Is September/October a good time to walk?

[Tina M.]

I've been reading about "the best time to walk". I put that in quotes because this is different for everyone. My husband and I are planning to walk in September/October 2015.

I've read some posts that say you can't get a bed in September. Others say you will have no problem getting a bed. We are looking to leave around the middle of September. We want to walk with a little cooler weather (not the heat in July and August). Also, we saw where quite a few of the albergues close at the beginning of October.

We would like to know what your thoughts on walking in September/October are. Is this a good time? Will we have problems finding beds? And is it hot during this time?

Buen camino,
Tina

 

[fortview]

Sept/ oct is a fantastic time to walk! It can still be very hot in the afternoons, but not ferociously so. The albergues seem to close at the end of October, and not all of them anyway. It is harvest time, and the colours are beautiful. The " race for beds" goes on, it's still a busy time, but we never had a problem with getting a bed. It's been said so many times, but if you are flexible about the stages you walk, and don't stick to the main stops, and are prepared to mix your types of accommodation you'll be fine.
How exciting!
Buen camino,
Helen

 

[RENSHAW]

During this time it IS possible to walk throughout the whole day - there are less people , the Autumn warm colour hues are out of this world - be prepared for far cooler weather.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

This week the number of compostelas has begun to drop by half, meaning that pilgrims who started the second week in September have finished their walk. It stayed busy through the beginning of September, a lengthening of the "normal" season. Apparently the collective strategy has been to avoid the really busy summer by starting in September. That did not work real well for those starting the first two weeks of September, but probably is working for those who started late in September.

The weather is fine through October (expect rain, though), and if there are pilgrims in sufficient numbers, albergues probably will stay open a bit longer to accommodate. Most are small operations, so extending the season for two weeks and making some money will be an appealing business strategy. Even as some albergues begin to close, there still are plenty of others open.

 

[Kiwi-family]

We walked as a group of eleven last year in September and only one night out of three weeks needed to stay in a Pension because the albergue was full. We never raced for beds, but did choose to walk shorter days to get in the queue.

 

[piogaw]

Hello tina,

Wise decision to walk september/october. Temperature wise it will not be so hot, on the other hand be alert to the possibility of cold weather and rain. Many of the public albergues will be closing for the winter months starting october. As mentioned by falcon and other posters you should not have any problems of finding beds.

Good luck and buen camino.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Just curious Falcon where do you get your stats?

The Pilgrim Office publishes daily figures. I have put them on the old Camino de Santiago calendar, where you can see the recent decline.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Check the frame toward the top of each page. You will see a Camino Calendar link.

 

[kmrice]

Falcon, when you post "Comp." on the calendar is that only compostelas or does it include certificates as well?

Thanks,

Karl

 

[GSatt22]

Hola (again Tina),

I had planned to start my Camino from SJPdP early September but as it turned out I began on 22nd August. It took 35 days (slower would have been better, i am now thinking; too much rushing on the Way) and the weather was beautiful all the way to Santiago. I arrived there on 25th September and the weather has started to turn, it was cooler, it rained most days. I am pleased I started a little earlier than planned. I don't know what the Spanish say but in Greece, the end of September means the start of the Meltemi (cold westerly wind) and everyone who can flees the islands because the Summer is over, even the islanders.

Re accommodation, I spoke with the hotelier in Palas de Rei when I was there (he very kindly drove me into town and back for more Compeed, the first time in a vehicle for over a month). He said that now May and September are their busiest months. This correlates with what I had heard at other places. Trust this is all helpful.

 

[jirit]

Hi Tina

September and October are probably other than the summer months, the second most busiest time to walk the camino. It use to be April to June and September to October were considered the shoulder months and the number of people walking the camino Frances route was about half as compared to the summer months of July and August.

However given the stats since last and probably this year, there seems to be a surge in the number of people waking in September and October. We will obviously know more later after this month is over. But clearly the overall number of people walking the camino Frances route is up 12% over last year.

How many people will be walking in 2015 is difficult to predict but given the recent history one should expect the numbers to be significantly higher.

I have never walked the camino Frances in the fall ( only twice in the spring ) but my wife is currently walking it now for the second time. She is reporting that it is busier than in the past and in some cases significantly busier that expected. This appears to be the case leaving Saint Jean through to Pamplona and pockets of places elsewhere. She was wisely decided to stay in smaller towns and albergues and avoid the normal stopping points that most guidebooks suggest.

