The need to prebook accommodation for the first few nights from Seville in September?

[JustJack]

For anyone familiar with how busy the VdlP gets post-covid, when beginning in mid-late September from Seville, do you think there's any need to prebook accommodation for the first few nights, as pilgrims frequently do on the CF?

I'm very unfamiliar with the VdlP, particularly the southern part, so I don't really know what I don't know. I know that compared to the most popular caminos this one gets far fewer pilgrims, but fewer pilgrims doesn't necessarily mean more available accommodation. I'll see how busy it is when I'm there and walking, but just wondering about the first two or three nights after Seville.

Cheers

 

[peregrina2000]

For anyone familiar with how busy the VdlP gets post-covid, when beginning in mid-late September from Seville, do you think there's any need to prebook accommodation for the first few nights, as pilgrims frequently do on the CF?

Hi, @JustJack,

I think that the first few days on the Vdlp are pretty well-determined - Guillena, Castilblanco, Almadén de la Plata, but I don’t think booking is typically necessary. All those towns have albergues and private accommodations, so you have some choices. I just checked on gronze and saw that the municipal albergues in both Guillena and Almadén are temporarily close, but there is a private albergue and some other options in both. I have walked twice from Sevilla (but both were pre-Covid)and I don’t remember feeling any kind of a crunch at theh outset. Since the stages are pretty well set, I think I did reserve those first days just for peace of mind, but I really don’t remember. I know there are occasionally bursts of pilgrims that clog things up, but September is pretty low traffic on the Vdlp, I believe.

I hope @lt56ny posts here; I would describe his opinion about the Vdlp as mixed. Yet he is thinking about heading back this year and I totally understand why.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Robo]

As @peregrina2000 indicates, the 'stopping places' are probably more pre-determined than the CF.
There just aren't as many options.
Balanced with that, there are few accommodation options in many places.
Sometimes there might only be one!

I walked the VdlP in April this year. I generally booked a day ahead or sometimes not at all.

Yes there are less Pilgrims. Such as.........

I saw two or three in my first week. Till I started leaving pre-dawn to beat the heat, and met a few others. In the journey from Seville to Astorga, I maybe 'met' 15 altogether. Might have 'seen' 5-6 more.

After Astorga I headed West to Rabanal.
I stopped in Santa Catalina for breakfast. A real novelty having an open cafe after the VdlP.
I saw more Pilgrims in that cafe having breakfast than I had seen in the whole previous 4 weeks on the VdlP!

So as to booking accommodation.
Certainly book Seville if you want to.
After that, maybe a day or two ahead if you want to.

There is really no bed race though..........

Maybe someone can comment specifically about post Covid in September?

 

[Juno]

I’d book where there’s less accommodation in small villages, also incase they are closed and check for local Fiestas, especially at weekend; although the latter is more about private accommodation it can impact you.

 

[Alister M]

You are starting at the end of the season. I don’t know how far you like walking but I walk longish stages where available and Seville-Santiago via Sanabrese took me 31 days earlier this year. Most people want to finish hiking by the end of October because it’s getting cold in Galicia by then, so most people will have started before you and there shouldn’t be much pressure on accommodation. Keep an eye on Gronze for accommodation that has closed at the end of the season.

 

[lt56ny]

Hi, @JustJack,

I think that the first few days on the Vdlp are pretty well-determined - Guillena, Castilblanco, Almadén de la Plata, but I don’t think booking is typically necessary. All those towns have albergues and private accommodations, so you have some choices. I just checked on gronze and saw that the municipal albergues in both Guillena and Almadén are temporarily close, but there is a private albergue and some other options in both. I have walked twice from Sevilla (but both were pre-Covid)and I don’t remember feeling any kind of a crunch at theh outset. Since the stages are pretty well set, I think I did reserve those first days just for peace of mind, but I really don’t remember. I know there are occasionally bursts of pilgrims that clog things up, but September is pretty low traffic on the Vdlp, I believe.

