Super highway or not? (on trail from Sarria to Santiago)

[StClairFam]

Hi all
I'm trying to get a sense of just how busy the walk from Sarria to Santiago is in July to help us decide if it's for us. I know it's hard to predict but am after a guesstimate. Is it like a complete trail of people walking right behind and in front the whole time or is there gaps between people?

 

[Tincatinker]

Imagine the line for free beer at a rock festival....

Its nothing like that. But there will be people, groups, in sight virtually all the time.

Try here for some numbers: https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/statistics/

 

[Bradypus]

I just had a look at the figures for July 2019 - the last "normal" year before Covid and the extended Holy Year. The pilgrim office recorded more than 25,000 arrivals that month who had started their journeys on the Camino Frances or the Primitivo and therefore would have walked at least half of that final section of the Frances. Close on 1,000 people per day on those closing stages in July. Though those numbers will not have been evenly spread across the month. Do you intend walking towards the end of the month when you might encounter even larger numbers aiming to be in Santiago for the festival around the 25th?

 

[J Willhaus]

Honestly, if you have not been on another portion of the Way, you may not find it too busy as you may have nothing to compare it to, but I have walked the less traveled portions and it seems VERY busy to me. I walked that portion in early July (first week or so) and there were large school groups as well as large family groups. My husband really enjoyed this as he is a people person who talks to everyone. I, however, resented the fact that large school groups with leaders shouting songs into megaphones were passing me by and drinking all the cold drinks at the next stop before I had a chance to arrive and order one. (I mean NO drinks of any kind left on the premise when I arrived.) As you can tell, I am still annoyed by it 6 years later!!!

If it is the only time you can walk and you want a compostella, you could consider one of the other entries into town, such as the Portuguese, the Via de la Plata, or the Ingles. These will still be heavily traveled, and not as busy as the Sarria to Santiago route. Otherwise, if you enjoy people and the festive carnival-like atmosphere, the Sarria to Santiago stretch may be great for you. I am sure my husband would walk it again without hesitation. He loved talking to the school children and the family groups. I just kept my head down and sullenly trudged on.

 

[Philtration]

Hi all
I'm trying to get a sense of just how busy the walk from Sarria to Santiago is in July to help us decide if it's for us. I know it's hard to predict but am after a guesstimate. Is it like a complete trail of people walking right behind and in front the whole time or is there gaps between people?

If you want to minimize the crowd, I suggest you consider not starting from Sarria on a weekend. A lot of Spanish groups start based on work or school schedules. Also, sleeping stops "off stage" will help avoid the crowd. I think there is a lot of variation from day to day, so some amount of luck is in play here also. When we left Saria on a Saturday last summer, it was one long conga line. We got off stage, and the crowd thinned way down.

 

[PFarnsworth]

We had a very hard time finding open beds this past July (late July into early August) from Sarria on. We stayed in regular albergues as much as possible but occasionally had to stay in hotels or AirBnB's (we were trying to do it on the cheap) when no open beds were available. We ended up booking the last several nights all the way into Santiago after struggling to find beds on the first few nights after Sarria.

One thing to also remember about going in July is that it can be VERY HOT! Galicia tends to be "less hot" than the rest of Spain, but it can still be very uncomfortable, especially in albergues where there is no A/C. In 2018 the weather was marvelous during our July trek, but in 2022 it was super bad. (Daytime highs along the CF were regularly in the mid-90's F and we had several days well over 100F (high of 106 F in Logrono!))

Good luck and Buen Camino!

 

[RRat]

Hi all
I'm trying to get a sense of just how busy the walk from Sarria to Santiago is in July to help us decide if it's for us. I know it's hard to predict but am after a guesstimate. Is it like a complete trail of people walking right behind and in front the whole time or is there gaps between people?

It's like the line of climber at the summit of Mount Everest. Not really. But if it's solitude your after, reconsider the Camino. It's very much a social experience.

 

[StClairFam]

Imagine the line for free beer at a rock festival....

Its nothing like that. But there will be people, groups, in sight virtually all the time.

Try here for some numbers: https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/statistics/

Haha

It's like the line of climber at the summit of Mount Everest. Not really. But if it's solitude your after, reconsider the Camino. It's very much a social experience.

Do you think it would be any less busy in October?

 

[StClairFam]

It's like the line of climber at the summit of Mount Everest. Not really. But if it's solitude your after, reconsider the Camino. It's very much a social experience.

This was the image I had in my mind.

 

[C clearly]

Do you think it would be any less busy in October

Yes. October has a nice number of walkers - you can choose to be social or not.