She has never found a problem getting a bed but she is carrying a simple mobile phone, something she has never done before, so she can call ahead and book a bed in a private albergue or hostal.

Fall offers some interesting experiences but I still prefer the spring for the long sunny warm days and colourful flowers and fields.
I am being a bit biased but for me June is probably the best month to walk the camino Frances.

 

[filup501]

I started in Pamplona Sept 5th and reached Santiago Oct 4th. The weather was pretty warm during the days, but started to cool down just a wee bit mid-September. I experienced rain during the final week of my Camino. I had one day of really torrential rain. The other days the rain was light, and it stopped after a couple of hours. I spent four rain free days in Santiago and we had very beautiful weather. However, it was cool enough at night to require me to wear a vest and long sleeves. As far as the albergues being full; we did not have a problem finding a bed. Most of my time was spent at the municipal albergues. I usually checked-in before 3:00 PM. From Sarria to Santiago I encountered many more people on the Camino. You can call ahead a reservation if you think you will have a problem. In Santiago I stayed at the Monasterio de San Martin Pinario which was across from the cathedral. You will need to call well ahead for a reservation for they fill up fast. They have private rooms with bath for about 20 euros. They're on the small side, but a luxury nonetheless after spending so much time in the albergues. I choose Sept to start my Camino because I thought the weather would be kinder. It worked for me.

 

[Alena]

I started at 8th September from Astorga, reached Finisterre on 20th and then back to Santiago on the 21st. September weather for me was perfect for walking. We had rain for just about 10 minutes one of the afternoons, some misty mornings and of course it gets cool in the morning or windy depending which part of the Camino you're doing. Apart from that it was sunny, warm, even hot around noon. So beautiful weather Sept 2013 and finding a bed was never an issue. But years are not alike...

 

[Olivares]

I could not believed how wonderful the weather was the first week of October in the Meseta. I can see how walking into Hontanas or the Fromista-Carrion de los Condes section can be brutal under hot weather. It was cool in the AM, pleasant by 10am (upper 60's deg F) , bit warm by 2pm, and cool again after 5pm. Lovely.

 

[StuartM]

I never had a problem last October. Lovely weather (cold mornings, afternoon sun, cool evenings) and still enough people for a great experience and few enough to find solitude.

It was busy in the main stage ends but the little places (which looked a hell of a lot more interesting) were always free. I stayed in a lovely albergue in San Xulian and there were three of us in a place that slept about 18-20.

Every year is different though.

 

[gerardcarey]

We would like to know what your thoughts on walking in September/October are. Is this a good time?
Buen camino,
Tina

It's a good time if you don't like it too hot...or too cold...or too dry...or too wet...or too quiet...or too busy.
It's the best time....IMO

Buen Camino
Gerard

 

[Jnlee99]

I just completed two weeks from Oct 6th to 18th. Great weather, no rain to speak of, and good walking temperature.

 

[Jennifer1959]

Walking now. Left SJPP on Oct 2. Beautiful weather. Not too hot early on, cooling off a little now, only afew days rain but quite bearable. Watching colours change. Even though some smaller accommodations ate closing, have had no troubles - Always a bed. Never too crowded. Just magical!
Probably arrive Santiago mid Novem.
I think it's a perfect time to walk!

 

[Rose Bishop]

I've been reading about "the best time to walk". I put that in quotes because this is different for everyone. My husband and I are planning to walk in September/October 2015.

I've read some posts that say you can't get a bed in September. Others say you will have no problem getting a bed. We are looking to leave around the middle of September. We want to walk with a little cooler weather (not the heat in July and August). Also, we saw where quite a few of the albergues close at the beginning of October.

We would like to know what your thoughts on walking in September/October are. Is this a good time? Will we have problems finding beds? And is it hot during this time?

Buen camino,
Tina

Hi Tina - I started from SJPdP on 29 August 2013 and got to Burgos on 12 September as unfortunately only had 14 days to do this stretch. It was quite hot in the first week - 34oC days but cooled down nicely for the second week. If you start out early in the morning then you don't really have the heat of the midday and early afternoon. It was busy with pilgrims and I didn't book ahead. I had 4 nights on a mattress as no beds available, but it didn't matter at all!! I can't wait to return next year to complete my Camino from Burgos to Santiago and possibly Finesterre. It is the most amazing experience and I feel so enriched by it all. Happy planning!

