Camino in October?

[sky344]

I'm thinking of doing the camino in October and I'm curious if this is still a good time to do the walk. I'm wondering if the weather will still be OK and if the trail is less crowded. Anyone have any experiences from an October camino that they wanna share??

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi. Well who can predict the weather these days? I've had to use sunscreen in November and January! In October it may still be reasonably warm some days but cold in the evenings ands progressively so the higher you get. Layers of clothes are the answer plus good rain protection.

August, when all of Spain is on holiday, is the busiest month - last year almost 30,000 -pilgrims. October is about a third of this at almost 10,000. So there will still be pilgrims around but space in the albergues on the Camino Frances.

Buen Camino

John

 

[beachamorgan]

We started the Camino last fall on October 23rd. We had planned just 1 week to walk. The weather was cool but not too bad especially for two middle-aged overweight people. My husband and I did not know what to expect so we packed high tech shirts like Under Armor and pants with zip off legs which were never zipped off We both wore a short sleeved shirt and a long sleeved outer shirt daily. We had very light weight rain gear called Frog-Togs that doesn't breath but worked really well as a wind breaker when it got too cold. I took a fleece vest but never got it out. It rained here and there and it snowed on the 29th.

The albergues are shutting down in October so be sure to get the list of open ones in SJPDP. That was my only compliant. We had less options for albergues but the trail was wide open with fewer pilgrims. We will be walking the first 2 weeks this October beginning where we left off near Estella. Perhaps we will see you.

Nicole

 

[arjuna]

Starting your Camino in October? Go for it, Sky!
I've walked on the Way six times...every month of the year. October is one of the best. If you are starting from the French/Spanish border (Pyrenees), you will surely reach Santiago sometime in November. Have a great time!

 

[surlechemin]

I did the Spanish part of my camino in October, crossed the Pyrenees on Oct 8th and arrived in Santiago Nov 7th, 2006. I had every conveivable type of weather, from sunny and warm to very cold. It rained heavily every day from shortly before Burgos to Leon, all the other days were dry and warm. Especially Galicia was totally rain-free and had day temperatures of well over 20 degrees and lots of sun
One warning: The days are getting shorter in October. It's to dark to walk before 8.00 until they move the clocks back at the last weekend in October, and sunset is around 6 pm.
I loved every moment of it, even the rain!
Buen camino!

 

[Janeh]

I walked into Santiago last year on October 17th. The weather was fantastic. I then retraced the camino (driving from St Jean to Santiago) from October 20 to November 10th and noticed that a lot of the bars and albergues that I had stayed in only a few weeks before were all closed up. The atmosphere was different too - quieter and less celebratory in the evenings in the bars/restaurants. I saw very few pilgrims and snow on the mountains near Burgos! If you can go just a little bit earlier it may be worth it - perhaps begin mid September? cheers, Jane

 

[dutchpilgrim]

Hi,

I started oktober 9 last year, in Lourdes.
It took me a week top get to St Jean Pied de Port.

I had no problems, but as written earlier, some albergues do close in November.
Information on which closed and which not is not always reliable.

The only problem that may occur is between Burgos and Castrojeriz. Information on the albergues on that track wasn't that reliable.

Ultreya,
Carli Di Bortolo.

 

[Javier Martin]

...One warning: The days are getting shorter in October. It's to dark to walk before 8.00 until they move the clocks back at the last weekend in October, and sunset is around 6 pm...!

Yes, and the last weekend of october we have in Spain the change to winter timetable, so days get even much shorter.

Buen Camino, and very beautiful in octobre with the fall ...

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain

 

[PACIFICSWIM]

I'm thinking of doing the camino in October and I'm curious if this is still a good time to do the walk. I'm wondering if the weather will still be OK and if the trail is less crowded. Anyone have any experiences from an October camino that they wanna share??

Hi, I planned a trip for this August, now have work commitments so looking at October-did you finally complete your walk?

 

[mspath]

PacificSwin,

October/November are GREAT months to walk the Camino! The weather is generally fine and it is easy to find a bunk. Be sure to scan this recent 2013 thread by others and I who have walked at this time for some further practical tips.

Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith