• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Statistics: what percent finish

iam

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances, 2017
Of the 12% of pilgrims who start the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied de Port, what percent finish at Compostela de Santiago?
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
I think what you are asking is, of the total number of pilgrims who start in SJPDP, how many finish in SDC. ? Not all, some don't finish. Some never planned to finish. Some will leave the trail and come back another time to finish.

I assume 12% represents the number of arrivals in SDC that started in SJPDP? Presumably 100% of those 12% started at SJPDP. Not necessarily on the same walk, they may have done it in stages.
 
I don't think there is any way of knowing. For a start there is no form of registration before walking. So who knows?

I would guess of those with intentions to walk all the way to Santiago in one go, it would be 'most of them' make it.

Davey
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
But I've seen quite a good number of pilgrims were forced to stop their camino in the "La Meseta" for one reason or another....
 
Do they count those who started at St Jean Pied de Port, but did the Camino over several years as having started at St Jean, rather than their most recent starting place? I would think so, if they use the same credential each time.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
The pilgrim office publishes figures for pilgrims "registering" in Saint Jean Pied de Port. Figures for 2018 can be found here (statistics for previous years here). I suppose you could get some idea by comparing the numbers departing with those arriving (a month later?) but as others on the thread have mentioned, quite a few pilgrims take a number of years to finish, and not everyone "registers" at SJPP.

In case anyone is interested, here are the SJPP figures from 2018:
  • Janvier : 292
  • Février : 320
  • Mars : 2 077
  • Avril : 7 499
  • Mai : 10 837
  • Juin : 7 148
  • Juillet : 6 173
  • Août : 8 320
  • Septembre : 10 189
  • Octobre : 4 135
  • Novembre : 602
  • Décembre : 289
 
Of the 12% of pilgrims who start the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied de Port, what percent finish at Compostela de Santiago?
But I've seen quite a good number of pilgrims were forced to stop their camino in the "La Meseta" for one reason or another....
Que? Half a dozen posts, maybe a dozen, perhaps even a hundred posts a year from Pilgrims obliged by one cause or another to finish their camino before they intended. Is that a "good number' out of the quarter of a million shuffling down the Way?

@NorthernLight its great to see another mathematician posting :). 100% of the Pilgrims who started in StJdP and arrived in Santiago represent 100% of Pilgrims who started in StJdP etc etc. They also represent 12% of all those who arrived in Santiago. Thats a pretty spectacular proportion given how many start in Sarria. Do 100% of those who start in StJdP arrive in Santiago? As part of a contiguous journey, as part of a sectioned hike spread over years? Who the hell knows. The beloved Pilgrims' office certainly don't because on my last couple of trips I didn't present myself for counting and anyway I was going somewhere else. If I start in Irun, walk the Vasco, the Frances to Leon, the Salvador to Oviedo, the Primitivo to Lugo, the Verde to Sobrado and then just follow my nose to Santiago which "Camino" did I walk, where did i start and where did I finish?

I'm minded of a poem I can't put my hand to so I'll misquote for posterity:

"The gulls cry: "Achieve","Believe",
The Bells sound "Some".
At certain states of the tide you can leave, dry shod, this fitful Island."

(If anyone can help me out with the source I'll be a grateful Tinker)
 
but as others on the thread have mentioned, quite a few pilgrims take a number of years to finish, and not everyone "registers" at SJPP.
My impression is that for a variety of reasons quite a few do not register on arrival in Santiago either. My last arrival in Santiago was not recorded by the pilgrim office and I have no plans to visit them in future.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I'm minded of a poem I can't put my hand to so I'll misquote for posterity:

"The gulls cry: "Achieve","Believe",
The Bells sound "Some".
At certain states of the tide you can leave, dry shod, this fitful Island."