I hope @lt56ny posts here; I would describe his opinion about the Vdlp as mixed. Yet he is thinking about heading back this year and I totally understand why.

Buen camino, Laurie

I know that compared to the most popular caminos this one gets far fewer pilgrims, but fewer pilgrims doesn't necessarily mean more available accommodation. I'll see how busy it is when I'm there and walking, but just wondering about the first two or three nights after Seville.

I was thinking seriously about walking again but I have to start this year in late September instead of my usual late October starting date. I decided to wait until next year because I don't want to deal with that intense heat. As I said many times I would prefer to walk in snow or even freezing rain over the heat and no shade of the VDLP in late September.
I did some rough estimates based on the Pilgrim Office stats from 2022. (I walked in 2021) and I would guesstimate that about 1,500 pilgrims received Compostelas in October and November, 2022 who started in Sevilla. Any way you cut it that ain't a whole lot of Pilgrims. I am sure the number would be higher as not every pilgrim walks although to Santiago. But I will say the few pilgrims I met all said there final destination was Santiago. I picked those months as obviously that is when someone leaving Sevilla in mid-late September would arrive. Having said all this when I walked I never had an issue finding a bed. I would bet anything neither would this person.
My advice to JustJack is the following: Not finding a bed will be the least of your problems. Yes a couple of the munis are closed but the private albergues take reservations so just call. I never made a reservation ahead of time.
What is far more important is that you are prepared for the heat, have plenty of food and water and protection from the sun. The third day is a very long day and I do not remember ever once walking in the shade. I was lucky as it was very overcast that day. You also need to do some planning because there are many days (like day 3) that have no intermediate or just one village. I would call ahead only to make sure that an albergue i was planning on staying was open. You also need to check (gronze.com or the apps to see what services are available for the following day. There were times I carried food for 2 days just to be safe. But beds, I would not worry too much at all.

 

[geraldkelly]

I would book something in Seville and then play it by ear. I would be surprised if you had any problems with albergues, the Via hasn't been particularly busy this year. I walked in the spring and had no problems at all, sometimes I was along in the albergue.

As far as I know the Municipal in Almaden is open, I know people have stayed there recently and I stayed there in February. It could be that they've just closed for a few weeks for holidays and it could be that Gronze is wrong (these things have been know to happen) https://www.viadelaplataguide.net/guide/almaden-de-la-plata

Anyway, Buen Camino!

 

[JustJack]

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful. I should probably start a new thread, but as it's related I'd also be interested in hearing from others approximately what date they would aim to depart Seville in the fall to get the best weather. Walking in the spring won't be an option for me, so I'm looking at the fall (2024). I'm hoping to walk all the way to Santiago. So what date would you leave Seville in order to avoid the cold in Galicia and the heat of Andalusia? I prefer the heat to the cold and rain. I was thinking of mid-late September, but I'm flexible. I know the weather varies so impossible to predict, but I'm looking at the forecast for the next 14 days in Seville (first half of September) and the temps are around 30-31 degrees, which I find comfortable. If daytime highs are frequently only around 30 in September then I'd start walking in early September rather than mid-late September.

Apologies for my ignorance, but I'm having trouble finding much info about walking in the fall as it seems most people (who bother to document it online) walk this route in the spring.

 

[Rita Flower]

Hi @JustJack
What everyone else said and …
Last year I started in Sevilla on 20 Sept and arrived Santiago via Sanabres 17 Nov. I took it slowly and those who began early Oct caught up with me.
I booked the first three days (Sevilla, Santiponce, Guillena) for peace of mind.
The weather out of Sevilla was very hot after midday but I started in the dark around 6.30 am (bring a good headlamp) and finished around midday. I walked till 2 pm a couple of times - very hard but I managed - not advisable.
The Sanabres and Galicia in November were lovely. Cold mornings, cool to warm days, a bit rainy, but delightful. Walking keeps you warm.
Santiago got cold in the last days of November when I got back from Finistere- a good time to head back to a Sydney Summer.
Buen Camino