sleeping pad needed?

We took light roll mats with a silvered insulating layer and I wouldn't have been without them. There were days we felt like having some peace and quiet and were able to sleep in a church porch not in a refugio (in fact we bought a tent just after Sarria and slept in that on and off till Fisterra as we didn't like the endless crowds). There were days when the refuge we had planned to stop at was full, but we asked (in Spanish) if we could just put our roll mats down somewhere and most of the time the hospitalleros said OK. Sometimes even if there was space I didn't like the look of the mattress and was able to put my roll mat on top.

Finally on the way home we stayed one night in a tiny refuge in Santander when every other accommodation in the town was full. There were no mattresses left so our roll mats saved us again.

Get the lightest one you can, but get one, I think they are too useful to leave out of a pack list.

I carried one but never actually used it. However, had there not been beds available, then I would ahve really appreciated having it. But since often don't need it, just go for a lightweight one that does the job but doesn't weigh you down