 

[dougfitz]

Do you think it would be any less busy in October?

Clearly. The numbers of pilgrims walking then will have declined significantly.

I have walked from Sarria to Santiago twice, the first time in May 2010, a holy year, and again in early Jun a few years later with my wife. Having already walked from SJPP, it is a quite different experience after Sarria. If that is all you walk, then you won't have any comparison like that you can make. I found that there were still ample opportunities to walk in quiet contemplation when I wanted to. I would also note that after the first day, when those who has joined at Sarria (or Tui on the CP) tend to be rushing past and chatting loudly, things calm down and the following days were really quite enjoyable.

 

[StClairFam]

Clearly. The numbers of pilgrims walking then will have declined significantly.

I have walked from Sarria to Santiago twice, the first time in May 2010, a holy year, and again in early Jun a few years later with my wife. Having already walked from SJPP, it is a quite different experience after Sarria. If that is all you walk, then you won't have any comparison like that you can make. I found that there were still ample opportunities to walk in quiet contemplation when I wanted to. I would also note that after the first day, when those who has joined at Sarria (or Tui on the CP) tend to be rushing past and chatting loudly, things calm down and the following days were really quite enjoyable.

That's good to know. I do like the idea of community, but not to the point of no quiet contemplation time.

 

[trecile]

Do you think it would be any less busy in October?

Very much so.

You can check the statistics that the Pilgrims Office in Santiago keeps. There are numerous breakdowns, and you can search by individual month.

Statistics | Pilgrim's welcome office

oficinadelperegrino.com

I would use 2019 as a baseline for a "normal" year.

 

[StClairFam]

Very much so.

You can check the statistics that the Pilgrims Office in Santiago keeps. There are numerous breakdowns, and you can search by individual month.

Statistics | Pilgrim's welcome office

oficinadelperegrino.com

I would use 2019 as a baseline for a "normal" year.

I actually couldn't make sense of it

 

[trecile]

I actually couldn't make sense of it

It does take a while to figure it out!

Here's another site created by forum member @diegoromerosm that's easier to understand

Solvitur Ambulando

Let me combine my passion for the Camino de Santiago with a little bit of technical and engineering skills following the philosophy of "Solvitur Ambulando".

solviturambulando.es

 

[Mito]

It's like the line of climber at the summit of Mount Everest. Not really. But if it's solitude your after, reconsider the Camino. It's very much a social experience.

That so much depends on when and where you walk!! In March 2018 I was the ONLY person in 3 albergues in a row. That was the alternate route out of Leon in March. Blessed solitude!! And kindly hosts. I never booked ahead. Shoulder and winter months are for those seeking a more solitary, contemplative experience.

 

[Bradypus]

That so much depends on when and where you walk!! In March 2018 I was the ONLY person in 3 albergues in a row. That was the alternate route out of Leon in March. Blessed solitude!!

That is very true but the OP was asking specifically about walking the final 100km in July. About as far from "blessed solitude" as I can imagine!

 

[JabbaPapa]

Yes. October has a nice number of walkers - you can choose to be social or not.

I have memories of of when that used to be true, but here I am in mid-October about 25K from Sarria, and many Albergues are still jam-packed, and I come across occasional packs of peregrinos numbering in the many dozens. Beginning of October was extremely crowded.

As to choosing or not to be social, frankly most of them seem to treat me like some kind of weird alien creature, but probably that's just me being all in black and with my great big black pilgrim cape and walking the kind of Camino that is entirely inconceivable to their thoughts.

Nevertheless, bottom line here is that if you want to avoid the 100K crowds, as of now it seems that November would be preferable to October.

 

[Philtration]

I have memories of of when that used to be true, but here I am in mid-October about 25K from Sarria, and many Albergues are still jam-packed, and I come across occasional packs of peregrinos numbering in the many dozens. Beginning of October was extremely crowded.

As to choosing or not to be social, frankly most of them seem to treat me like some kind of weird alien creature, but probably that's just me being all in black and with my great big black pilgrim cape and walking the kind of Camino that is entirely inconceivable to their thoughts.

Nevertheless, bottom line here is that if you want to avoid the 100K crowds, as of now it seems that November would be preferable to October.

I would love to see your pilgrim garb!

 

[Tincatinker]

I would love to see your pilgrim garb!

Be careful what you wish for

 

[JabbaPapa]

I would love to see your pilgrim garb!