(If anyone can help me out with the source I'll be a grateful Tinker)

Google is my friend as always :cool: Looks like it is from a poem called 'An Irish Monk on Lindisfarne About 650 AD" by Gael Turnbull which I found in a collection called "While Breath Persist".
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OVZ4Mt2G6IAC&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq="The+gulls+cry:+"Achieve","Believe",&source=bl&ots=CiSPOTcJmB&sig=ACfU3U0sfjUpjNSQZbhsNaZQjtCSFGaAAw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj07vf_8dfhAhUpMewKHTKdCyYQ6AEwBXoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q="The gulls cry: "Achieve","Believe",&f=false
 
Que? Half a dozen posts, maybe a dozen, perhaps even a hundred posts a year from Pilgrims obliged by one cause or another to finish their camino before they intended. Is that a "good number' out of the quarter of a million shuffling down the Way?

@NorthernLight its great to see another mathematician posting :). 100% of the Pilgrims who started in StJdP and arrived in Santiago represent 100% of Pilgrims who started in StJdP etc etc. They also represent 12% of all those who arrived in Santiago. Thats a pretty spectacular proportion given how many start in Sarria. Do 100% of those who start in StJdP arrive in Santiago? As part of a contiguous journey, as part of a sectioned hike spread over years? Who the hell knows. The beloved Pilgrims' office certainly don't because on my last couple of trips I didn't present myself for counting and anyway I was going somewhere else. If I start in Irun, walk the Vasco, the Frances to Leon, the Salvador to Oviedo, the Primitivo to Lugo, the Verde to Sobrado and then just follow my nose to Santiago which "Camino" did I walk, where did i start and where did I finish?

I'm minded of a poem I can't put my hand to so I'll misquote for posterity:

"The gulls cry: "Achieve","Believe",
The Bells sound "Some".
At certain states of the tide you can leave, dry shod, this fitful Island."

(If anyone can help me out with the source I'll be a grateful Tinker)

This is my own experience, a good number means I met these guys in SJDPP and had to stop in La Meseta. It was a good number of those I met in SJDPP so in the grand scheme of things, who knows? but out of the few people who walked with me in SJDPP, some stopped and did not continue. I did not meet a lot of people in SJDPP.
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Tinc and Doug wouldn't you love to see the complicated formulation of the probability of who left SJPdP and arrived in SdC and eventually received a Compostela? It would be like posing the question: if I take one sock out of the drawer every morning, how often is it a left one I wore on the Camino? People start and stop, some come back and start and stop again and again and some don't need to collect one more Compostela, so in reality they never arrived like I have done for many years.
Not to dis the OP question, but what's the point for asking the question?
And please it is not La Meseta, we are in Spain after all:rolleyes:
 
Not to dis the OP question, but what's the point for asking the question?
I'm not sure either, but I would be confident that there is no source that can answer the OP's question as it is currently framed.

What can be ascertained is that in 2018, 57,881 pilgrims departed from SJPP (thank you @Jan_D ), and the Pilgrim Office recorded 32,889 pilgrims as having arrived from there. I am assuming the OP can do the maths for themselves.

I am not sure where the figure of 12% comes from in the OP. Pilgrims from SJPP comprise about 10.05% of arrivals at the Pilgrim Office in 2018. If the 12% is reasonable, it indicates that nearly 155,000 people commenced their Camino in 2018 but did not register at the pilgrim office. This seems quite a lot, even considering that some people might have chosen not to register even though they completed the requirements for the compostela.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Of the 12% of pilgrims who start the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied de Port, what percent finish at Compostela de Santiago?
On my last CF last October/
Of the 12% of pilgrims who start the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied de Port, what percent finish at Compostela de Santiago?
Hi
On my last CF in October/ November by Burgos around 40% had feet and leg issues and unlikely to go much further.
Not a formal statistic, but an observation. Some planned to bus the Meseta and others forced to stop.
 
Hi
On my last CF in October/ November by Burgos around 40% had feet and leg issues and unlikely to go much further.
Not a formal statistic, but an observation. Some planned to bus the Meseta and others forced to stop.
That would be broadly consistent with the statistic that over 40% don't finish by registering at the pilgrim office. Perhaps if people haven't 'got it together' by Burgos, that is a good indication that they won't finish.
 
This is completely anecdotal, but based on my own experience and those of my app's users that I chat with, the most noticeable drop-out trend I've seen is actually relatively early in the Camino.

