Accommodation - St.James Day fiesta/weekend in SdC ???

I believe many of veteran pilgrims on this forum have been in Santiago during St.James Day festivities in past years. I just noticed that it is very likely I'll come to SdC right at that period and it kind of worries me about accommodation On Camino de Madrid and Camino de Invierno I can add a day or two cutting longer stages into two but still I would come during weekend (26th & 27th July) that follows the St.James Day week... If I extend my walk until SdC I'm afraid I would have to push onto Muxia and Fisterra too much for my comfort zone. I want to spend another day or two on the coast and catch my flight back home on evening 5th August from SdC.

My question for you fellow pilgrims is - how crowded SdC really is during that period? Is it smart to make a reservation (usually I don't make reservations) in advance so early? Or just believe in good luck to find kind of budget accommodation on the day I arrive?

Thanks in advance

mikevasey said:

I arrived on the 28th in holy week 2010 and I had friends get to Monte de Gozo at about 9pm on the 24th.When I arrived it was a little crazy, i had no prior knowledge of Santiago and had not made a booking, within 10 minutes of leaving the square I was holed up in a nice double room about 50 metres from the square. My friends who arrived at Monte do Gozo got in and had a bed, they tried finding somewhere in Santiago the next day and ended up sharing rooms with other camino amigos. From what they told me a lot of people head back home the next day and the place starts to free up.

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That's nice to hear. I was checking through booking.com and a lot is booked already even for 25th-27th June. I just might book a double bed room in that period (19€/person/night) and later tried to find a pilgrim to share it ...

B.