- Time of past OR future Camino
- First: Camino Francés 2002; most recent: Norte/Primitivo 2019
I love this forum. There are so many experienced pilgrims who are eager to share advice based on their own journeys. It seems like, no matter how obscure the question, there's someone here who has first-hand experience, if not five someones.
That said, I think we all need to be very careful right now with offering advice for Summer 2021 based on our past experiences. Among those of us who have walked the Norte, for example, many of us have positive memories of nights in the municipal albergues in Irún, or Pasajes, or Deba. There's such good energy in these albergues, with so many new pilgrims excited for the walk ahead.
Those albergues are all closed right now. And the private options in this stretch are limited and often not exclusive to pilgrims. As a consequence, the opening week on the Norte this year may feel quite different to new pilgrims.
I also recognize how important it is to many pilgrims to not make reservations. The serendipity, the uncertainty, the joy of an unstructured experience. That's all valid. I've heard from some Summer 2021 pilgrims that they're counting on pilgrim numbers being low, thus allowing them to proceed without plans. On the Norte especially, though, the available beds are consumed by pilgrims and beach-going tourists alike, and with so many of the pilgrim-only spots closed, that shoves a lot of pilgrims into the broader tourist market. And there will be plenty of people seeking Spain's beaches this summer.
I'm sure this is applicable in different ways and to different degrees with other routes. I just think we need to be mindful of the fact that pilgrimage this summer can be great, but it's also going to pose distinct challenges, and some of our past experiences may not prove as instructive as they are at other times.
That said, I think we all need to be very careful right now with offering advice for Summer 2021 based on our past experiences. Among those of us who have walked the Norte, for example, many of us have positive memories of nights in the municipal albergues in Irún, or Pasajes, or Deba. There's such good energy in these albergues, with so many new pilgrims excited for the walk ahead.
Those albergues are all closed right now. And the private options in this stretch are limited and often not exclusive to pilgrims. As a consequence, the opening week on the Norte this year may feel quite different to new pilgrims.
I also recognize how important it is to many pilgrims to not make reservations. The serendipity, the uncertainty, the joy of an unstructured experience. That's all valid. I've heard from some Summer 2021 pilgrims that they're counting on pilgrim numbers being low, thus allowing them to proceed without plans. On the Norte especially, though, the available beds are consumed by pilgrims and beach-going tourists alike, and with so many of the pilgrim-only spots closed, that shoves a lot of pilgrims into the broader tourist market. And there will be plenty of people seeking Spain's beaches this summer.
I'm sure this is applicable in different ways and to different degrees with other routes. I just think we need to be mindful of the fact that pilgrimage this summer can be great, but it's also going to pose distinct challenges, and some of our past experiences may not prove as instructive as they are at other times.