Comparing traffic 2021 to 2022

[mike mcbroom]

Where can we find stats comparing trail traffic to date for 2021 and 2022

 

[peregrina2000]

Where can we find stats comparing trail traffic to date for 2021 and 2022

The only official statistic I know of is the number of pilgrims arriving in Santiago who receive the compostela. This isn’t a perfect gauge, though, because it doesn’t take starting point into account. For instance, though August is one of the highest months for giving compostelas, the huge majority of those people are Spaniards who start in Sarria, and the rest of the Camino Francés is actually pretty quiet during that month.

I think the pilgrims office in SJPP may also keep track of people registering there, but I don’t know where those numbers are posted.

If you go to the pilgrims office website, the link for monthly statistics is the lower one. Just plug in month and year and you can compare.

Gráficos

 

[Chris RJ]

Where can we find stats comparing trail traffic to date for 2021 and 2022

From the Camino: just approaching León

I started Easter weekend at SJPDP and the Camino was fairly full, not as much as my last in 2019

However from Burgos it seems there are a lot less pilgrims than before. Sahagún was a ghost town with many Alberges and hotels closed.

Yesterday I went through El Burgo Raniero. I remember the two hotels there bing full last time with about 30 pilgrims outside having drinks. There was hardly anyone there yesterday

Hope this view helps

 

[Bob91]

though August is one of the highest months for giving compostelas, the huge majority of those people are Spaniards who start in Sarria, and the rest of the Camino Francés is actually pretty quiet during that month.

Might this suggest that for those of us who wish to avoid both large crowds and cold weather, that departing SJPP in mid-August could be a good strategy?

 

[GailGwyn]

From the Camino: just approaching León

I started Easter weekend at SJPDP and the Camino was fairly full, not as much as my last in 2019

However from Burgos it seems there are a lot less pilgrims than before. Sahagún was a ghost town with many Alberges and hotels closed.

Yesterday I went through El Burgo Raniero. I remember the two hotels there bing full last time with about 30 pilgrims outside having drinks. There was hardly anyone there yesterday

Hope this view helps

That's good to know. We're in Estella and I want to avoid booking ahead as far as I can. In 2019, if we felt i8was going to be busy we'd book somewhere either the day before or the actual day. Think I could probably still do that this time too then, especially as it seems quieter further on.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Comparing numbers with 2021 is not as useful as comparing numbers with 2019. 2021 was interrupted by Covid. 2019 is the most comparable year.

 

[SallyJane]

From the Camino: just approaching León

I started Easter weekend at SJPDP and the Camino was fairly full, not as much as my last in 2019

However from Burgos it seems there are a lot less pilgrims than before. Sahagún was a ghost town with many Alberges and hotels closed.

Yesterday I went through El Burgo Raniero. I remember the two hotels there bing full last time with about 30 pilgrims outside having drinks. There was hardly anyone there yesterday

Hope this view helps

Thus helps alot. I'm just about to do this leg (burgos to leon) starting tomorrow. I like to do long walk days and avoid making bookings. Does this sound worrying on this stage? Your comment made me hope it might be achievable. I will try and avoid the bigger/more popular towns for bed simplicity.

 

[SallyJane]

That's good to know. We're in Estella and I want to avoid booking ahead as far as I can. In 2019, if we felt i8was going to be busy we'd book somewhere either the day before or the actual day. Think I could probably still do that this time too then, especially as it seems quieter further on.

When you say "book ahead" do you mean you just call or message an albergue and ask them to reserve a bed and they do so on good will?

 

[trecile]

I think the pilgrims office in SJPP may also keep track of people registering there, but I don’t know where those numbers are posted

I know
SJPDP pilgrim office statistics are here:

STATISTIQUES DES PELERINS – Compostelle.fr

Près de 90% des pèlerins démarrent à Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

www.aucoeurduchemin.org

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Thus helps alot. I'm just about to do this leg (burgos to leon) starting tomorrow. I like to do long walk days and avoid making bookings. Does this sound worrying on this stage? Your comment made me hope it might be achievable. I will try and avoid the bigger/more popular towns for bed simplicity.

Perfectly doable.

 

[LilleTyksak]

When you say "book ahead" do you mean you just call or message an albergue and ask them to reserve a bed and they do so on good will?

Yes, that it how it’s commonly done if you don’t use booking sites. A few albergues will ask for you card details, but usually only if you make the reservation before your journey.

I also like walking long days, and I have been avoiding crowds on the road, which means if you start a little earlier than most, and continuo further than most, then you kind of walk in between crowds.
It also help if you avoid staying in bigger cities and preferable before, which also made good timing for me, which meant…
I would usually start walking without breakfast, take away breakfast, machine coffee or even a soda for sugar, fruit and snacks… anyway when I would get to the cities the options for breakfast would be bigger, bakers or even cafes who catered to the pilgrims who stayed nearby…

I have even walked into Santiago meeting very few people doing exactly this, starting a bit far away and very early… even though it was in September and there was generally a lot of people walking.

 

[Former member 92300]

Comparing 2021 and 2022 up until now is pointless. Why? Spain didn't open for tourists until June 7 2021. Therefore there were very limited people on the Camino from January to June 7 2021. I can also tell you, I arrived in Spain ON June 7 and began my Camino on June 9th from SJPDP. There were about 30 people that were walking the same stages as me before Burgos. Of course - there were definitely more people out - but stopping in different towns. We were on main stages and there simply weren't that many people out. As we progressed after Burgos, numbers will still light until Leon where we picked up quite a few more. Then in Sarria there were MANY new people (too crowded but way below normal numbers). Now I am seeing the first several stages towns are experiencing days where all the beds are full.