Villaviciosa to Gijón

Day 5: Villaviciosa to Gijón

It was going to be a long, hot day, so it was an early start from Hotel Casa España.

One of the most memorable moments on the walk was coming across the marker where two scallop shells pointed in different directions — a literal fork in the road. Straight ahead continued along the Camino del Norte toward Gijón, while the left turn led inland toward Oviedo and the start of the Camino Primitivo. A quiet reminder that pilgrims have been choosing between coast and mountains, sea breeze and solitude, for centuries.

Partway up one of the long ascents, we met Silvie from France, then Roberto from Italy, who was walking with two other Italians.

I finally broke out the “chrome dome” — my Camino umbrella — to fend off the relentless sun. It may not look glamorous, but out on the exposed asphalt stretches, it felt like the smartest thing I packed.

We were so happy to see other pilgrims at the only cafe stop, and that there were people we met before. Brothers from Arizona and Stephanie from New York.

It had turned into an impromptu pilgrim picnic. We spread out chips, chocolate, biscuits, and sandwiches across the table and shared whatever we had left in our packs.
Some enjoyed Rattlers — beer mixed with lemonade — and I had a Gin-tonic.
This revived our spirits before tackling another long uphill stretch.

Eventually we made it to the sprawling Camping Deva property, drenched in sweat and ready for a break. We snacked on olives and nuts, sipping cold beers while staring longingly at the beautiful pool — closed until June 1.

We still had four miles left into Gijón, but the heat and accumulated miles had finally caught up with us. Completely spent, we waved the white flag and took the bus the rest of the way into town. Along the ride, we helped an elderly man on and off the bus who showed signs of dementia.

At last, we found Boogaloo Hostel, which I had booked earlier. The location was perfect — directly across from the beach.Read more