Quick Arrivals Stats Question

[Dorpie]

Sorry I'm being dense and can't quite seem to find stats for daily issuance of Compostelas in Santiago. I can find aggregated monthly stats for 2018 on the Oficina site but I'm wanting to find out more specifically when numbers start to drop off in order to plan my walk later in the year.

If anyone has a link to these stats I'd be super grateful.

Rob.

 

[André Walker]

I'm sorry, but I don't think you can get 'realtime' stats.

What you could do is compare the stats for a specific month for different years. If you repeat this for different months, you might get an idea about when numbers normally start to drop.

 

[Dorpie]

I'm sorry, but I don't think you can get 'realtime' stats.

What you could do is compare the stats for a specific month for different years. If you repeat this for different months, you might get an idea about when numbers normally start to drop.

Sorry Andre, you're quite right, I should have been clearer. I'm looking for stats for 2018.

 

[André Walker]

Ah, I see. You're specifically looking for daily stats (and not monthly ones). Mmmm. Maybe you can ask the Pilgrim's Office if they'd be willing to share them with you?

 

[Robo]

Sorry Andre, you're quite right, I should have been clearer. I'm looking for stats for 2018.

It's on here. Just use the dropdown to select the dates.
i.e. 2018 - todos

Statistics | Pilgrim's welcome office

oficinadelperegrino.com

 

[André Walker]

It's on here. Just use the dropdown to select the dates.
i.e. 2018 - todos

Statistics | Pilgrim's welcome office

oficinadelperegrino.com

Hi Robo,

I think he already found this on the site. But the site only provides monthly statistics, and he is looking for daily statistics: he wants to know how many on Monday the 1st, on Tuesday the 2nd, and so on).

The site doesn't give these kind of stats. But maybe there's an other way?

 

[Dorpie]

Thanks @Robo I got this far but I'm looking for daily stats.

Essentially what I want to do is find the sweet spot for starting out from St Jean in late September/early October where there won't be hoardes of people and the weather won't have turned too much for the worse.

Obviously it's a fools errand as there's no saying what the weather will be like this year but I can at least give myself a fighting chance.

 

[Kathor1]

Essentially what I want to do is find the sweet spot for starting out from St Jean in late September/early October where there won't be hoardes of people and the weather won't have turned too much for the worse.

There are arrival statistics and there are departure statistics ... below are the departure statistics from Saint Jean Pied de Port for 2017 by week. The pattern doesn't really change much from year to year. I've never seen daily arrival statistics. Although I think there may be someone from APOC who collects them from SdC and puts them through Excel. If they are publicly available they are probably buried among thousands of posts on Facebook ...

 

[Dorpie]

Thanks @Kathar1na that's really helpful. amazing that there's nearly a 50% drop off from the first to the last week of September.

Annoying things is that I'm sure I've been to a website with daily stats before but now it's nowhere to be found. Ah well, weeklies are probably as accurate as I really need.

Rob.

 

[Kitsambler]

Those are weekly stats, which would not reflect the typical mid-week slump. Looking at the chart, week 40 would begin about 1 Oct and offers a 50% reduction from the mid-September highs. However, that puts @Dorpie into SdC mid-November, which is then risking worse weather. So the sweet spot might be a little earlier (4th week of Sept?) but with a mid-week (Tues-Wed-Thurs) departure from SJPP. Earlier than that runs the opposite risk of this new heat wave phenomenon.

 

[t2andreo]

There is an annual cycle at play here. The peak season starts with Semana Santa (Holy Week) just before Easter. Traffic builds from that point until the schools let out, particularly in Europe at the end of May - through mid-June.

After that, things get crazy busy through about mid-September. This is when most students and school personnel have time to do pilgrimage. It is also the annual holiday / vacation season for many people.

To get a good idea of the traffic, look at departures from St. Jean Pied de Port. Probably the single largest tranche of long walkers, on the most popular Camino (Frances) leave from there. There is a sharp drop off in people starting around mid-September. By monitoring this 'pig in the python' you can get a fair idea of when it is 'safe to come out and play...'

The other really large starting wave on the Camino Frances is from Sarria, at almost any time of the year, as this is the most popular starting place for folks who can or choose to walk the 118 remaining kilometers on the Caminos Frances. I call these minimal distance folks the 'short-walkers.' It is also easily accessible by bus and train from within Spain.

Recently, Tui (Spain)and Valenca (Portugal) on the Camino Portuguese have increased in short-walker departures as well, as the distance is also about 118 - 120 km. This makes one eligible for the Compostela. Valenca is easily accessible from the south in Portugal. Tui is also easily accessible by RENFE train from Spain.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dorpie]

"Hope this helps."

Thanks @t2andreo , what you say almost without fail helps. Starting to look like 3rd week in September from SJPdP will work well for me.

 

[t2andreo]

I have not yet walked in the autumn. All of my six Caminos were done from late April through the end of May. I love the promise of new life and renewal in the Spring.

Many folks who walk in the autumn / otoño 'hip season' swear by it. I admit to being curious.

I know that it can remain frightfully hot through the end of September. But, I understand from others that the evenings cool off and early morning walking is very pleasant.

Do report back...

 

[Dorpie]

@t2will do. Going for a full set of seasons. Spring was beautiful, Summer sweltering, we'll see what Autumn and eventually Winter have in store.

 

[MileHighPair]

Confirming what was posted earlier, here is a bar graph of St. Jean Pied de Port departures from 2015. Based on the numbers, I believe that the earlier graph is from a year or two earlier (2013 or 2014). I can also tell you that, based on other sources, the drop-off in late September is becoming slightly later each year.

