Numbers from SJPP August

[NomadBoomer]

I started from SJPP September 2nd 2017. There were huge numbers walking. The first week or two, lots of alburgues even whole villages got full. There was definitely a bed race and lots of people were booking days ahead.
This year I chose to come a little earlier thinking many people wait until September. I started two weeks earlier on August 22nd in SJPP. In burgos now. There have been significantly less people than last year. No one I know of has any problems getting beds. Hardly anyone is booking ahead. This means that the walk feels much more relaxed to me.
I suggest people planning to walk early September 2019 consider coming a few weeks earlier if they can.

 

[Bradypus]

What @NomadBoomer says is very much in line with reports I have been reading on Spanish news websites in the past couple of months. It does look as if numbers (or at least the proportion) of those walking the earlier stages of the Camino Frances are dropping even as total numbers arriving in Santiago continue to increase. More people walking only the Sarria to Santiago section or choosing other routes altogether. Growth continues rapidly on the Portugues and the Ingles in particular.

 

[nycwalking]

I started from SJPP September 2nd 2017. There were huge numbers walking. The first week or two, lots of alburgues even whole villages got full. There was definitely a bed race and lots of people were booking days ahead.
This year I chose to come a little earlier thinking many people wait until September. I started two weeks earlier on August 22nd in SJPP. In burgos now. There have been significantly less people than last year. No one I know of has any problems getting beds. Hardly anyone is booking ahead. This means that the walk feels much more relaxed to me.
I suggest people planning to walk early September 2019 consider coming a few weeks earlier if they can.

Enjoy the retread!

 

[Marbe2]

I am wondering if the extreme heat reported earlier in August impacted the numbers starting the CF.

 

[t2andreo]

While anecdotal from my time as a volunteer at the Pilgrim Office this July and August, it seemed as though a LOT of Spanish pilgrims were starting at Tui this year, relative to the past. It also seemed that the Norte, Primitivo and Portuguese route (from Porto) ere more popular than in the past.

I will watch the statistics with interest. If more pilgrims start to spread away from the Camino Frances and the final Sarria to Santiago segment, it could push back the time when the Frances arrives at 'peak pilgrim' and cannot handle more traffic.

But, I still think that is some years off. Although I DO wonder what the next Holy Year in 2021 will bring.

Hope this helps.

 

[fraluchi]

[...] If more pilgrims start to spread away from the Camino Frances and the final Sarria to Santiago segment, it could push back the time when the Frances arrives at 'peak pilgrim' and cannot handle more traffic.
[...]

Yes, the alternative caminos are "picking up speed". However, the Frances until Sarria is consistently seeing lower numbers (-4%). Y-t-d these were similar to those in 2011 in 2012.
The Sarria - Santiago lap of the Frances saw numbers increased by 11% compared to last year, and now represent DUBBLE the numbers of 2013. That's not counting pilgrims joining from other caminos (like the Primitivo) who are recorded as their original point of departure.
Gives to think indeed.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

May, August, and September are all big months out of SJPdP according to the statistics they keep. September is usually the most departures, but not by much.

 

[domigee]

I started from SJPP September 2nd 2017. There were huge numbers walking. The first week or two, lots of alburgues even whole villages got full. There was definitely a bed race and lots of people were booking days ahead.
This year I chose to come a little earlier thinking many people wait until September. I started two weeks earlier on August 22nd in SJPP. In burgos now. There have been significantly less people than last year. No one I know of has any problems getting beds. Hardly anyone is booking ahead. This means that the walk feels much more relaxed to me.
I suggest people planning to walk early September 2019 consider coming a few weeks earlier if they can.

Nooooooooo! I walk in July/August and I love the Camino being empty. Shhhhhhh, don’t say anything!

 

[domigee]

Yes, the alternative caminos are "picking up speed". However, the Frances until Sarria is consistently seeing lower numbers (-4%). Y-t-d these were similar to those in 2011 in 2012.
The Sarria - Santiago lap of the Frances saw numbers increased by 11% compared to last year, and now represent DUBBLE the numbers of 2013. That's not counting pilgrims joining from other caminos (like the Primitivo) who are recorded as their original point of departure.
Gives to think indeed.

I confirm the Sarria to Santiago stretch this year was VERY BUSY. I found it horrendous and I usually don’t mind the crowds I encountered before (2012, 2013, 2016). My walking friend thought it was worse this year than during the last Holy Year.
Also lots of people in tears at the end of the day as there was no room at the inn. I was told that - unlike during the Holy Year - no other accommodation was made available until ALL hotels, hostals etc were full. And even then, it needed 26 pilgrims awaiting accommodation to open say, a school hall....
I have no idea if this is true but the tears were real....

From St Jean p de Port though, it was EMPTY. I have plenty of photos that show it but won’t bore you with them.

Ps: I walked from 11 July to 11 August.

 

[fraluchi]

Falcon269, "statistics" are often misleading, which is why one tends to call them similar to lies.
The SJPP figures are up, but there is no such "growth" on the camino afterwards. As a matter of fact, and compared to last year, less pilgrims said to have started from towns such as Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, Leon, Astorga, etc. Even the numbers from O'Cebreiro compare -9% against those of the same period last year.
But also here, the statistical information, as it is being kept in SJPP, and if available, is not known to exist (to me). So far the main source is coming from Santiago's pilgrims' office (which is also feeling the brunt of the constantly increasing pilgrim arrivals.)

 

[KinkyOne]

What @NomadBoomer says is very much in line with reports I have been reading on Spanish news websites in the past couple of months. It does look as if numbers (or at least the proportion) of those walking the earlier stages of the Camino Frances are dropping even as total numbers arriving in Santiago continue to increase. More people walking only the Sarria to Santiago section or choosing other routes altogether. Growth continues rapidly on the Portugues and the Ingles in particular.

I hope that numbers on the Invierno will rise exactly because of the rise on Sarria-SdC stretch.

I guess it's not the journey that's important anymore...

 

[t2andreo]

Yes, the alternative caminos are "picking up speed". However, the Frances until Sarria is consistently seeing lower numbers (-4%). Y-t-d these were similar to those in 2011 in 2012.
The Sarria - Santiago lap of the Frances saw numbers increased by 11% compared to last year, and now represent DUBBLE the numbers of 2013. That's not counting pilgrims joining from other caminos (like the Primitivo) who are recorded as their original point of departure.
Gives to think indeed.

I submit that the increased numbers from Sarria are the result of commercial firms selling a piece of the Camino, namely, and all-inclusive stroll through the Galician countryside from Sarria to Santiago. Once the main route for predominately Spanish pilgrims, this segment is now populated with short-distance pilgrims who choose or or not able to walk a longer distance. This is not a criticism, just an observation.

This segment also has the relatively best facilities for pilgrims, easier terrain and optium markings.

This year, I observed a marked uptick in the number of Spanish pilgrims walking from Tui, including groups.

These are all reasons why I and others have explored the Camino de Invierno as a viable alternative to the final Camino Frances segment. It IS a viable alternative, but is more remote and challenging than the Frances. However, it is IMHO far more beautiful.

Hope this helps.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

But also here, the statistical information, as it is being kept in SJPP, and if available, is not known to exist (to me).

http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/statistiques-des-pelerins/

 

[rappahannock_rev]

I confirm the Sarria to Santiago stretch this year was VERY BUSY. I found it horrendous and I usually don’t mind the crowds I encountered before (2012, 2013, 2016). My walking friend thought it was worse this year than during the last Holy Year.
Also lots of people in tears at the end of the day as there was no room at the inn. I was told that - unlike during the Holy Year - no other accommodation was made available until ALL hotels, hostals etc were full. And even then, it needed 26 pilgrims awaiting accommodation to open say, a school hall....
I have no idea if this is true but the tears were real....

From St Jean p de Port though, it was EMPTY. I have plenty of photos that show it but won’t bore you with them.

Ps: I walked from 11 July to 11 August.

Please bore us!

 

[KinkyOne]

I'm confused. This says 50k people a year when most other sources show 300k people in 2017??

I've done 10 Caminos and I have only one Compostela. OK, two, because the second one was Pro Vicario.

And a lot of people are doing Caminos (NOT just only Camino Frances!!!) In stages.

 

[psheehan]

I walked the Camino Frances from Logrono to Fromista 2 weeks ago starting on 23rd August 2018, I was amazed (and delighted) at how few pilgrims were walking. I had pre booked most of my albergues for the week but there was no need... there were only 4 or 5 people in each albergue. The albergue owners were also saying that it was a much quieter year. I'll definitely walk the Camino Frances in August again next year!