On the walk at lograño and shocked at the no. of people!

[cdoug1946]

[*]we are at the beginning of the camino (logrono) and are amazed at the # of pilgrims. People are taking buses i think in order to get a room. People waiting at noon to get a room. We are wondering if it's going to be like this forthe rest of the month. If it is we might go on a different camino. Anyone out there farther down having same exper?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Nearly 1,200 arrived at the Pilgrim Office yesterday, and over 500 have arrived today by 1400. It looks like there still are big crowds. The weather looks very nice, so that may have a lot of Spanish out walking.

 

[fraluchi]

... People are taking buses i think in order to get a room. People waiting at noon to get a room. We are wondering if it's going to be like this forthe rest of the month.

Rooms at Hostals and Hotels are plentiful all along the way. And if you worry about a bed in an albergue... :?:
There always has been a certain pull by people who probably wanted a juicy spot in the albergue and started lining up hours before opening. We haven't really bothered with this known situation, and often still found a bed late afternoon. Also, when we were hospitaleros, we found that there were some beds available until evening.
One should remember that not all those people are necessarily going to stay in an albergue. Some are part of a group, and most albergues do not accept groups.
If you find yourself in a massive "pilgrims wave", slow down and cut the "classic" stops from your program.
Ultreya

 

[elzi]

If you find yourself in a massive "pilgrims wave", slow down and cut the "classic" stops from your program.

Absolutely, try stopping in villages just before the main pilgrim stops or just before the major towns. If the main stops are full people tend to walk on ahead so the villages a bit further along the trail fill up too. No one ever thinks to walk back, so stopping just before the major stops is a good way to avoid the crowds.

 

[anniethenurse]

the 1st of September was a Saturday and I think there were quite many pilgrims starting their camino from SJPP.
The camino Frances seems to be crowded right now - according to the reports we get from pilgrims on Facebook. Albergues have been completo in Los Arcos where pilgs were sleeping outside a couple of nights ago. Compeleto even other places.
I wish I was in Spain now anyway and walking!
Buen camino,

 

[MoniRose]

We need a "Like" buton on the forum. I'm with you, Annie. Wish I was there!

I walked end of May to beginning of July and almost always stopped "off book", as we say in the theater. I could never keep up with the stages in the guide book and it served me well. I usually stayed right before or even in between stages. This also meant that I stopped early cuz I couldn't do more than about 20k a day. Nonetheless, I always had a bed and made it to the Cathedral!
Buen Camino, everyone! - M :arrow:

 

[vagabondette]

On the Camino now and have been staying between stages the whole time and every night each place has been full. Last night 8 people slept in a shelter outside in Monjardin.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Pilgrim Office is still processing one pilgrim per minute, so the crowds at the end have not let up!

 

[sillydoll]

Last year this time there were no rooms to be had - albergue or hotels - anywhere between Los Arcos and Viana. People were taking taxis to Logrono and then getting a ride back so that they could walk the sections they'd missed. The locals put it down to the grape harvest festival.

 

[MeganG22]

Is it wrong if this totally turns me off of our Camino?? We are leaving the U.S. September 24th but probably won't be starting our walk until the 2nd of October (we have no concrete plans and are pretty open to anything during our 8 week trip.)

Is this amount of people fairly normal for this time or are they having beautiful weather or something....? I know I should not be worried of course, and everything will work out, I think I'm just getting nervous about our whole trip in general.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Do not be too easily deterred. Los Arcos to Viana is not a very long stretch. You can take a bus from Los Arcos to Santo Domingo if things are bad.

SALIDA: LOS ARCOS
LLEGADA: SANTO DOMINGO
FECHA: 02-10-2012

POSIBILIDADES DE IDA

SALIDA LLEGADA LINEA NUMERADO PLAZAS LIBRES BICICLETAS PRECIO RUTA
07:55 09:20 PAM - LOG - MAD (RUTA) NO SÍ 3 3,96 €
16:55 18:20 PAM - LOG - MAD (RUTA) NO SÍ 3 3,96 €

PAMPLONA 07:00 ESTAC. AUTOBUSES C/ Yanguas y Miranda, 2
PUENTE LA REINA 07:25 PARADA BUS
ESTELLA 07:40 ESTAC. AUTOBUSES C/ Plaza Coronación, s/n
LOS ARCOS 07:55 PARADA BUS
VIANA 08:10 PARADA BUS
LOGROÑO 08:30 ESTAC. AUTOBUSES C/ Avda de España, 1
NAJERA 09:00 PARADA BUS (Hotel San Fernando)
SANTO DOMINGO 09:20 PARADA BUS
BELORADO 09:35 PARADA BUS
IBEAS DE JUARROS 10:05 PARADA BUS
MADRID 12:45 INTERCAMB. AVDA AMERICA C/ Avda de América, 9

Or Logrono:
POSIBILIDADES DE IDA
SALIDA LLEGADA LINEA Frecuencias PRECIO RUTA
08:50 09:30 PAMPLONA-LOGROÑO LABORABLES 2,81 €
11:10 11:50 PAMPLONA-LOGR. ( SEMIDIRECTO ) DIARIO -PARADAS EN PTE, LOS ARCOS Y VIANA 2,81 €
14:48 15:25 PAMPLONA-LOGROÑO DIARIO 2,81 €
17:48 18:20 ESTELLA - LOGROÑO LABORABLES- DE LUNES A VIERNES 2,81 €
20:15 21:00 PAMPLONA-LOGROÑO DIARIO 2,81 €

LOS ARCOS 08:50 ENFRENTE DE LA MARQUESINA
EL BUSTO (CRUCE) 08:55
TORRES-SANSOL 09:00
BARGOTA 09:08
VIANA 09:20
LOGRONO 09:30 ESTACION DE AUTOBUSES, Pza. de España nº 1

 

[fraluchi]

The locals put it down to the grape harvest festival.