Not counting those incurring injuries, people tend to push through those first few days (even the challenging initial days for those starting at SJPP) perhaps simply because they refuse to give up that soon. But once the 'I think I can, I think I can' days are passed (days 5 - 10-ish), the initial sense of adventure has gone but they haven't yet had time to fully settle into the Camino rhythm... And nagging aches and minor injuries as the body adjusts to the daily grind are wearing them down... And the dread realization that they still have a loooooooong way to go is descending upon them...

That seems to be where people drop out a lot. After that, again not counting those incurring injuries, most pilgrims seem to find their footing and get comfortable with the day-to-day process.

Again purely anecdotally, the next time I see people wearing totally down is about the 80% point. They have church fatigue by that point ("Oh, yet another 15th century church..."), the villages all start to look alike, they're talked-out with their new-found Camino family they've been walking with for a month, they're really missing their 'real world' family and friends, starting to think about work again, and so on. Lots of people go through a tough few days during this stretch.

But then... then Santiago suddenly doesn't seem so far anymore. You're thinking in terms of days now rather than weeks. Now you *know* you can do it. That's more than enough to push you through to the finish, often with a sense of euphoria washing over you.

I'm sure others have had different experiences, but I've found it remarkable how few non-injured pilgrims I've known have dropped out if they made it past the 10th day. The Camino is impressively hard to quit! :)
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
On my last CF last October/

Hi
On my last CF in October/ November by Burgos around 40% had feet and leg issues and unlikely to go much further.
Not a formal statistic, but an observation. Some planned to bus the Meseta and others forced to stop.
@happymarkos that is an interesting observation, and @stratophile's expansion is interesting too. Perhaps it is time for a prominent, multilingual sign in StJdP stating "Start slowly! Santiago isn't going anywhere".
 
One of my observations is that many of the pilgrims I encounter injured that have to give up are the young and fit (and mostly male). Maybe us oldies/overweight/infirm/insane have a more sensible idea of what we can or cannot do!

Certainly most of these young and fit that fail is due to starting off like a greyhound from a starting gate. One tried to explain to us that 'real' pilgrims do over 40km a day. Last I saw of him was waiting to go home in Logrono. He was visibly upset at getting injured, and more so at being overtaken by little old ladies on his last day. And a young american girl walking with her dad beat him to the albergue - she had one leg. Poor chap.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
One of my observations is that many of the pilgrims I encounter injured that have to give up are the young and fit (and mostly male). Maybe us oldies/overweight/infirm/insane have a more sensible idea of what we can or cannot do!
Something in that I think. Perhaps those of us who tick one (or all) of your boxes have already been there, done that and remember it well enough not to want to do it again ;-)
 
Something in that I think. Perhaps those of us who tick one (or all) of your boxes have already been there, done that and remember it well enough not to want to do it again ;-)

Same experience with a young German kid who walked from Porto to Barcelos in one day and got injured right away and had to stop for 3 nights..
 
Que? Half a dozen posts, maybe a dozen, perhaps even a hundred posts a year from Pilgrims obliged by one cause or another to finish their camino before they intended. Is that a "good number' out of the quarter of a million shuffling down the Way?

@NorthernLight its great to see another mathematician posting :). 100% of the Pilgrims who started in StJdP and arrived in Santiago represent 100% of Pilgrims who started in StJdP etc etc. They also represent 12% of all those who arrived in Santiago. Thats a pretty spectacular proportion given how many start in Sarria. Do 100% of those who start in StJdP arrive in Santiago? As part of a contiguous journey, as part of a sectioned hike spread over years? Who the hell knows. The beloved Pilgrims' office certainly don't because on my last couple of trips I didn't present myself for counting and anyway I was going somewhere else. If I start in Irun, walk the Vasco, the Frances to Leon, the Salvador to Oviedo, the Primitivo to Lugo, the Verde to Sobrado and then just follow my nose to Santiago which "Camino" did I walk, where did i start and where did I finish?

I'm minded of a poem I can't put my hand to so I'll misquote for posterity:

"The gulls cry: "Achieve","Believe",
The Bells sound "Some".
At certain states of the tide you can leave, dry shod, this fitful Island."

