somerón to Puente de los Fierros there are two options.
The road route: Before entering the small town, look for a path to your left marked "Fresnedo." You don't actually need to enter Puente de los Fierros. This route takes you through two hamlets and past the Ermita de San Miguel and a fountain. It's gentler and more scenic than the road.
The Munisteriu alternative: A more challenging route that abandons the road shortly after leaving town and follows a 4.8 km mountain trail. The elevation gain and loss is 133 m up and 387 m down. It's more rigorous, but most rewarding things are. If your legs are fresh and the weather is good, take this one.
At the entrance to Puente de los Fierros, the camino splits into two routes. To the right, signed "La Frecha," is the more common, less scenic option — entirely along the roadway. Over the bridge, you turn left and follo…
Herías is a small village along the valley road. The albergue listed here is actually in Bendueños, a 1.5 km hike uphill from the main route. Sandra, the hospitalera, may be willing to drive down to pick you up — but cal…
The albergue is in Bendueños, 1.5 km uphill from the camino. Call Sandra before you arrive — preferably the day before — to arrange pickup or confirm availability.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 404 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 15.2 km.
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.