Huge rush from Sarria at the moment

[Deleted member 32860]

Maybe it's due to the holiday, but there's a huge rush from sarria and onwards right now. Staying in portomarin tonight and everything is fullybooked - albergues and hotels - people moving on to gonzar and hospital which also filled up before 16 o'clock. The amount of people that suddenly appeared from Sarria was unbelievable. No matter where I looked from Sarria to Portomarin it was pilgrim after pilgrim. Now people are sitting in the albergues and booking ahead. Me too.

 

[Irish Bernie]

Weekend warriors.

 

[SabsP]

The puente of the First of May. People have five days off from work.

 

[trecile]

The puente of the First of May. People have five days off from work.

Just enough time to walk from Sarria to Santiago!

 

[SabsP]

Just enough time to walk from Sarria to Santiago!

Indeed.So I guess from Tui on the Portugues and the Ingles it will be equally busy.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Indeed.So I guess from Tui on the Portugues and the Ingles it will be equally busy.

The Portugues from Porto is already busy . In the Huiskamer we get lots of people from Porto .

 

[fraluchi]

Statistically 45% of arrivals who walked the Camino Francés started in Sarria, with another 6% from Cebreiro. Of these walkers, more than half are Spanish. Thus it is obvious that during Spanish holidays crowds are excessive and partying galore.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There were about 1,200 arrivals each day in Santiago in the last two days, so it started being busy last week.

The botofumeiro is flying as I type, so a benefit of large numbers is that someone is paying for the swinging, and the rest of us benefit!!

 

[t2andreo]

May 1 is a huge quasi-holiday across Europe. A lot of folks will take "bridge days" to have a long weekend. That likely accounts for the uptick of Spanish folks.

 

[C clearly]

It is not just the Camino and pilgrims. Accommodation is hard to get anywhere near Córdoba this weekend.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

where the hell did all these people come from.

May 1st holiday, probably. It has been eight days in a row with over 1,000 compostelas issued, The average in May is 1,460 per day!

 

[camino07]

May 1st holiday, probably. It has been eight days in a row with over 1,000 compostelas issued, The average in May is 1,460 per day!

I’m still in Santiago and many large groups are here.

 

[Annw]

Isn't it the case that people with only a week or less to spare often start in Sarria?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Isn't it the case that people with only a week or less to spare often start in Sarria?

Yes. Watching the webcam a Bando, San Marcos for a couple of minutes in the last few days, about 75% of the walkers do not have backpacks, so they are the weekend walkers for the current good weather.

 

[Bradypus]

Yes indeed. Of all those receiving a Compostela last year who walked the Camino Frances over 40% started in Sarria. And about 60% of those receiving a Compostela walked the Camino Frances - far more than any other route. So Sarria is by far the most popular starting point.

 

[woofer]

Time to make it 200km to get a Compostela. You DON'T have to do it all at once if the excuse is "no time to do anymore" !

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Time to make it 200km to get a Compostela. You DON'T have to do it all at once if the excuse is "no time to do anymore" !

Why??? ( this is a never ending discussion )

 

[gloria lowe]

Statistically 45% of arrivals who walked the Camino Francés started in Sarria, with another 6% from Cebreiro. Of these walkers, more than half are Spanish. Thus it is obvious that during Spanish holidays crowds are excessive and partying galore.

And it is their country

 

[Walking Lover]

Indeed.So I guess from Tui on the Portugues and the Ingles it will be equally busy.

We walked the CdP last July and never had a problem except in Azabumja.

 

[Den from Down Under]

Yes indeed. Of all those receiving a Compostela last year who walked the Camino Frances over 40% started in Sarria. And about 60% of those receiving a Compostela walked the Camino Frances - far more than any other route. So Sarria is by far the most popular starting point.

My intention has always been to walk the Camino but not necessarily heading into Santiago, especially when it is wall to wall from Sarria, or more aptly foot to foot from Sarria. Viva la space!! ... For me. However as we appreciate everyone has different views, ideas, conceptions, needs, preferences when experiencing life.
My next few weeks starting end of May will be Figeac to StJdP.

 

[Lulumom]

I’m heading to Sarria today and also feeling annoyed by crowds, litter, graffiti (pilgrim specific and local) and bad attitudes (people who don’t reply to ‘buen camino’ or even “hola”) so I get it. But Its also just a bit surreal for a large group of mostly non-Spaniards to chat about the holiday of another country as if they shouldn’t be out walking on their own soil, enjoying their traditions of celebrating (perhaps quite loudly next to tired pilgrims). I just don’t think I could be as gracious as most Spaniards have been to me after seeing how some of us behave. Last night I slept under a bunk filled with pilgrim graffiti, I’ve passed hundreds more Camino quote graffiti done in sharpie under every bridge I’ve walked. This is their country. I know we bring in a lot of money, but the Camino is something they graciously share and some pilgrims really do treat the areas of Spain around the Camino with total disrespect. Banana peels tossed on church steps, tissue paper mating gorgeous fields. One glaring example was dozens of those little coffee machine cups from the only albergue in miles thrown all over an early morning trail. In light of what “we” do I think they can make all the noise and form as many crowds as they see fit. Now, I’m going on there and living that thought today!