(If anyone can help me out with the source I'll be a grateful Tinker)
I have two compostellas already so don’t see the point in queuing for a third. I do treasure the credentials though as I love seeing where I have been. I start Camino Frances again next week
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
One of my observations is that many of the pilgrims I encounter injured that have to give up are the young and fit (and mostly male). Maybe us oldies/overweight/infirm/insane have a more sensible idea of what we can or cannot do!

My last Camino Frances in 2016. At dinner in Beilari in SJPDP I met Christopher - a very fit 73 year old Englishman. He was a little anxious about the first day and chose to walk the Valcarlos route with the idea of stopping overnight in Valcarlos. I also chose to walk the Valcarlos route that day. I arrived in Valcarlos to find Christopher there ahead of me drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. He decided to carry on to Roncesvalles. I left about ten minutes after him and would not have caught up with him at all if he had not stopped to support and encourage a young German man less than half his age struggling under a far-too-large pack and also quite overweight. Our paths crossed regularly for several days until I finally said goodbye to him after the descent from the Alto de Perdon.
 
I've only been once granted but I did not see anyone go home from the meseta. Most of what I saw injury(mentally and physically) wise happened pre Burgos. The usual aches, pains and occasional missing toenail followed. :)
 
I've only been once granted but I did not see anyone go home from the meseta. Most of what I saw injury(mentally and physically) wise happened pre Burgos. The usual aches, pains and occasional missing toenail followed. :)

I agree, most I see get injured and leave before Burgos. Never met anyone leave on the Meseta. (It is too nice to leave)!

Though I did meet one man who said he was giving up at Monte Gozo. Puzzled I asked him about it, he replied it was the only way his wife would let him walk again! (I still think he walked to Santiago, but didn't tell the wife).
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
I met someone at work who had had to give up in Leon. I had published an article in the work newsletter about "Five Lessons I Learned on the Camino". When next we met she mentioned that she had also walked. She said it wasn't until she read my article that she realized you didn't have to stick to the Brierley stages. With that knowledge, she thought she would do much better, but wasn't sure when she could get that long off work again. I told her she could always pick it up in Leon.
 
She said it wasn't until she read my article that she realized you didn't have to stick to the Brierley stages.
I met an Englishwoman on the Camino Frances who was quite shocked that I wasn't using Brierley's guide or walking his stages. On hearing my own plans she asked "Oh! Are you allowed to do that?" :rolleyes: That is the most extreme example I've encountered but I have met several others - and read accounts here - who have felt some obligation to stick to Brierley's stages. For many people the Caminos are their first long-distance walk. As it is the de facto standard English guidebook I think a lot of inexperienced walkers quite reasonably assume Brierley's pattern is the norm and will be manageable. They may then commit themselves to Brierley's stages by pre-booking accommodation and transport home only to find themselves struggling to keep up.
 
Last edited:
The meseta can be challenging due to long stretches of little-to-no shade and longer distances between villages. It can sometimes wear people down. That said, I've never really noticed any sudden spikes in people dropping out on the meseta.
I don't think people drop out on the Mesetā , they just die of boredom.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I met an Englishwoman on the Camino Frances who was quite shocked that I wasn't using Brierley's guide or walking his stages. On hearing my own plans she asked "Oh! Are you allowed to do that?" :rolleyes: That is the most extreme example I've encountered but I have met several others - and read accounts here - who have felt some obligation to stick to Brierley's stages. For many people the Caminos are their first long-distance walk. As it is the de facto standard English guidebook I think a lot of inexperienced walkers quite reasonably assume Brierley's pattern is the norm and will be manageable. They may then commit themselves to Brierley's stages by pre-booking accommodation and transport home only to find themselves struggling to keep up.

Hi,

We’ve done 3 Caminos and i’ve never heard of Brierley until recently. I dont use any guidebooks, we just stop whenever we like it and search the internet for the significance of the place in the camino.
 
I don't think people drop out on the Mesetā , they just die of boredom.

