Camino De San Salvador
21.1 km, 738 m up and 1190 m down, through 9 places, 4 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Santa Marina. 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.
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.
The camino continues straight through town, turns right to cross the N-630, and a bit later crosses the river. Just past the river it doubles back to the left to follow a road along the river toward the Iglesia de Santa Cristina de Lena — one of the most important pre-Romanesque churches in Spain, and well worth the detour.
In Vega del Rey, keep a lookout for the black pedestrian bridge on your right. Across the highway and up a short but rigorous climb lies one of the most important little churches in Asturias — Santa Cristina de Lena. The…
Vega del Rey is no longer on the main camino from Campomanes, but it is accessible if you've followed the road instead of crossing the river. The pedestrian bridge crosses the busy highway to your right and brings you to Santa Cristina de Lena.
Santa Cristina de Lena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest examples of pre-Romanesque Asturian architecture in existence. Built in the mid-9th century during the reign of Ramiro I, this tiny church sits…
Palacio is not on the camino, but it's the access point for Santa Cristina de Lena and is included in the guide because there's a hotel here. Getting to Palacio and back adds about 2 km to your journey. If you want to co…
La Cobertoria is a small settlement along the route between Campomanes and Pola de Lena. There are no pilgrim services. The name may derive from the Latin "coopertorium" — a covered place or shelter — suggesting this was…
Vega del Cielo — "meadow of the sky" — is a small hamlet with a name more evocative than the place itself. There are no services, but the green valley setting and the name itself make it a pleasant waypoint. The terrain …
Pola de Lena is the biggest town you've seen since León, spread lengthwise along the road through the Lena valley. There's an albergue with basic services near the train station, and plenty of bars and grocery shops to m…
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 520 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 21 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.