El Mazu

El Mazú is a small locality in the municipality of Allande, in Asturias, on the Camino Primitivo route west of Pola de Allande. The name may relate to an Asturian toponym associated with a hammer or mallet, a term sometimes used for a rock formation or terrain feature.

The setting is the beginning of the second major mountain ascent on the Camino Primitivo, as the route climbs from the Allande valley toward the high terrain leading to Grandas de Salime and the Galician border. The surrounding landscape transitions from the sheltered valley pasture near the town to the more exposed hill terrain of the ascent.