My favorite part of the Frances. Far from boring, the Meseta is wonderful and often gives the pilgrim experiences not found elsewhere. For instance;

2015. It was hot with no breeze. For about 15 minutes each pilgrim walked in a cloud of butterflies, hundreds of them, all different types, around each of us. We figured it was our movement attracting them, the only 'breeze' was us. It was magical.

2016. Walking back across the Meseta in winter (December) and on a clear but cold clear sunny day getting hit by a 'Meseta storm'. It was fast. Rain and hail in seconds, a big black cloud looking like a UFO flying across the sky from behind me. Five minutes later it had gone, wizzing away into the distance and I was dry again in ten minutes! Something I had only heard about before. Incredible.

2017. Feeling sea sick along with other perigrino's in the wheat fields. The wheat gently rolling like waves causing an optical illusion that the land was rolling like a ship. Very odd!

Sunset/sunrise from Alto Mostelares at any time. Those Meseta sunsets/sunrises are spectacular.

The weirdness of Hontanas, appearing from nowhere just one km in front of you when you can actually see for miles.

San Anton. Just because it is San Anton!

The best place on Camino to nightwalk. You can't get lost! No need for a torch. Following the Milky Way on a clear night. Wonderful.

Singing Nuns of Carrion de los Condes!

Meeting a strange man in a cave in Moratinos who just wanted to sit and share wine with Perigrinos by candlelight.

The Prune man of Bercianos!

Bar Elvis with a truly insane owner! (Many a great night there)!

Getting drunk with Gypsies and two Koreans in Puente Villarente. We were just walking past, they insisted we join them in their celebrations. Not allowed to pay a thing.

I could go on! The Meseta is neither flat or boring. (Some of the above not on truly Meseta, but still on the often bussed Burgos to Leon).

Would not miss it for the world!

Davey
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
If you think the Meseta is boring then try out a job at the post office, or on an assembly line or working for the government of what ever country you come from. I find the Meseta a salve.
I have actually done all those jobs including working at an Amazon fulfillment centre. I was reminded of all those jobs while walking amidst miles and miles of flat land. With a ridiculously wide unpaved road laid right through the middle, I have a funny suspicion that the farmers have used Camino funding to lay that road so they can put more irrigation into there fields.
 
I have actually done all those jobs including working at an Amazon fulfillment centre. I was reminded of all those jobs while walking amidst miles and miles of flat land. With a ridiculously wide unpaved road laid right through the middle, I have a funny suspicion that the farmers have used Camino funding to lay that road so they can put more irrigation into there fields.

I am glad we are all different!

Though I think those wide unpaved roads are for the large harvesters at harvest time. Those things are huge. But if the farmers get better irrigation good for them too!

Respect
Davey
 
…. and then there are those of us who give up early, due to injuries caused by overdoing it, but instead of quitting completely, we just bus most of the way (looking at the major churches on the way), pick up again at Sarria and limp from there at the rate of 15 km. a day, so we can still feel that we finished the Camino, sort of, and get a Compostela showing double the minimum kilometres required!

I don't think I will try again. I got one chance, half-blew it, but basically succeeded. I get Camino nostalgia every day, but when I go back, it will probably be as a volunteer in an albergue, no longer as a pilgrim. Let THAT remain the once-in-a-lifetime experience that it was meant to be.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
The pilgrim office publishes figures for pilgrims "registering" in Saint Jean Pied de Port. Figures for 2018 can be found here (statistics for previous years here). I suppose you could get some idea by comparing the numbers departing with those arriving (a month later?) but as others on the thread have mentioned, quite a few pilgrims take a number of years to finish, and not everyone "registers" at SJPP.

In case anyone is interested, here are the SJPP figures from 2018:
  • Janvier : 292
  • Février : 320
  • Mars : 2 077
  • Avril : 7 499
  • Mai : 10 837
  • Juin : 7 148
  • Juillet : 6 173
  • Août : 8 320
  • Septembre : 10 189
  • Octobre : 4 135
  • Novembre : 602
  • Décembre : 289
I am starting in May, I did not realize that was the busiest time - yikes!!
 