 

[santiago_67]

I think Sept - Oct is the perfect time to walk the Camino. I just completed my Camino (Sept 24-Oct 28). It was warm the first couple of weeks so getting an early start each day and ending about 1-2pm worked out great for me. After that temps were wonderful and as the sun got up later so did I. I did not have to do the "race for the bed" thing (I did make 3 reservations after Sarria, but they were not necessary). The only heavy rain came in Galicia.

 

[jmcarp]

My wife and I walked the CF this year between 16 August and 25 September. We avoided the ends of the stages in the Brierley and Dintaman/Landis guidebooks, and tried to average around 20km per day, usually stopping in the early afternoon. We slept on a mattress on the gym floor in Zubiri, called ahead to reserve spaces at Sarria, Palas del Rey, and Salceda, but otherwise we just showed up around 2:00pm or so and never had a problem finding beds. You will notice an almost exponential increase (OK, maybe that's a bit of an exagaration) in the number of pilgrims from Sarria on into Santiago, so either stop early or call ahead if you're uncomfortable about leaving things to chance. We took pre-scheduled rest stops in Logroño, Burgos, and Leon, and had reservations in hotels in those places; otherwise we stayed in albergues all the way.

Weatherwise, we had it perfect: moderately cool in the mountains at both ends, mid-90's F across the meseta, a light sprinkle before Carrion, and loud thunderstorm in Villarmentaro after we were in bed (glad we weren't staying in a teepee that night). Otherwise we never needed our rain gear until we reached the outskirts of Santiago on the last walking day of our Camino.

Jim

 

[ajp]

I've been reading about "the best time to walk". I put that in quotes because this is different for everyone. My husband and I are planning to walk in September/October 2015.

I've read some posts that say you can't get a bed in September. Others say you will have no problem getting a bed. We are looking to leave around the middle of September. We want to walk with a little cooler weather (not the heat in July and August). Also, we saw where quite a few of the albergues close at the beginning of October.

We would like to know what your thoughts on walking in September/October are. Is this a good time? Will we have problems finding beds? And is it hot during this time?

Buen camino,
Tina

I have walked the Camino twice, in Sept/Oct, once in 2009 and I have just returned from my second Camino. I think it is a good time to walk, the weather was good both years, with a few days of rain here and there, but basically sunny and warm right into Galicia, where it is cooler and a bit more rain. Don't expect to dodge the crowds though, this year it was extremely busy right through September...lots of crowded hostels, over taxed facilities, and just too many pilgrims all jostling for limited space.

 

[tpmchugh]

I started my second stage from Burgos on the 7th September arriving Santiago on October 3rd. All the way to Sarria the weather was generally fine for walking with just a few days a bit too warm. I liked to get up at 6 and get on the trail asap, walk until about 1pm when it started getting a bit hot and book into the nearest albergue. The biggest problem I found with this time of year unlike my first stage to Burgos at Easter was the mornings got darker each day. Not a lot of fun trying to find the way down a goat track that even the goats wont use from Acebo to Molinaseca. Walking in Sept/Oct requires a good head torch and strong batteries. Other than that and the rain at times in Galicia, its a great time to walk. Only a few albergues were closed and only on the last weekend of September. All that I came to were still open 3rd October at least. Still lots of peregrinos but never so many that 'completo' became a problem. I know I was stopping around 1, 2 at the latest, the albergues I stayed in had places well into the evening. In fact one albergue, the old railway building in Fromista had only two pilgrims, me and a Spaniard. About 10:30 a German guy arrived and that was it for the night. Was it better or worse than March? Hard to say, I enjoyed both times. Would I do it July or August. Doubt it, didn't like it the couple of days when it was in the high 20s

 

[indyinmaine]

I've been reading about "the best time to walk". I put that in quotes because this is different for everyone. My husband and I are planning to walk in September/October 2015.

I've read some posts that say you can't get a bed in September. Others say you will have no problem getting a bed. We are looking to leave around the middle of September. We want to walk with a little cooler weather (not the heat in July and August). Also, we saw where quite a few of the albergues close at the beginning of October.

We would like to know what your thoughts on walking in September/October are. Is this a good time? Will we have problems finding beds? And is it hot during this time?

Buen camino,
Tina

Listen to what everyone says but I can assure you it will never be quite like what everyone says! I chose this time for all the same reasons and the following happened: it was brutally hot, 30C+, for about 7 days; it rained for 6 days on the meseta, and even though there were reports of "hurry up or you won't find a bed" there always was one!

