- Time of past OR future Camino
- Francés, Norte, Salvador, Primitivo, Portuguese
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That photo is pretty startling. Did you run into a large group walking together? There are more people in that one snapshot than I saw walking the CF in the whole 800km of my first Camino.Yup, can confirm.... Sarria to Santiago was a bit crowded in Sept 2022.
I agree. I have never seen that many people on the trail at once. Did they just get off of a bus?That photo is pretty startling. Did you run into a large group walking together? There are more people in that one snapshot than I saw walking the CF in the whole 800km of my first Camino.
No, this was the crowd that started in Sarria. I walk pretty fast and had to weave my way through. It went on like this for several kilometers until I could finally get in front of it...a solid wall of people until little by little they dropped off to stop for coffee.That photo is pretty startling. Did you run into a large group walking together? There are more people in that one snapshot than I saw walking the CF in the whole 800km of my first Camino.
That was just the crowd of people who decided they only wanted to walk the last 100. I tried counting but after a couple hours of passing people I lost count. I think it must have been at least two km long.I agree. I have never seen that many people on the trail at once. Did they just get off of a bus?
If you want a long perspective then some statistics that @Kathar1na posted several years ago gathered in Roncesvalles in 1987 are fascinating. In that year Roncesvalles recorded 1,418 pilgrims who either stayed or requested a credencial. They also recorded that in that year 2,905 Compostelas were issued in Santiago. So nearly half of all Compostelas were probably given to someone who passed through Roncesvalles on their journey. At that time there was no minimum distance rule and no particular pressure to choose any one starting point. In September last year only about 7% of those who received a Compostela started in SJPDP or Roncesvalles. Some of that change may be because other routes like the various branches of the Portugues are becoming more popular and drawing potential pilgrims away from the Frances. I also think that the introduction of the 100km minimum distance to receive a Compostela has radically altered peoples' thinking about what an appropriate route and distance for their pilgrimage should be.Pilgrim numbers starting from SJPdP were down 13.38% compared to 2019, and lower than any non pandemic year since 2013.
Thats what it looked like in Sept 2019. It did spread out a bit during the morning, but was an actual conga line at times.That photo is pretty startling. Did you run into a large group walking together? There are more people in that one snapshot than I saw walking the CF in the whole 800km of my first Camino.
I passed through Sarria in October 2016. Although it was busy by my standards I never saw anything quite like that. I'll stick to winter for my Caminos in futureThats what it looked like in Sept 2019. It did spread out a bit during the morning, but was an actual conga line at times.
Assume you'll be practising your deep breath counting to ten between now & then @Bradypus?....I have arranged to walk with a friend for a week from SJPDP in late August this year just so he can see the madness that is the CF in full flow.
We will work up to it gradually. It took us several years to walk around Wales together. Unlike me he is a sober and productive member of society with an actual job and has to do his walking in small chunks each year. He wants to walk the CF in stages. Our best guess is that he should reach Santiago in summer 2028.However, you have spared your friend (& yourself!) the full flow madness by starting in SJPdP instead of Sarria...
Thank you @trecile. The November numbers starting from SJPP are very heartening for us - not busy at all
Reminds of that picture from Mount Everest.Yup, can confirm.... Sarria to Santiago was a bit crowded.But SJPDP to Sarria was nice, especially the Meseta.
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This is great!!! Where did you get this data? I've been waiting for the Pilgrim Office in Santiago to publish the 2022 data. Very interested to see the numbers from Lisbon.I read @henrythedog's FindPenguins blog today, and he mentioned meeting up with @ivar and @natefaith when he arrived in Santiago. The consensus was that the record numbers of pilgrims receiving a Compostela last year was mostly due to those starting close to Santiago. This is borne out by statistics from León mentioned in this thread by @Bradypus and statistics from the Pilgrim's Office in St Jean.
Pilgrim numbers starting from SJPdP were down 13.38% compared to 2019, and lower than any non pandemic year since 2013.
There have also been several recent threads about the decrease in pilgrim numbers on the Meseta.
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I passed through Sarria in October 2016. Although it was busy by my standards I never saw anything quite like that. I'll stick to winter for my Caminos in future. Though I have arranged to walk with a friend for a week from SJPDP in late August this year just so he can see the madness that is the CF in full flow.
There have also been several recent threads about the decrease in pilgrim numbers on the Meseta.
You will be fine walking then. Of course you will need to go on the Valcarlos route. Last year in November/December more albergues were closed because it was a really busy and it seemed more and more albergue owners were telling me that they were closing earlier than usual because they were just tired. Have gronze.com Aprinca.com (if you are not aware this site shows albergues open in winter and that comes online about November 1). I would also have the Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino apps. No one source has all albergues and no source is more than about 70% accurate when it comes to albergues being open. Not because they have bad information it is because owners often close early whenever they feel like it.Thank you @trecile. The November numbers starting from SJPP are very heartening for us. We hope to walk Le Puy to Muxia later this year, and we are timing our arrival at SJPP for last days of October to be on the Frances in November.
The pilgrims office in SJPdP usually publishes statistics on their website, but since I hadn't seen the numbers from 2022 there yet I searched for and found them on their Facebook page.This is great!!! Where did you get this data? I've been waiting for the Pilgrim Office in Santiago to publish the 2022 data. Very interested to see the numbers from Lisbon.
Any thoughts on why it's taking them so long to update their stats for 2022? Do they always take this long?The pilgrims office in SJPdP usually publishes statistics on their website, but since I hadn't seen the numbers from 2022 there yet I searched for and found them on their Facebook page.
I asked a friend in Santiago that very question last night. He used to be very actively involved with the pilgrim office. My friend tells me that the pilgrim office has been busy introducing a new computer system which has interrupted normal business. Also the person who is most responsible for compiling and publishing statistics has been off work for some time.Any thoughts on why it's taking them so long to update their stats for 2022? Do they always take this long?
You will be fine walking then. Of course you will need to go on the Valcarlos
I saw that same crowd in Sarria in Sept, could hardly get past them. The cafes were all very crowded also. And couldn't find a room the last night before Santiago, quite a bummer. Plan accordingly!No, this was the crowd that started in Sarria. I walk pretty fast and had to weave my way through. It went on like this for several kilometers until I could finally get in front of it...a solid wall of people until little by little they dropped off to stop for coffee.
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