Three Weeks in August

[dadof11]

Greetings All!

I am a newcomer to the forums. What an extraordinary resource!! Thank you all!!

My wife and I are in the very beginning stages of planning a Camino. Large blocks of vacation are difficult for me to schedule. We initially were hoping to get 5 or 6 weeks in Spring of 2025. However, we also now have managed to schedule vacation the last three weeks of August 2024. So we thought rather than waiting until 2025 to do a longer Camino we would start with something shorter sooner.

We are leaning toward the Camino Primitivo, or the Camino Portugese (Coastal or Litoral) route from Porto along with the Camino Espiritual. I know theses are very different in character and difficulty and there are many considerations is choosing one over the other. But I have two fairly specific questions I have had a hard time discerning from the forums.....

1. I am not a huge fan of hot weather. I know August is less than ideal in that respect, but it is what is available to us. Any opinions on which route is likely to be cooler? I assumed the Primitivo, but didn't know if being by the ocean would make the Portugese cooler?

2. I also tend to be a little bit on the less social side. Is one of the routes likely to be less crowded in August? I know the Norte is crowded that month, but wasn't sure about the Portugese.

Thanks so much in advance!!

Dan

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Welcome Dan! Love your choices.
I have only researched the Portuguese, not walked it . Yet . (It's high on my list, but I want to walk it in its entirety).
Statistically, the temperatures seem to vary - sometimes the Primitivo is warmer, sometimes the Portuguese. I believe overall it's cooler on the Primitivo.
But in the unsettled world we now live in, it's anyone's guess...
I've just walked the Primitivo, and when many were sweltering, I had high's of just 20 - 25 degrees, beautiful hiking weather. Mornings were always cooler.
Mid - late July, it was definitely warmer on the Portuguese. ( A friend was on the trail).
Ironically, today the Primitivo is warmer than the Portuguese! By around 3 -5 degrees - the difference between comfortable and getting a little warm. So in this respect it's a hard call.

Number wise, judging from the statistics, the Portuguese has significantly more pilgrims. I'm decidedly socialable, but I also love walking alone - the Primitivo gave me the space to be both, as I wished. If you're wife is more socially inclined than yourself, it's a great option!
If you're covering fairly normal stages, you'll complete it in roughly 14 days, leaving you either time to sightsee before/ during/ after the walk, ( think recovery from possible jetlag, enjoying a rest day in Lugo, and a couple of days in Santiago) . Plus a day or two back home before you have to return to work.
(I'm assuming your three weeks is going to include travel time )
Whichever you choose, Buen Camino!

 

[jungleboy]

Welcome Dan, and buen camino / bom caminho regardless of your choice. I have walked both of the routes you are considering and they are good options, though personally I prefer the CP central to coastal.

1. I am not a huge fan of hot weather. I know August is less than ideal in that respect, but it is what is available to us. Any opinions on which route is likely to be cooler? I assumed the Primitivo, but didn't know if being by the ocean would make the Portugese cooler?

In the grand scheme of things I think the weather (always unpredictable) is reasonably similar, as both routes take place in/near Galicia. The ocean might make the Portuguese coastal a bit cooler but the altitude might do the same on the Primitivo. Basically, I don't think any predicted difference in weather between these two routes would really be enough to be a big factor in your decision. (If you were considering, say, the Vía de la Plata in August, then yes, that would be much hotter than these two routes and heat would definitely be a big factor.)

2. I also tend to be a little bit on the less social side. Is one of the routes likely to be less crowded in August? I know the Norte is crowded that month, but wasn't sure about the Portugese.

Bear in mind that in addition to pilgrim traffic, August is beach month in Europe and many places you pass on the Portuguese coastal will have throngs of beach tourists, sometimes walking on the same boardwalks as you. Otherwise, looking at data from the pilgrim office in Santiago from last August, the CP coastal had slightly more pilgrims but it was quite close.

Here's some of my content on these routes if you're interested in more reading:

The Camino Primitivo:

Camino Primitivo Highlights - Spirit of the Camino

The Camino Primitivo is one of the most popular routes on the Camino de Santiago. Here are the highlights of the 'Original Way'.

spiritofthecamino.com

Caminho Português (the whole route from Lisbon):

Portuguese Way Highlights - Spirit of the Camino

Portuguese Way highlights: the best of the Portuguese Way (Camino Portugués), the second most popular Camino de Santiago route.

spiritofthecamino.com

The Variante Espiritual:

Variante Espiritual Highlights - Spirit of the Camino

Highlights of the Variante Espiritual, an increasingly popular variant at the end of the Portuguese route of the Camino de Santiago.

spiritofthecamino.com

 

[dadof11]

Thank you both so much for the input and links!

I really sounds like the "flavor" and difficulty level will be much more important determinants than the weather or crowds.

Again, thanks for the input!

Dan