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What month would you choose?

crbonade

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Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Primitivo (2022)
So, I just got confirmation that my trip this summer is cancelled :( which means I get to reschedule the Primitivo a 2nd time.

My first trip was scheduled for October, and this one was going to be in June. If you could pick any month to go *besides* September, what month would it be and why? (I'm a comptroller and September is fiscal year end for us, so I'll almost never be able to travel during that month).
 
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Is there a particular reason you like April? Weather / less crowded?
I am always chomping at the bit to "go" as I use the winter for my planning. Plus I love watching spring unfold as I walk with budding bright green leaves. It's not too hot, nor too cold (with a few exceptions) and I have been blessed with very little rain.
 
Hello fellow pilgrim,

the July was the perfect month for me.

But like you, I don't have a chance of selecting another month. June or July or August are the months that the summer break (6 weeks) will be in Germany (16 states in 3 groups, 14 days difference in start of the summer break).
I work as a school Admin / Asset Manager and my time of vacation is bound to the school holidays. Lucky me, that I do not sweat a lot, it was up to 38°C on the hottest days.

2 big advantages in July: rainy days are rare (1,5 days were rainy, another 2 days were cloudy) and it is not as crowded as I did expect, even after Sarria. The most Europeans can't stand the summer heat in Spain, so they walk mostly in Spring or fall.

I had to reschedule my CP, too. I'll try to walk it in fall this year, if possible until then.

BC
Roland
 
So, I just got confirmation that my trip this summer is cancelled :( which means I get to reschedule the Primitivo a 2nd time.

My first trip was scheduled for October, and this one was going to be in June. If you could pick any month to go *besides* September, what month would it be and why? (I'm a comptroller and September is fiscal year end for us, so I'll almost never be able to travel during that month).
Whenever you get the green light; Spain is open, you are vaccinated. We r all itching to get out on the road. Greetings from frigid Boston
 

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If you could pick any month to go *besides* September, what month would it be and why?
My honest answer is that I will go back to the Camino the first month that is feasible for me. 😍 Depending on what month that is, I will choose my camino accordingly. If it’s spring, I will start in the south (Lana from Alicante hopefully). If it’s summer or fall I will start in the north (Viejo or Geira e dos Arrieiros). Winter, either the Francés or from Málaga. So I am prepared!

If you are asking only about the Primitivo, I think early summer is the best time of year. Everything is green, not too much rain, not too many tourists. But I have also walked the Primitivo in early October, and it was really very nice. Some snow in the mountains, plenty of people walking, albergues open, nice days. So if you get a chance to walk in October of this year, rather than wait till summer 2022, I would go for it. The way I see it, things are too precarious to say anything confident about travel, and even if it is open to us in fall 2021, it may be closed again by spring 2022. Who knows. So I think carpe diem is the best operating principle.
 
My birthday is late May. Having it in Logrono was incredible. Weather was quite nice that time of year, crowd on the camino was not to much and lots of interesting people. If thats the case every year, i dont know. But would do a May/June camino again if possible.
Another thing: Once you get to Santiago in June, days are pleasantly long which makes for great evening activities.
 
The Primitivo was the MUDDIEST camino I’ve ever walked, so I think if I ever did it again I would choose the DRIEST time of year, which would, of course, be the end of summer. Unless those MUDDY paths have been paved in the last couple of years. Does anyone know?
 
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I walked in June and except for one of the lightest, shortest showers ever it was dry and virtually always sunny. I do not like rain! Not too hot either, so June works for me
 
The Primitivo was the MUDDIEST camino I’ve ever walked, so I think if I ever did it again I would choose the DRIEST time of year, which would, of course, be the end of summer. Unless those MUDDY paths have been paved in the last couple of years. Does anyone know?
I walked the Primitivo in May and had very little rain.
 
The Primitivo was the MUDDIEST camino I’ve ever walked, so I think if I ever did it again I would choose the DRIEST time of year, which would, of course, be the end of summer. Unless those MUDDY paths have been paved in the last couple of years. Does anyone know?
I walked end of August- early September and only had rain on one day. So, that IS a good time to avoid soggy weather. The path is mainly in paved in my recollection. Or was, in 2019.
 
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Unless those MUDDY paths have been paved in the last couple of years. Does anyone know?
Every inch of the Camino Primitivo in Galicia, except for the dirt logging road on the way to Castroverde, has a gravel surface. That eliminates mud, at least until Mother Nature gets her revenge, as she had when I walked through a few years ago and the gravel on the stretch up into A Lastra was being washed away. I am not a trail expert, but I know that FICS, the international Camino Federation, has strongly opposed this practice. They contend that there are much more appropriate ways to preserve trails than covering them with crushed rock. It is true that once the gravel has been in place for years, as it has through the woods on the way into San Román de Retorta, for example, it gets covered in leaves and other forest debris. This means it darkens in color and the surface is less hard on the feet and less jarring to the eyes.

