Planning a Camino from Madrid to Santiago

Linking the Camino de Madrid, San Salvador, and Primitivo

“Traveller, there is no path; the path is made by walking.”

Antonio Machado, “Proverbios y cantares XXIX,” Campos de Castilla

Most pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela are described as a single route: the Camino Francés from east to west, the Camino Portugués from south to north, or one of the other established and popular Ways leading toward the cathedral. This time, however, we are planning something different. Rather than following one Camino from beginning to end, we hope to chart our own continuous path across Spain by linking several routes together.

Our journey will begin in Madrid and follow the Camino de Madrid northwest to Sahagún. From there, a short stretch of the Camino Francés will carry us west to León, where we will leave the familiar route and turn north on the Camino de San Salvador. After crossing the Cantabrian Mountains to Oviedo, we plan to join the Camino Primitivo and follow it west through Asturias and Galicia. Near Melide, the Primitivo merges with the Camino Francés for the final stages into Santiago de Compostela.

One Pilgrimage Built from Several Caminos

Madrid to Sahagún to León to Oviedo to Melide to Santiago de Compostela

On a map, these routes form an indirect arc. We will first walk northwest from Spain's capital, then west across part of Castile, north over the mountains, and finally west again toward Santiago. At moments we may appear to be walking away from our destination rather than toward it. Yet the routes connect naturally, allowing us to create one uninterrupted pilgrimage from Madrid to Santiago without relying on either transportation or a single established Camino.

The resulting journey should cover roughly 850 to 900 kilometres, depending on the stages and variations we choose. If time permits after reaching Santiago, we may continue on another route, perhaps walking the Camino Inglés from Ferrol or returning to the Camino Fisterra. For now, however, our central plan is to reach Santiago by joining the Camino de Madrid, Camino Francés, Camino de San Salvador, and Camino Primitivo.

Camino de Madrid from Madrid to Sahagún

As we understand the route, the Camino de Madrid begins near the Church of Santiago in central Madrid. From the capital, the Camino de Madrid travels approximately 320 kilometres northwest toward Sahagún. The route crosses the Sierra de Guadarrama, passes through Segovia, and continues across the plains of Castilla y León before meeting the Camino Francés.

This will be our first time walking the Camino de Madrid. It is described as a newly established route and a much quieter (or less travelled) route than the Camino Francés, with fewer pilgrims and less-developed infrastructure. That relative solitude is part of its appeal, but it will also require us to pay closer attention to distances, accommodation, food, water, and the availability of services in smaller communities. At this point, those are still expectations based on maps, guidebooks, and the accounts of other pilgrims that we have found online. The daily journey will tell us what the route is actually like on foot.

Camino Francés from Sahagún to León

At Sahagún, the Camino de Madrid joins the Camino Francés. We plan to follow the Francés for about 55 kilometres, likely over two or three days, through Mansilla de las Mulas to León. This short section is not simply a detour or an intermission. It is the bridge that connects the end of the Camino de Madrid with the beginning of the Camino de San Salvador.

It will also return us briefly to a route we first walked in 2016. We do not yet know how it will feel to revisit the Camino Francés after six years, or how much the route and we ourselves may have changed. For the purposes of this journey, however, León is our next major junction rather than merely another stop on the road west.

Camino de San Salvador from León to Oviedo

In León, the shape of our pilgrimage will change again. While most pilgrims on the Camino Francés continue west toward Santiago, we will turn north and follow the Camino de San Salvador toward Oviedo. Historically, pilgrims took this route to visit the Cathedral of San Salvador and venerate its relics before continuing toward Santiago.

The San Salvador is a comparatively short route, but it crosses the Cantabrian Mountains and is known for steep climbs, exposed sections, changing weather, and limited services. We expect this to be one of the most physically demanding parts of this journey’s itinerary. It is also the connection that makes our larger plan possible: the route ends in Oviedo, intersecting with the Camino del Norte and being precisely where the Camino Primitivo begins.

Camino Primitivo from Oviedo to Santiago

From Oviedo Cathedral, we intend to follow the Camino Primitivo through Asturias and Galicia. Associated with the pilgrimage of King Alfonso II, it is widely considered the oldest recorded route to Santiago. The Primitivo is approximately 320 kilometres long before it joins the Camino Francés near Melide, although the exact distance depends on the chosen stages and alternatives.

We know the Primitivo has a reputation for repeated climbs and descents, mountain weather, rural walking, and beautiful landscapes. One important decision will concern the Hospitales Route, a high and exposed alternative whose suitability depends on the weather and conditions when we reach it. Rather than deciding every detail in advance, we will leave room to respond to what we encounter.  We hope to climb this section but conditions on the ground and in the moment will ultimately decide that for us.

Near Melide, the Camino Primitivo joins the Camino Francés. From there, we will follow the shared route for the final days into Santiago de Compostela. This means our pilgrimage will end on the same Camino that briefly linked Sahagún and León, bringing the different parts of the journey together.

Planning the Connections Without Planning Every Day

Linking several Caminos requires more preparation than choosing a single set of stages from one guidebook. Each route has its own waymarking, accommodation system, terrain, pilgrim numbers, and practical challenges. The larger cities of Segovia, León, Oviedo, and Lugo may provide useful places to take a day off, resupply, or rest, but we do not want to prescribe every stage before setting out. 

Our itinerary is therefore both generally outlined but also flexible. The main connections are clear: Madrid to Sahagún on the Camino de Madrid; Sahagún to León on the Camino Francés; León to Oviedo on the Camino de San Salvador; and Oviedo to Santiago by way of the Camino Primitivo and the final stages of the Francés. Within that framework, weather, accommodation, fatigue, curiosity, and the people we meet will shape the experience of the trek.

We have previously walked east to west across northern Spain and south to north through Portugal. This pilgrimage will not follow one simple compass direction or remain on one named route. Instead, it will explore the Camino as it truly exists: a network of paths that can be connected into a journey of our own. For now, we have the map and a plan. The experience of the trek and all of the unknowns that may yet arise still lie ahead.

Of course, before we take our first steps from the Spanish capital, we look more closely at the first part of our pilgrimage: the Camino de Madrid.

See you on the Way!