March Camino with my kid

[sommerjule]

Hi fellow pilgrims
I am planning to walk the Coastal Camino, starting from Porto, with my 11year old son in mid-March 2024.
I am already looking forward to this shared experience. However:
I have a few questions / uncertainties regarding packing and accommodation.

Accommodation:
Has anyone walked in March this year and can say something about the accommodation situation then?
From several posts, and also my own experience walking the Portuguese Camino central this April (2023), I assume that the route is going to continue to be quite busy and that it may be advisable to book accommodations before. However, I am a bit reluctant to do so, mostly because I would like some flexibility. We will probably walk very short stages of max 10 km, but maybe even less (or more?), or we will need a rest day etc.
I think we will stay in private accommodations, but maybe, for the experience, a few nights in an albergue would be nice.
Another question here: will albergues accept an 11year old? I have read some posts about this and have read both yes and no

Temperature at night/ sleeping bag:
Will a very thin, lightweight sleeping bag be enough for the nights in March in Portugal? We both have warmer sleeping bags, but these are heavier and bulkier, so not sure if I want to drag them around if not absolutely necessary.

It would be great to get some opinions on this.

 

[naplesdon]

Chilly and possibly lousy weather blowing in off the Atlantic. Who knows?

 

[KathieAu]

FB has a Camino kids group. Also there are some podcasts of pilgrims who have walked with kids if you google them up.

 

[Jarrad]

Most accommodations now have more than a mattress and a sheet, but I personally get cold with the blanket (often thin) provided. If it were me bringing an 11-year-old, I would look into light sleeping bags, rated to 40 degrees F (sorry, I never got my head around the metric system).

I think your starting point and choice of route are perfect for a young pilgrim. March weather can be fickle so, you know, layers (light gloves, hat, shell and mid-layer, etc.). Get out with your child in advance to do some long distance hiking, especially with the pack and weight you expect to carry. Be prepared to be flexible. You will have an amazing time.

I do a lot of hiking, backpacking and long-distance travel with youth at that age. If you want additional advice, just PM me.

 

[C clearly]

Click on the tag "children" under the title of this thread, and you'll get more threads on the topic.

 

[sommerjule]

@KathieAu : Thanks for the suggestion with the Facebook (?) group. I’m am not on Facebook, but will consider.
I did search for threads here connected to walking with kids, but my questions are not all directly related to walking with kids.
@Jarrad: thanks for the tips weather-wise and the encouragement.
40 Fahrenheit is around 5 degrees Celsius, by the way So I will probably look for a new lightweight sleeping bag for my son, I think the one he has is not sufficient.

Does anybody have insights on the accommodations situation in March?
(This is not necessarily connected to walking with a child, but would also be a concern of mine if walking alone)

 

[Vince Rollason]

Hello

I have walked 5 Caminos. 4 full trails alone and one from Sarria to SDC with my two granddaughters aged 10 and 7 along with my son-in-law. They were warmly welcomed in the alberques and treated like royalty by fellow pilgrims on the trail. We walked about 10k a day, never booked ahead and they carried their own packs. We trained them up over 4 to 5 months. They had come out to meet me in SDC for a week after my second Camino and asked to walk with me one time. They now tell everyone that when they are old enough they will come back with their friends and walk the whole way "just like granddad". They loved the experience.
I have walked in April, May, June, July, September and October. I walked Camino da Costa in April and it was by far the wettest of all my walks. On good days it is a beautiful walk but on the days that the storms come in off the Atlantic they are of biblical proportions. There were days when I felt like building an ark.
Buen Camino
Vince

 

[dbier]

I think the greatest challenge is whether there are enough accommodations open that early in the year to accommodate your stages. Most advice for your route that I've seen suggests that you check gronze, but call and check each desired destination as well. Mid March is too early in Spain for many albergues and hotels....not sure about Portugal.

 

[sommerjule]

Thank you , Vince, for the helpful remarks.
I think I will have to develop a „plan B“ weather-wise, if there is a storm from the Atlantic , such as a rest day in private accommodation.

Thanks, dbier , for the tip with opening times of accommodations: I did check Gronze before and saw a lot of accommodations options between stages, but Gronze does not always list opening times. I will check that and probably even pre-book the first few days to make sure that we can have short walking days and are not forced to walk on.

 

[KarenCooper]

Thank you , Vince, for the helpful remarks.
I think I will have to develop a „plan B“ weather-wise, if there is a storm from the Atlantic , such as a rest day in private accommodation.

Thanks, dbier , for the tip with opening times of accommodations: I did check Gronze before and saw a lot of accommodations options between stages, but Gronze does not always list opening times. I will check that and probably even pre-book the first few days to make sure that we can have short walking days and are not forced to walk on.

Is Gronze available in English? Thanks.

 

[sommerjule]

Is Gronze available in English? Thanks.

To my knowledge, it is not. But you can use Google translate or look up single terms. I speak very little Spanish, but I understand enough to understand Gronze.