Del Norte ? Frances ? Or Portuguese ?...Oh no it’s Ok I think I’ve made up my mind

[James X]

Del Norte ? Frances ? Or Portuguese ?...
Oh no it’s Ok I think I’ve made up my mind

Well I’m sitting here this evening and for the last week or two and this magnetic pull has been drawing me to the Camino (Caminho) and to catch some of the last Iberian sun of 2021 and fulfil and invigorate myself with some of the mysterious magic that is the Camino

I have done 3 (ish); Portuguese Central in 2017 & 2019 and a partial Portuguese Coastal in 2018 (isn’t Caminha beautiful)

If I do go and thankfully with vaccinations etc the world seems to be returning to some modicum of normality and thus I feel safe jumping on a plane and traveling...

I’m trying to narrow it down and I have 3 choices in mind


1) I had planned in 2020 to do a section of the North (but some world wide pandemic thingy put a halt to that - first world problem). San Sebastian / Bilbao / Santander all just sound fabulous and as much as I love both the Portuguese route and people I felt it’s time to try something new

2) I also like the idea of doing the most popular Francais, just to see what all the fuss is about or isn’t and like the idea that there is a comprehensive infrastructure

3) You know what…. this was going to be a conversation to get peoples opinions and thoughts and even maybe a vote on the previous 1 and 2 and this 3 which was going to be a Portuguese option but as I write this I’ve just opened a bottle of Alvarinho and I find myself just being drawn to the Portuguese again (the beauty of the towns that are Ponte De Lima, Pontevedra, Rua (Mos) and getting lost once again in the confusion that is O Porrino.

Times are still somewhat uncertain and it might sound an easy option but there is a sense of security in knowing the route and where to stay and eat etc and even the pharmacies where to get Compede and Alcohol (medical of course) and even how to get out of Dodge quickly in the unlikely event of another forbidden lockdown or impending travel restrictions

I’m planning to go early to mid-October and like my first Caminho in 2017 I presume the weather should still be OK (?) not that I’m scared of a little rain being Irish.

My only question now is as to the volume of people on it…I always thought the crowds were just right in September and October but I presume numbers are down due to aforementioned pandemic thingy but one of the things that makes the way for me is bumping into people and making friends for either twenty minutes, two days or a lifetime. So now instead of a vote my only real question is would there be expected to be a decent amount of people waling the Portuguese Central at this time or have many people just been scared off or postponed ?

PS thanks to all the posters here that share such a wealth of information it really is such a valuable resource (except for the contradictory footwear and anti-blister debates… (joke))

But seriously it has been so helpful to so many - Kudos to you all

 

[Sue127]

Hi @James X - I plan to be walking the Portuguese, but the coastal from around the 11th, so maybe our paths will cross if you zigzag around. Buen Camino

 

[Marc S.]

would there be expected to be a decent amount of people waling the Portuguese Central at this time or have many people just been scared off or postponed ?

Hi James. Of course I do not have the crystal ball, but I enjoy playing around with numbers. So...

In August 2021, 7736 pilgrims arrived in SdC (via the Camino Portuguese). In pre-covid August 2019 this was 12.795. So although it is a decrease of 40 %, this still seems a decent amount of people to me.

I do not see a reason why people planning an October camino would be more inclined to cancel or postpone - as compared to the August walkers.

6988 pilgrims arrived via the CP in October 2019 (the last pre covid year). If there is also a 40 % decrease in October, 4225 pilgrims will arrive via the CP this October. As a comparison, when you walked in October 2017 5581 pilgrims arrived via the CP.

I am not sure if my logic makes sense, but my guess is you will meet a decent amount of people.