El Puerto del Palo

El Puerto del Palo is a high mountain pass in the municipality of Grandas de Salime or the adjacent Allande area, in Asturias, on the Camino Primitivo route between Pola de Allande and Grandas de Salime. Puerto del Palo is the highest point of the Camino Primitivo mountain crossing, at approximately 1,146 metres, and represents the summit of the most demanding stage of the entire route.

The pass has a rugged, exposed character with wide views in all directions on clear days: westward toward Galicia, eastward back over the crossed Asturian sierra, and north toward the Atlantic coast. A stone cross or waymarker typically marks the summit.

For pilgrims, crossing El Puerto del Palo is a defining moment of the Camino Primitivo, combining physical challenge with the symbolic experience of crossing the highest point on the oldest pilgrim road in Spain.