Another, less scientific source, is the chatter on this forum. If you look back at September posts in the last couple of years, you will see several comments about "complete" albergues every May and every September, particularly in the first 10-12 stages of the Camino Frances.

You are wise to be considering this data. Buen Camino!

 

[Albertagirl]

I have always walked in the autumn. From no statistics, but simply photos and pilgrim blogs, it seems to me that the autumn is drier than spring. But then, I choose less traveled routes now. I do not worry about crowds walking the Madrid and the Invierno this fall, any more than I did when walking the VdlP two years ago. Both times, my departure date was Oct. 3, and I would not wish to start much sooner, even though it is November when I arrive in Santiago. For one thing, it is likely to be hot earlier in the fall. But we choose the dates that work for us, then enjoy what we get.

 

[LTfit]

@t2will do. Going for a full set of seasons. Spring was beautiful, Summer sweltering, we'll see what Autumn and eventually Winter have in store.

I have now walked in all 4 seasons and truly enjoy the fall. This past mid October I caught the last scheduled bus from Pamplona to SJPDP and walked to Santiago, repeating what I did during my first Camino Frances in July 2010 (last Holy Year). Crossing the Pyrenees was better late October than it was in July! It is truly the luck of the straw. The first week we were all in t-shirts but when crossing Montes de Oca we had snow flurries and when I woke up in Atapuerca we had centimeters of snow and it snowed all the way down followed by sun when I arrived in Burgos. The only thing that you need to watch is the closing of many albergues mid to late October but the great website www.aprinca.com will give you a list of all the albergues open in the winter. Don't trust www.gronze.com for winter information although otherwise a fantastic source of information.

And regarding departures from SJPDP: when I arrived in Roncesvalles mid October this past year I talked with the Dutch hospitaleros and they said that it was the first week that they had fewer pilgrims, in fact only one floor was open.

 

[Dorpie]

Great insight @LTfit , @MileHighPair and @Albertagirl many thanks.

 

[BombayBill]

There are arrival statistics and there are departure statistics ... below are the departure statistics from Saint Jean Pied de Port for 2017 by week. The pattern doesn't really change much from year to year. I've never seen daily arrival statistics. Although I think there may be someone from APOC who collects them from SdC and puts them through Excel. If they are publicly available they are probably buried among thousands of posts on Facebook ...
View attachment 59983

I know this is an old post but can you provide the link to where these stats came from?

 

[Kathor1]

I know this is an old post but can you provide the link to where these stats came from?

Sure. It's https://www.facebook.com/groups/818222641542543/files
The filename is Graphiques 2017.pdf

 

[BombayBill]

Sure. It's https://www.facebook.com/groups/818222641542543/files
The filename is Graphiques 2017.pdf

Thanks. Looking for that fall sweet spot which looks last 10 days of August or 2nd week September.

 

[trecile]

The statistics are also on the website for the Pilgrim's Office in St Jean Pied de Port

Compostelle.fr -

Accueil et information des pèlerins. Ouverture et signalisation des chemins en collaboration avec les instances officielles du département et de la Région

www.aucoeurduchemin.org

 

[BombayBill]

The statistics are also on the website for the Pilgrim's Office in St Jean Pied de Port

Compostelle.fr -

Accueil et information des pèlerins. Ouverture et signalisation des chemins en collaboration avec les instances officielles du département et de la Région

www.aucoeurduchemin.org

Thanks. I’m looking for the elusive “by week” departure graph. I’ve found one from 2017 but wondered what’s its origin.

 

[trecile]

Thanks. I’m looking for the elusive “by week” departure graph. I’ve found one from 2017 but wondered what’s its origin.

It's the 3rd graph on this page of the SJPdP Pilgrim's office site.

http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/IMG/pdf/graphiques_2017-2-2.pdf

I noticed that they haven't done weekly statistics since that 2017 graph.

 

[BombayBill]

It's the 3rd graph on this page of the SJPdP Pilgrim's office site.

http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/IMG/pdf/graphiques_2017-2-2.pdf

I noticed that they haven't done weekly statistics since that 2017 graph.

Thanks so much. I’m basing my sweet spot on this graph being the year 2017. Therefore the peak week 36 is September 4-10. I’m aiming for around August 25, a Wednesday as I’m told there is a weekend surge. Around 7:40 am.
Did I mention I’m obsessive/ compulsive?

 

[BombayBill]

BTW the American Pilgrim site has a nice compilation of statistics. Found here

Statistics for the Camino de Santiago - American Pilgrims on the Camino

Camino Statistics Why are statistics important? You likely have many questions about the Camino: how crowded will it be, which month is busiest, which routes are busiest, where everyone is from, and what’s the best way to travel? Some statistics may help you decide when to make your Camino and...

americanpilgrims.org

 

[trecile]

Thanks so much. I’m basing my sweet spot on this graph being the year 2017. Therefore the peak week 36 is September 4-10. I’m aiming for around August 25, a Wednesday as I’m told there is a weekend surge. Around 7:40 am.
Did I mention I’m anal retentive?

Yes, it says it is from 2017. Based on numerous threads and comments here and in various Camino FB groups many people wait until the beginning of September to start their Caminos. I began my first Camino on Sunday, August 21st 2016, with my first night at Orisson. I never had any problem at all finding a bed, and by the time I got to O Pedrouzo I found albergues that were only about 1/4 to 1/3 full.
The following year I started at the beginning of July, and it was very quiet on the Francés until around O Cebreiro.