During this time of the year one is obliged to reckon with festivals all over the place. One wouldn't believe that there is a crisis in the country :roll:
However, also last year in September we always found accommodation in albergues. Even in Viana, where the local "fiesta" lasted for days, sort of 24/7, we enjoyed (sic) "colchonetas" in the albergue paroquial. Your only worry should be having ear plugs :wink: Our participation in Logroño's fiesta resulted in a rip off. :evil:
Your best bet is to inform yourself, once you are on the road, of what you might expect to encounter in the coming days.
This time the weather is good, and sleeping in the fields, though not recommended, could be a last resort. :mrgreen:

 

[elzi]

Wow! It really is busy!!! Started from Burgos a couple of days ago, totally shocked at the number of people, compared to this time of year a few years ago the number has escalated massively!! Glad I brought the tent.... not that I´ve used it yet, meseta seems scant in good wild camping spots! The odd tree would be nice!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Today 1,217 pilgrims at the Santiago office! The summer rush seems to continue. If there still are crowds back toward the beginning, the crush may last through September.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Is it wrong if this totally turns me off of our Camino?? We are leaving the U.S. September 24th but probably won't be starting our walk until the 2nd of October (we have no concrete plans and are pretty open to anything during our 8 week trip.)

It always tends to get busy again at the beginning of September with 'foreigners' who have waited for the summer heat to diminish a bit. But by the time you start walking later in the month the crowds should have eased off a bit. I wouldn't worry- and chances are by then that if you stay in smaller places away from the main 'endpoints' in guidebooks like Brierley you will be ok.
Montjardin that vagabondette mentions above often has people sleeping outside. It is a long way to Los Arcos from there in the heat, and there is only one albergue there now. It was the only place I was in in June where people found themselves sleeping outside.
Buen Camino
Margaret

 

[markss]

Lograno may appear overcrowded but many times that is deceptive. The rather large albergue opens relatively late in the afternoon. People line up or leave lines of backpacks a long time before the opening. It gives the appearance of overcrowding when in fact top floors may not even be used because of undercapacity.

Villamayor de Monjardin is situated near the midway point between Estella and Los Arcos. The sole albergue there is small and fills quickly at any time of year. As Margaret explained, the next available stopping point, Los Arcos, is over 12 km away. If preplanning the day, do not set Monjardin as your stopping point of the day's walk.

I don't think that this instance of a full albergue with people required to sleep outside is at all the norm in other places along the Camino Frances during September or other non-summer months.

There is a good side to all of this. The best bocadillos on the Camino are made at the bar/cafe at Monjardin. So if the albergue is full, order something to eat. Have a drink, sit back, relax for a while. You will be refueled and ready to go on to Los Arcos!

 

[mralisn]

I may have a different outlook I would like to share. I have been "following" the Camino since 2004. I first walked in '05 the Camino Frances, '10 Camino Norte, '12 Camino Frances again. All of these in the summer. I note this only because I had the same feeling each time when it seemed like an outrageous number of peregrinos were on the Way.

I think of those that have walked from Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, or Le Puy for example. I think how they must feel when they see me and my soon to be "Camino Family" when they reach SJPdP. If one starts from Le Puy, this is about half way to SdC at 800kms. Maybe they were looking at me and thinking, "Wow, it sure is crowded now! Where did he come from?" This is how many must feel when reaching Sarria or when the Norte meets the Frances. We're all doing what we can when we can.

I don't feel anyone is complaining here. I know there seems to be a rush. I also tire of those that bus/taxi ahead and take beds. However, I would love to be back out where you are in a second rather than here at home in my own bed!

The Camino always provides. Please don't let the masses discourage your journey.

Keep a smile,
Simeon

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The number in Santiago was 659 today, down a bit, but still more pilgrims arriving in Santiago than there are beds in Monte do Gozo, the largest albergue on the Camino!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

The pilgrims are bombing through out here on the meseta, too. Full house at Hospital San Bruno tonight, you could smell the pasta carbonara out in the street, and hear the happy laughter all over town. It´s good to stop "in between!"

 

[supersullivan]

Not long back from covering Sarria to Santiago with my better half, stayed in private albergues the 1st 2 nights, new one at Vilache about 3 kms before Portomarin and Calzada about 4 kms before Palais de Rei, in both instances we had the albergues to ourselves ;-), deliberately stopped at Gozo on our last night so we could have 'dust on our boots' attending the pilgrim mass and at Gozo they only had to have three of the accommodation blocks in use, the one albergue we used that was full to capacity was in Arzua so from my limited experience I think the suggestions to stop just before the obvious towns seems to hold very true.

Buen Camino. 8)

 

[CaminoKris2013]

We need a "Like" buton on the forum. I'm with you, Annie. Wish I was there!

- M :arrow:

My thoughts exactly!

Kris