Camino del Norte: Stage 19

You will have to leave Sebrayo aerly and you will start in the local road that crosses the village. Then you will cross the dual carriageway through an underpass and then you will have to turn right. Then you should cross again the dual carriageway but this time through a flyover. You will get to the national road that will lead you to Villaviciosa that is known worldwide due to its apple trees and it cider. You can stop here to have breakfast. Once you have crossed the city centre you will get again to the road towards Ifiesto and then you will leave it again to walk through the Parque de la Alameda park, next to the Linares river. You will have to cross the Puente San Juan bridge and then go through La Parra and Casquita, a key village in today’s stage where you have to decide which route you are going to follow.

There are two possible options: continue through the original Northern Way towards Gijón or go through the Primitive Way that goes through Pola de Siero and Oviedo, this ways gets inland.

1. If you choose the traditional route, the Northern route, you will have to continue from Casquita to Grases de Abajo and Niéveres, both of them are close to Casquita. Once you get here you will have to continue through the VV-9 to get to Alto de la Cruz. Then you will have to descend through the road to Peón or continue through the mountain slope through the mountain villages called La Garita, Peña Blanca, El Llantáu… It seems that the descent has finished but now you will have to start walking up again, this time to Alto de Curbiello. The way goes close to the Palacio de los Cienfuegos de Jovellanos palace, where Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos stayed many times. You will continue through the AS-331 the old Camín Real de Peón, a path that used to link Villaviciosa and Gijón and that goes through some villages such as Bárcena or Requexo. Then you have to turn right crossing a restaurant and a chapel. Once you get to La Olla you will have to turn left, over the highway and then continue through rural paths to get again to the AS-331. Here you can decide if you want to continue straight forward and cross Deva’s camping or you can turn right and get to Alto del Infantón and then continue to the left through the N-632.

After approximately three kilometres you will get to Deva’s camping, near Gijón, where you will find the public hostel. You have walked approximately 25 kilometres, but if you want you can go to Gijón and visit all the wonderful things that this city offers you, from the camping to the city centre there are six kilometres.

2. The second option is go from Casquita through the Primitive Way. This ways goes through Comeca and then through Ambás where you can follow the official route to Alto Campa or visit the Monasterio de Santa María de Valdediós, in Puelles. Then you will continue to Vega de Sariego a place where lots of pilgrims decide to stay the night and divide the stage. From Vega you can continue through the national road to Pola de Siero. Other option is to leave the asphalted road and go through paths going through El Castro, Aveno and Puente Recuna.

Bear in mind

Gijón and Oviedo have a lot of things to do and to visit, here you will also taste the wonderful Asturian gastronomy. It is an easy stage.