Large increase in numbers walking the Coastal route

[Bradypus]

An article from La Voz de Galicia notes that so far this year numbers walking the Portugues coastal route are up by 75% on the same period in 2022. Numbers on the traditional inland route have dropped by about 2%. The article also notes that the proportion of foreign pilgrims opting for the coastal route is significantly higher.

Los peregrinos procedentes de Portugal se decantan por la costa

La ruta por A Guarda se dispara un 75 % mientras que la de Tui cae un 2 %

www.lavozdegalicia.es

 

[MightyFree]

I met a few pilgrims who gave up on the coastal route and switched to the frances because they were tired of the bed race (and thunderstorms). This was in July.

 

[lt56ny]

An article from La Voz de Galicia notes that so far this year numbers walking the Portugues coastal route are up by 75% on the same period in 2022. Numbers on the traditional inland route have dropped by about 2%. The article also notes that the proportion of foreign pilgrims opting for the coastal route is significantly higher.

Los peregrinos procedentes de Portugal se decantan por la costa

La ruta por A Guarda se dispara un 75 % mientras que la de Tui cae un 2 %

www.lavozdegalicia.es

I wonder if it is because of rising temperatures and pilgrims hoping walking on the coast will keep temps relatively cooler. I will probably do the coastal route for the third part of my three camino walk starting in late September. I should be in Porto the last week of October. I would think it will be pretty quiet then.

 

[Bradypus]

The article suggests that getting some relief from the heat is part of the appeal. Also people are looking for a more scenic route.

 

[Keikochan]

Thanks for the information. I'll start Coastal in mid-September. Hope the situation is better by then. I'll try to book the accommodation in advance (but how early should I book?) as much as possible. though it will reduce the joy of walking Camino greatly.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I met a few pilgrims who gave up on the coastal route and switched to the frances because they were tired of the bed race

During the busy season, there's a lot more reservation on the Coastal than elsewhere, however last Autumn I did end up sleeping in a few Albergues that were either fully booked or are nearly always so, just from turning up and some people cancelling, or being lucky on that particular day in places that usually have zero beds available (that happened half a dozen times).

More often I would get in simply because my bad knees at that particular period of my last Camino, combined with the heat, were leading me to stop early, so that I was getting into places with few beds available, which was the norm for most Albergues -- there are very many with only a small number of beds.

The one really bad spot was Redondela, where the huge numbers from Vigo and the Central combined to make everywhere 100% bang full, dozens of pilgrims preparing to sleep outside or getting taxis ; but even there, my ginormous credencial + inflatable mattress led to my getting a spot on the floor at the Parroquial by exception to normal rules in that place, where I slept very well, good shower, and machine wash for dirty clothes.

I slept in the garden of one Albergue at Caminha, outdoors a few times, in the street in the rain at Porto.

So ? I survived ... An inflatable mattress is good weight to carry (though sadly mine deflated at some point after leaving Santiago, so it just became a sleeping mat on the Francès, but I'm definitely getting a new one for my next pilgrimage ...).

 

[CA_Pilgrim]

Interesting discussion. Thanks for posting! I'm currently planning a Portuguese Camino for June 2024. I've gone back and forth between the central or coastal route but haven't made up my mind yet. Currently I'm leaning toward the central route and perhaps do the coastal route on another Camino.