Buen Camino

 

[homa_bird]

The Camino will take care of you, whenever you go, wherever you are, whoever you are. All it asks of you is sincerity, an open heart, a strong will, and humility. Not a bad deal, eh? (oh, and a good pair of shoes helps too )

 

[jmcarp]

The Camino will take care of you, whenever you go, wherever you are, whoever you are. All it asks of you is sincerity, an open heart, a strong will, and humility. Not a bad deal, eh? (oh, and a good pair of shoes helps too )

Wow, that's a very profound statement, and oh so true. I could write a book about the kindness and generosity of so many we encountered on the Camino -- pilgrims and locals alike.

Jim

 

[Lucky Sprite]

The Camino will take care of you, whenever you go, wherever you are, whoever you are. All it asks of you is sincerity, an open heart, a strong will, and humility. Not a bad deal, eh? (oh, and a good pair of shoes helps too )

So true how moving!

 

[Tarquin]

Hello,
I am planning to start my Camino in mid Sept 2016 and am wondering if there are any recent experiences from 2015 that I could draw on. As a fair skinned person I will be wearing the usual spf 50 shirt, trousers , hat and suncream so am looking for other info on clothing and the weather to add to my preparations.

 

[Albertagirl]

Hello,
I am planning to start my Camino in mid Sept 2016 and am wondering if there are any recent experiences from 2015 that I could draw on. As a fair skinned person I will be wearing the usual spf 50 shirt, trousers , hat and suncream so am looking for other info on clothing and the weather to add to my preparations.

@Tarquin:
I walked the Camino Frances from Sept. 30 to Nov. 17 in 2015,from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. My response to the weather and the clothing that felt right to me have a lot to do with the fact that I am a Canadian and experienced in backpacking in the mountains of western Canada. I notice that you mention clothing only with respect to your response to heat and how you protect yourself. This does depend on your fair skin, but also on the weather of your home country. You seem to expect heat, but not cold or wet. All three are likely to be factors in a September - October camino and you need to be prepared for them. I remember two mornings of heavy frost. On the second morning, I decided to get out my gloves, as my fingers were aching. I had two weeks of rain, mostly light to moderate, for which I wore a rain jacket, with a poncho over top to keep my pack dry. It was never cold enough for me when I was walking to put on a jacket or other outer layer over my shirt. My regular walking clothes are the same as yours, with the addition of a merino base layer. But I get very warm while walking and carrying a pack and for an autumn walk I only put on a jacket if it rains. Consider what feels right to you. I am also walking from mid-September this year and will be carrying a lighter sleeping bag and less warm clothing, as that should be enough for me. If you are beginning your camino in mid-Sept., you need to get your gear together fairly quickly. Consider what you need, weigh everything, then ask one of the more experienced members of this forum to go over your gear and see if you have what you need. You can find sample packing lists in the Camino Resources section. All the best in your preparations and Buen Camino.

 

[Kanga]

@Tarquin I agree with Albertagirl - one October when I was walking it got very cold.

 

[Tarquin]

@Tarquin:
I walked the Camino Frances from Sept. 30 to Nov. 17 in 2015,from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. My response to the weather and the clothing that felt right to me have a lot to do with the fact that I am a Canadian and experienced in backpacking in the mountains of western Canada. I notice that you mention clothing only with respect to your response to heat and how you protect yourself. This does depend on your fair skin, but also on the weather of your home country. You seem to expect heat, but not cold or wet. All three are likely to be factors in a September - October camino and you need to be prepared for them. I remember two mornings of heavy frost. On the second morning, I decided to get out my gloves, as my fingers were aching. I had two weeks of rain, mostly light to moderate, for which I wore a rain jacket, with a poncho over top to keep my pack dry. It was never cold enough for me when I was walking to put on a jacket or other outer layer over my shirt. My regular walking clothes are the same as yours, with the addition of a merino base layer. But I get very warm while walking and carrying a pack and for an autumn walk I only put on a jacket if it rains. Consider what feels right to you. I am also walking from mid-September this year and will be carrying a lighter sleeping bag and less warm clothing, as that should be enough for me. If you are beginning your camino in mid-Sept., you need to get your gear together fairly quickly. Consider what you need, weigh everything, then ask one of the more experienced members of this forum to go over your gear and see if you have what you need. You can find sample packing lists in the Camino Resources section. All the best in your preparations and Buen Camino.

Thank you