October 12th, National Holiday

[vkimble]

Hispanic Day (Oct. 12, 2023) in Spain is a national holiday according to the calendar that I am seeing. Will this holiday impact walking on the CF? Will albergues, restaurants be significantly impacted with day tourists? Will these establishments remain open? Thank you, as a first timer, I am trying to plan the timing of my walk accordingly.

 

[Mikel Olivares]

Hispanic Day (Oct. 11, 2023) in Spain is a national holiday according to the calendar that I am seeing. Will this holiday impact walking on the CF? Will albergues, restaurants be significantly impacted with day tourists? Will these establishments remain open? Thank you, as a first timer, I am trying to plan the timing of my walk accordingly.

12 de octubre.

 

[vkimble]

Thank you for the correction. Question edited.

 

[J Willhaus]

Yes! Depends on where you are, but there will be Spanish pilgrims, more tour bus etc at places like Foncebaden and Cruz de Fero and cities. If you are in the countryside like in the Meseta, maybe bit less busy.

 

[Sheesh]

Make sure you have some food in your pack for dinner just incase you encounter restaurant closures where you are stopping for the night. This happened to me last year in tiny Las Herrerias. The restaurants affiliated with the Albergue and with the hotel up the hill remained open but displayed signage saying that they could not provide cena service to anyone not staying in their accommodation. Luckily, I was prepared.

PS: They served me many cervezas before dinner though. So I went to bed happy.

 

[isawtman]

Last year I had finished my camino and had traveled to Barcelona when that holiday occurred. The Police had blocked off several streets and entrances to the Zoo, etc. The were preparing for some sort of protest which didn't turn out to be very much. But, I guess after what happened on Jan 6, it's better to be overly prepared.

 

[C clearly]

Buses, trains and offices may operate on holiday schedules, so be sure to check if you need them.

 

[David Fletcher]

Hispanic Day (Oct. 12, 2023) in Spain is a national holiday according to the calendar that I am seeing. Will this holiday impact walking on the CF? Will albergues, restaurants be significantly impacted with day tourists? Will these establishments remain open? Thank you, as a first timer, I am trying to plan the timing of my walk accordingly.

I walked in 2015 in early autumn; no -- except for some locals at a bar, I wouldn't have know it was a holiday. As I recall from my blog, I was a day or so from Leon at that point.
David in Nova Scotia

 

[MassNative]

I just check my blog from last year. On Oct 12th we walked from Catrojeriz to Boadilla, passing through Itero de la Vega. Pretty much the only people we saw were other Pilgrims. The local people were off someplace else.

In Itero, one Tienda was open, doing a booming business, selling sandwichs from the deli counter. Everything else was closed and the village quiet and empty.

In Boadilla, everything was closed except the Albergue/Hotel en El Camino. If they did not have a communal dinner, we would have gone hungry.

So on Oct 11th, hit a supermarket for lunch/snacks/drinks while walking on the 12th. Plan where you will sleep on the 12th to find someplace that will be serving a meal. Restaurants will be closed.

Jim

Our FindPenguins entry for Oct 12 2022:

On to Boadilla del Camino

We set off today a little after sunrise. The valley was filled with fog as we walk up the hill in Castrojeriz. We were treated to the full moon hanging ...

findpenguins.com

 

[K_Lynn]

Thanks for triggering a memory and hopefully someone can answer the the question that I have been afraid to ask for 2 years.

I was in Bilbao holidaying after Camino and on Hispanic Day there was a parade with several groups with flags with what looked like Stalin on them. Can someone ELI5 why?

 

[goldie from aus]

So on Oct 11th, hit a supermarket for lunch/snacks/drinks while walking on the 12th. Plan where you will sleep on the 12th to find someplace that will be serving a meal. Restaurants will be closed.

Thanks Jim, I was planning on asking this question as I am on Camino Frances in Oct. Can you give me any idea of how far in advance I should book accommodation.

 

[Pathfinder075]

Thanks for that, I will probably be somewhere on the VdlP on that day. Good to know I need to prepare for it.

 

[MARSKA]

Good to know - this will impact my Camino. Thanks!

 

[thepacman]

Thanks for that, I will probably be somewhere on the VdlP on that day. Good to know I need to prepare for it.

I've just checked - all being well, I'll be in Salamanca that day ...

 

[Pathfinder075]

I've just checked - all being well, I'll be in Salamanca that day ...

At a guess and that's all it is, I will be much further north, maybe somewhere around Silleda or Lalin. I haven't planned the VdlP part of my walk this year because I don't know exactly when i will get to Santiago after finishing the first part of the journey (basically Norte, Vadiniense, Salvador, Primitivo, Frances, Finisterre).

Once I finish the first part somewhere around the start of October I will be heading south, possibly to Zamora and putting some miles in on VdlP. But nothing is concrete and I may even walk the Ingles from Ferrol before I head south, just to see if I can do it in 3-4 days.

As long as I'm back in Santander by the 22nd Oct, i'm good.

 

[MassNative]

Thanks Jim, I was planning on asking this question as I am on Camino Frances in Oct. Can you give me any idea of how far in advance I should book accommodation.

I was booking rooms 2 days in advance as we walked. My wife and I stayed in private rooms the whole way, to avoid sleeping in "dorms rooms" due to covid concerns. Places to sleep were not impacted by the National Holiday, as far as I could tell.....