As has been pointed out several times above, the only statistics that exist are for those who register themselves somewhere. The only two points where that happens would be at the pilgrims offices in Santiago and in SJPP. So that's what we have to work with. How many of those starting in SJPP arrive in Santiago? Roughly half. Please see the Statistics page on the American Pilgrims website. (It's under The Camino in the menu bar.) There are enough numbers and graphs there to choke the most data-hungry pilgrim!
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
I started from SJPDP last year, my first camino, and finished. I left Australia thinking I needed a plan B in case, due to injury, I couldn't make it. After 3 weeks of walking, I amazingly realised I would finish. I started with quite a number of people who due to injury, particularly walking over the Pyrenees in bad weather and shin splits etc. who didn't finish. Of the people I started with, I know definitely two who finished. One left at Burgos as was her plan.
 
Of the 12% of pilgrims who start the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied de Port, what percent finish at Compostela de Santiago?
Out of the 20 pilgrims that became my Camino family whom all started in SJPdP Sept 2013, all but one made it all the way to Santiago de Compostela. So I would say 1 out of 20 do NOT make it. It’s not for everyone, he soon found out and left after his last nights sleep in Estella.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I know several people who did a section of the Camino Frances, starting in SJPP, and stopped after a week, 10 days or 2 weeks as planned and have so far not yet continued although their first walk was years ago. At least one other person I know walked SJPP-Santiago once and now returns annually for a section walk without any plans to cover the 800 km in total.

And I often wonder about the percentage for those who are on the Camino Frances for the nth time ....
 
Iam joined, posted, then left...
Why should this stop us from commenting or even matter? 😉

What I'd also love to know in general: the percentage of posters who reply to the first message in a thread, or the most recent message in a thread, without ever reading any of the other comments. 🤣
 
I have actually done all those jobs including working at an Amazon fulfillment centre. I was reminded of all those jobs while walking amidst miles and miles of flat land. With a ridiculously wide unpaved road laid right through the middle, I have a funny suspicion that the farmers have used Camino funding to lay that road so they can put more irrigation into there fields.
Good for them! Being an ex-development worker myself, I like nothing better than the art of hijacking development funds earmarked for nonsense uses by desk bureaucrats, and sink them into something truly useful for the community!
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
I don't think people drop out on the Mesetā , they just die of boredom.
I think those who love the Mesata and those who purposely avoid it can likely also be divided into those who are at peace in nature and with their own company, and those who are not. And the Mesata will tell you which you are!
 
My favourite day for nature was the leg from Astoria to El acebo, it was a misty driek day with a brisk wind, the heather gorse and broom were in full bloom, I thought I was in heaven. There were many hikers on the road because it was Easter weekend but I walked totally alone that day just loving the cool damp air and the fantastic views when the mist cleared. It was almost the perfect day spoiled only by the detritus surrounding the Cruz de Ferri, possibly the most underwhelming event of my Camino.
 
My favourite day for nature was the leg from Astoria to El acebo, it was a misty driek day with a brisk wind, the heather gorse and broom were in full bloom, I thought I was in heaven. There were many hikers on the road because it was Easter weekend but I walked totally alone that day just loving the cool damp air and the fantastic views when the mist cleared. It was almost the perfect day spoiled only by the detritus surrounding the Cruz de Ferri, possibly the most underwhelming event of my Camino.
I did not have the same experience as you with Cruz de Ferro, but I did learn a new word today, so thanks for that! I guess I viewed the detritus as an emblematic and spiritual shedding of dead skin.
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
The meseta can be challenging due to long stretches of little-to-no shade and longer distances between villages. It can sometimes wear people down. That said, I've never really noticed any sudden spikes in people dropping out on the meseta.
Of the people I have met who had to 'drop out' it was before the Meseta........
Gear, injury or health problems often show up in the first week.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-

Most read last week in this forum

My name is Henrik and I will be coming down to SJPdP from Sweden on March 26 and start walking on March 27. I don't really have any experience and I'm not the best at planning and I'm a little...
When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I'd like some recommendations about where to find the most current and up to date information about albergues that are actually open. I'm currently walking the camino Frances, and I can't even...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top