Race for Sleeping in Arzua and Ribadiso

Crowds?

Me either, so I went in the late fall when the crowds had finished. There was never a problem for beds and in most they were barely half full or less and in the new alberque of Atapuerca, I had a room to myself even!

I just got back from the Camino last week and the race to get a bed was on! It was really hard because sometimes you just wanted to stop and look around but you could not stay too long because of the crowds rushing to get a bed.

Well, he have a problem.

It's imposible to maintain an albergues network during all the year enough to accept all "pilgrims" that appear on summer.

There's a lot of students and "turigrinos" who wants to come to the Camino to obtain a Compostela on summer, you know, just a cheap vacations. Most of this young people wake up in Mellide at 04:30 and arrive to Ribadiso just to queue and wait for their bed at 09:00. It's doesn't happen in Navarra or la Rioja, but it do in Galicia.

What can you do? Or go the race and watch nothing, or go at your own and when you arrive look for an hostal or private albergue or similar.

I use to do the second choice in Galicia. I like to walk with sunlight and sleep during the night.

Another choice for you is to change to another Camino on summer, the Primitive, the Portuguese, La Plata ... it's up to you.

Buen Camino, enjoy it.

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.