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Stage 2 · Camino Primitivo
Grado → Salas
El Fresno, Cornellana and the Narcea
The day's big climb starts the moment you leave Grado: the ascent to the Alto del Fresno, long and on tarmac, with the sanctuary and its fountain at the top as a reward. The stage is 22.3 kilometres with 760 metres of ascent and 650 of descent, moderate difficulty, and almost all the climbing is packed into that opening ramp and into the second half, between Cornellana and Salas.
From El Fresno you descend gently through hamlets and along paths among chestnut trees to the Narcea valley. Cornellana, a little short of halfway, is the place to stop: it has bars and shops, and the monastery of San Salvador, Romanesque and enormous, stands right beside the path. You cross the river and the route follows the flat valley floor for a while before climbing again.
The second half alternates tracks with stretches beside the road, rolling up and down through Casazorrina and other hamlets of the Nonaya valley, until Salas appears ahead. It is a small, well-preserved town with its medieval tower and collegiate church, and enough to sleep, eat and shop.
Tips
Tackle the climb to El Fresno while you are still fresh, right after leaving: it is the hardest part of the stage and with the sun in your face it feels endless.
Cornellana is the natural stop: get your stamp there as you pass and fill your bottle, because further on there are long stretches with nothing open.
The tarmac wears you down more than the climbing. Vary your pace, ease off on the descents and stop every two hours.
In Salas the shops close early; if you arrive late, sort out dinner first and shopping afterwards.
Where am I?
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Walk with me
It crosses where you are with the time, the daylight left, the water, the beds and the notice board. Three things at most: the ones that actually change your afternoon.
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Profile and services
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The weather
17°C
Cloudy
- Feels like
- 20 °C
- Wind
- 1 km/h
- Daylight
- 08:35 – 19:44
- Today ⛅ 22° 15°
- Wed ⛅ 26° 17°
- Thu 🌦️ 23° 15°
- Fri 🌦️ 20° 17° 15 %
- Sat 🌧️ 17° 13° 38 %
- Sun 🌦️ 16° 10° 28 %
- Mon 🌦️ 13° 9° 24 %
Data from Open-Meteo, refreshed every half hour.
What's there today
Nobody has reported anything on this stage.
Tips from people who walked it
The things that do not expire: where the fountain actually is, which bar opens at six, where not to go in the rain.
None here yet. If you have just walked this stage, you know something tomorrow’s pilgrim does not.
Emergencies
Call 112112 is the same number in Spain, in Portugal and across the European Union. It works with no credit, with no SIM, and over any operator's network, not just yours.
Say where you are I am walking the Camino Primitivo, on the stage from Grado to Salas.
- Pharmacy Pharmacy km 0,0
- Consultorio de Cornellana Health centre km 10,6
- Farmacia María Hernández Díaz Pharmacy km 10,7
- Pharmacy Pharmacy km 10,7
The map
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What to see on this stage 7
- Iglesia de San Pedro de Grado Church km 0,0
- Santuario del Freisnu Church km 4,7
- Santa Eulalia Church km 7,5
- Iglesia de San Salvador Church km 11,0
- Ermita de San Ramón Church km 14,0
- Iglesia Church km 14,7
- Iglesia de Santiago Church km 17,1