Planning to walk the El Camino in July/August 2011

[Willemien]

Hi everybody,

I am joining you from Cape Town in South Africa. I am planning to walk the El Camino this year, probably July/August from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago and then on to Finisterre. I just recently started research and happened onto this website. Can anyone tell me how busy it is in July/August and also what the weather is like that time of the year?

Learning some spanish words but need to know if I would be able to get by on English only? Any advice/commens would be welcome.

Espero conocer a muchos gente nueva en esta aventura!

Buen Camino!

Willemien

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

Welcome to the forum and to the Camino.

July and August are traditionally the busiest months.

This weblink will take you to the pilgrim office and you can look up numbers arriving in Santiago for any combination of month or year.

http://peregrinossantiago.es.

2010 being a Holy year the numbers were well up but will now drop back to nearer 2009 levels.

I am told that young people at University in Spain can get credit for walking the Camino and the summer months are when they are on the Camino.

Whatever time of year you walk you simply have to deal with the conditions and numbers as you find them. Reading the threads on this forum will help you find specfic answers.

However the number of private albergues has risen and this has helped to offset the increasing numbers of pilgrims.

The traditional wisdom is that you should be at the albergue where you are staying by 1.00pm because of the intense heat in July/August.

Some choose to seista and then move on a little further late afternoon but that is for each pilgrim to decide.

My Spanish is rubbish but the more you learn the more you are likely to gain from the Camino.

English is the 2nd language on the Camino so you should not experience any real difficulties.

Beun Camino.

 

[Br. David]

All is well. Whatever you plan your own Camino will be completely different from those plans ... if you don't have Spanish you will discover mime - if it is important then a translating pilgrim will appear at your shoulder .. all is well (except - weigh everything!!!!!!) :wink:

 

[Willemien]

Good morning Br David and Methodist Pilgrim,

Thank you for the response. I appreciate the feedback. Hehe. . I am sure I could do mime and will definitely weigh everything.

I might change my original plans, because I do not want to walk it at the busiest time so maybe June going into July or otherwise late August going into September.

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

I have twice walked early May to early June on the Camino Francés and it was beautiful.

By late August more people will be at the Santiago end than the SJPP so it should be quieter and the heat will be dropping.

Check the Camino figures for each of the months and see which option might be best for you.

Br. David is right about how when you desperately need someone to translate for you they turn up.

 

[LTfit]

Hi Willemien,

I walked the Francés last July and we had WONDERFUL weather -not 1 day of rain!

The crowds only developed around the last 150km. In fact I heard many a store keeper mention that there were fewer pilgrims than the previous year. Of course it is hard to tell in advance.

I hear that there are more pilgrims in May/June and Sept/Oct due to cooler weather but check the statistics to be sure.

Good luck planning!
Cheers,
LT
p.s. don't know how old you are but there will be a "younger crowd" on the road in July and August - I was surprised the amount of student-age pilgrims

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

p.s. don't know how old you are but there will be a "younger crowd" on the road in July and August - I was surprised the amount of student-age pilgrims

Spanish university students get credits towards their degree courses if they walk the Camino and, of course, do so in the summer holidays.