May Or September

[itsmith3]

My husband and I are planning to do the section from Sarria to Santiago next year (we can only take off about 1 1/2 weeks, so that's all we can do at one time). Generally we like to travel either in May or September. Is there much of a difference between the two periods regarding the number of pilgrims or the weather (I know it isn't controllable or predictable)? Thanks!

 

[Jo Jo]

May has more rain; September is hotter. Either would probably be quite nice. https://www.holiday-weather.com/galicia/averages/

Slightly more pilgrims last September (42K) than this May (40K)

Personally, I like walking in the fall--late September through the end of October. Daylight is a bit shorter, but I just like the color of the light.

Buen Camino,
Jo Jo

 

[Shefollowsarrows]

September is beautiful. Lots of local festivals and lovely wine. June is fresh and full of poppies. I've walked in June/July and September/October. 4 Caminos. All amazing and it had nothing to do with the weather or light. My best times were in the middle of nowhere, with people I just met, and fell in love with their souls..rain or shine.

 

[nycwalking]

September.

Beautiful.

Buen camino.

 

[Nate Bissonette]

Haven't walked in September, just finished that stretch the last week in May. Mornings 60 degrees, misty, cleared off by noon and heated up to high 70's afternoon, brief thunderstorm most evenings around 6:00 pm. Used my poncho one morning for exceptionally heavy mist/light drizzle, ended by noon. Got caught by rain late one afternoon (big fat drops and the sky looked Biblical) but it was a section along the road and the local taxis patrol it looking for strays like me. 5 Euros into town nice and dry, 5 Euros back to A Brea the next morning to resume where I left off (the rule says you must walk every step of the last 100k, it doesn't say you must walk them all today). At 7:00 am, the trail has dozens of young, energetic people (including one group of about 30 girls wearing identical t-shirts, escorted by a couple of adults, bounding up the hill like mountain goats and SINGING). I don't bound. I trudge. By 2:00 pm, I had the entire world to myself.

 

[tpmchugh]

My husband and I are planning to do the section from Sarria to Santiago next year (we can only take off about 1 1/2 weeks, so that's all we can do at one time). Generally we like to travel either in May or September. Is there much of a difference between the two periods regarding the number of pilgrims or the weather (I know it isn't controllable or predictable)? Thanks!

Have done both in recent years. May can be nice, not too hot and in my experience, not at all wet. Every morning, the sun comes up a bit earlier so you can be on the road, in daylight, at 7am. You might want earlier or later, that time suited me so that after six hours walking, I could stop early and enjoy a leisurely afternoon. Downside was that on two occasions there was sudden temperature drops and it got very cold. But 3 days out of a camino was nothing. My first September camino was very pleasant as far as temperatures were concerned and only two days when it rained non stop. Downside was that every morning the sun came up later and towards the end of the month, I was walking in the dark until almost 8:30, so a head torch was necessary. My second September camino coincided with a heat wave and the temperatures were higher than in July and August but that was quite unseasonal weather. Pilgrim numbers were not a problem in either month. There were more in early September than in May but when I reached Sarria about third week in May, numbers did increase somewhat. No problem getting a bed but sometimes hard to find a seat in bar/cafés around lunchtime. Same applied for third week in September. Hope this helps but remember, past experiences do not necessarily indicate how things will be next year. Numbers are increasing in what they call 'the shoulder months' and weather is changing all the time. My personal preference is slightly tipped towards May just because of the brighter mornings. Just to throw a spanner in the works, if you can go over Easter, Spain is a marvellous place to be but if it is a late Easter, numbers can be high for the week

 

[itsmith3]

Thanks to all, lots to think about and consider!