Portuguese Route/pilgrim numbers

thetravellingpen said:

HI all. I have an opportunity to buy a property for an albergue along the Portuguese Route. Actually looking at 2 - one on the coastal route and on on the traditional/inland route. Obviously before spending on such an investment, I am wondering the pilgrim numbers. Which route (number wise) is the most popular? Are there any such statistics anywhere? Thank you.

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As someone who's been looking at a similar project, on the Central about 5 days north of Lisbon, and watching the track when I'm there--I can say that at present (2022), unless you're in a town/city with a location that would welcome some other travellers as well, I don't think there's really enough peregrinos/peregrinas to make it a feasible operation.

In May/early June, we were seeing maybe a half-dozen walkers a day--and watching quite carefully, from a viewpoint just above the track. And that was in the welcoming late-spring weather. With the heatwaves, the central interior has been having periods of 40C and above, which is not terribly walker-friendly in unshaded rural areas.

I think coastal, if south of Porto, might have more potential.

Of course, if you're talking about the area, both interior and coastal, north of Porto, you'll see a lot more walkers.