Albergues on Camino Primitivo in Winter

[Angela Leon]

Hello, I am planing to walk the Camino Primitivo in December , however I am a bit concern about albergues. Anybody can please give me information about Albergues, and how hash the weather is.

Thank you

Buen Camino

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I cannot tell how how harsh winter is as I have not walked this route, or any for that matter!, in winter. But my guess is snowy, and you would not catch me on the Hopitales route, nor up that hill towards A Fonsagrada.

Regarding albergues, if you google "Eroski camino primitivo" you will find a website that offers examples of etapas and the albergues along the way. For each albergue it shows the dates when they are open. Another website is Gronze, it lists albergues as well as pensiones, hotels, etc.

My guess is that if the albergues are not open the route can't be much fun in winter.

 

[Kanga]

I have not walked it but it is a mountain route so I'd be concerned about the weather. As I understand it snow can be heavy, and fog make it easy to miss the markers and get lost. It sounds like there are some steep drops off the side in places.

Hopefully you will get responses to your question from some of our members who have walked the route in the off-season. @peregrina2000?

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Angela,
I have walked the Primitivo in October, but never in December. We woke up in the morning in Tineo to see heavy snow in the mountains, at much higher elevations -- so it was just beautiful and didn't affect us. I don't know what the chances of snow at lower elevations are, but the Primitivo between Tineo and Fonsagrada has a fair number of points above 1000 m.

It's not a camino I'd walk in winter, but December may be early enough to avoid big snows. Good advice from Anemone to check albergues on the Eroski site: http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/primitivo/. If it's like other caminos, the municipal ones will definitely be open, though whether they will be warm inside is another question.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Tia Valeria]

It all depends on how early the heavier snow starts and lasts in any year.
Advice given for May walkers was that if the expected snow fall is below 2000 metres then don't walk certain sections until it has passed, this would be the sort of weather that @peregrina2000 experienced/saw in October. Others have said that they would walk in December, but have not come back to the forum to say that they were able to complete the Primitivo. It might be achievable starting from A Fonsagrada as the highest passes are then missed.

 

[SYates]

Just had a look here https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/statistics/

December 2015 - 59 pilgrims and January 2016 66 pilgrims registered that walked at least the last 100km on the CP, so some do it, but how difficult it is ...

Buen Camino, SY

 

[Angela Leon]

Thank you so much all for your advice =)

 

[IngridF]

Friends last winter had to abandon route...markers covered by snow and harsh weather. I would not walk the mountains in winter.

 

[Felipe]

According to the Pilgrim's bureau at Compostela, 59 pilgrims did the Primitivo in December 2015, and 66 in January 2016 (I mention the latter because those are not departing, but arriving numbers).
Beginning places are also provided, if you are interested.
https://oficinadelperegrino.com/estadisticas/
Buen (and safe) Camino!