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/attachments/daf1e944-7a89-4876-8e71-e8966cd7ec0c-jpeg.134534/

 

[Annette london]

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/attachments/daf1e944-7a89-4876-8e71-e8966cd7ec0c-jpeg.134534/

Ha ha
I think that’s the photo I took last week!
Looking good

 

[Philtration]

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/attachments/daf1e944-7a89-4876-8e71-e8966cd7ec0c-jpeg.134534/

Dude, thats awesome!

 

[Former member 92300]

I have walked that section in late June and mid-July. It is definitely crowded. I could deal with scattered "crowds" - but what I hate about the Sarria to Santiago is the large "groups" that walk together taking up the entire path where you can't get around them. You get into your rhythm and your comfortable walking speed - then you get stuck behind a huge church or school group. They are all congregated together in a way that it takes you forever to pass them. You finally get past them - only to find that soon you are stuck behind another huge group. You can't get your comfortable walking speed and maintain it because there is always someone coming up fast behind you and slow in front of you. And heaven forbid when the bikers are trying to pass through too... drives me crazy!

Sometimes it helps to stay off stages and walk earlier or later. Personally, I love staying the night in an "off stage" town - but I don't like being forced to get up earlier or start later to avoid crowds. At this point I have been in a routine for a month and don't like changing just because I am trying to avoid the crowds - I love my starting/ending times. My daughter on the other hand did change her start/end times - she slept in as late as she could and walked until early evening - but she still had to deal with crowds in that section.

Anyway - there ARE some "gaps" between people and groups - but those gaps don't last for long and you never get the feeling like you are walking alone or with just a few people. And that walking alone or with just a few people is WONDERFUL.

Where are you starting? Are you doing just a few days or several weeks? If you are doing something very long distance and have never walked that section before - then go ahead and experience it once. For example - if you are starting in SJPDP or Burgos or Leon or somewhere a few weeks walk away from Santiago - you may as well continue through Sarria for the first Camino. But - if you are ONLY doing a few days to a week - I would pick a less crowded trail or a different section of the Frances altogether myself. If I only had a week - I would start in SJPDP and end wherever 1 week of walking takes me. The Sarria to Santiago segment does not have the same kind of experience as other segments. Those of us who are able to do longer distances, usually get a lot more out of the other segments than we do in that section.

 

[MichaelC]

Imagine the line for free beer at a rock festival....

Its nothing like that. But there will be people, groups, in sight virtually all the time.

Oh but I had one morning that was literally like that, and this was at the end of October! I was in the middle of a wave of many hundreds coming out of O Pedrouzo. It was a solid line of people for most of the morning. By contrast, the previous two nights there were four of us in one albergue at Ferreiros and a tour group that didn't talk to anybody else at another; and six of us plus one ghost in the entire town of Eirexe.

It all felt rather random, and probably hard to predict.

 

[Former member 94614]

Oh but I had one morning that was literally like that, and this was at the end of October! I was in the middle of a wave of many hundreds coming out of O Pedrouzo. It was a solid line of people for most of the morning. By contrast, the previous two nights there were four of us in one albergue at Ferreiros and a tour group that didn't talk to anybody else at another; and six of us plus one ghost in the entire town of Eirexe.

It all felt rather random, and probably hard to predict.

can tell us about the ghost or didn’t you mean that literally

 

[Harland2019]

In order to miss the morning rush I just started early in the morning, about 1/2 hour or hour before dawn. A lovely time to walk with the advantage of seeing the sunrise.

 

[RJM]

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/attachments/daf1e944-7a89-4876-8e71-e8966cd7ec0c-jpeg.134534/

That's really not all that eccentric looking. I was expecting a much bigger, structured cape and pilgrim's hat. Something along the lines of Darth Vader meets Gandolf. I don't think I'd have given you a double take or anything.

 

[dougfitz]

That's really not all that eccentric looking. I was expecting a much bigger, structured cape and pilgrim's hat. Something along the lines of Darth Vader meets Gandolf. I don't think I'd have given you a double take or anything.

Hmm. @JabbaPapa was wearing this continually, not poncing around a movie set for a few minutes at a time. Costume designers can take certain liberties with functionality to achieve dramatic effects that would make everyday use impractical.

 

[RJM]

Hmm. @JabbaPapa was wearing this continually, not poncing around a movie set for a few minutes at a time. Costume designers can take certain liberties with functionality to achieve dramatic effects that would make everyday use impractical.

My point was I found nothing unusual about his garb. Modern T-shirt, jeans and a pair of work boots. Even the cape is a simple affair. I don't know why anybody would react to it. Darth Vader they would react to..... Luuke