I don’t think the practice has been adopted in Asturias, so there you are likely to still have the same mix of dirt and road walking. And that is sometimes very muddy as you know!
 
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The Primitivo was the MUDDIEST camino I’ve ever walked, so I think if I ever did it again I would choose the DRIEST time of year, which would, of course, be the end of summer. Unless those MUDDY paths have been paved in the last couple of years. Does anyone know?
As others have stated the weather on the Camino is just like the camino itself. Every Camino is different. One year on the Meseta it was about 90+ without a cloud in the sky and no wind in October. Believe me it was really hot 🥵. Two years later when I got to Burgos I realized it was the same exact day I arrived two years earlier. The weather on the Meseta was in the low 40’s with constant strong winds high gusts in your face almost every day. On top of that there was a pretty steady rain ☔️ except when it was raining so hard ithe drops would hurt your face. Bit still wouldn’t trade either Meseta for anything!
 
So, I just got confirmation that my trip this summer is cancelled :( which means I get to reschedule the Primitivo a 2nd time.

My first trip was scheduled for October, and this one was going to be in June. If you could pick any month to go *besides* September, what month would it be and why? (I'm a comptroller and September is fiscal year end for us, so I'll almost never be able to travel during that month).
For me a large part of my answer always starts with how many people will there be. I am one that likes solitude when I walk. I have walked the CF three times. First time a lot of pilgrims but very manageable and nothing like now. Second time too many for my liking. Third time in 2019 and started in November and nice and quiet. My second question is weather, I would much rather walk knowing that if there was a weather extreme it most likely will be cold. I would take a rainy day in the high 30’a or low 40’s or a snowy, icy cold 🥶 day every time than a day that was cloudless and a very hot sun pounding down on me. So October/November 2021 (fingers crossed) or March/April 2022. But remember it is your choice. The Primitivo is never that crowded and for many it is the most beautiful. But there is a lot less infrastructure so try to have the most up to date albergue information you can find (Gronze, wise pilgrims, etc) in this COVID world. We are all hoping the sooner or later to be able to walk is sooner.
 
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So, I just got confirmation that my trip this summer is cancelled :( which means I get to reschedule the Primitivo a 2nd time.

My first trip was scheduled for October, and this one was going to be in June. If you could pick any month to go *besides* September, what month would it be and why? (I'm a comptroller and September is fiscal year end for us, so I'll almost never be able to travel during that month).
I liked April/May better than Sept/Oct because of the weather and the greenery.
 
My honest answer is that I will go back to the Camino the first month that is feasible for me. 😍 Depending on what month that is, I will choose my camino accordingly. If it’s spring, I will start in the south (Lana from Alicante hopefully). If it’s summer or fall I will start in the north (Viejo or Geira e dos Arrieiros). Winter, either the Francés or from Málaga. So I am prepared!

If you are asking only about the Primitivo, I think early summer is the best time of year. Everything is green, not too much rain, not too many tourists. But I have also walked the Primitivo in early October, and it was really very nice. Some snow in the mountains, plenty of people walking, albergues open, nice days. So if you get a chance to walk in October of this year, rather than wait till summer 2022, I would go for it. The way I see it, things are too precarious to say anything confident about travel, and even if it is open to us in fall 2021, it may be closed again by spring 2022. Who knows. So I think carpe diem is the best operating principle.
 
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April to July would be a good time, it would be as suggested very muddy in the earlier months but it would have a Spring feel to it. Some of the pueblos have festivals towards the end of June and early July, Festa San Juan being a big one in Amandi(another start point for the Primitivo) and Santiago on the 23rd June. Lugo has a Roman festival towards the end of June which used to attract half a million visitors, it might be quieter for the next few years. The route is not through a wine growing region, but it has its own Celta feel to it and its own traditions. Its busy in June and July more so the closer you get to the 25th July, but I have found both times I have been on the Primitivo in those periods that you can find quieter days , it may mean dropping back a day if its too busy, on the Frances you can walk to the in-between towns and villages of the Etapas to avoid crowds its less possible on the CP.

Buen Camino
 
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The best month is when you can! I walked the Primitivo in early Oct 2019 and had no rain and no mud, but then you never know what will happen in the Northern part of Spain. However, as Laurie said, if it's early in the year then I start in the south to get the early warmth. But nothing is certain, I started the Camino Sureste in Apr 19 and it was 34 degs for the first few days! Then during the middle part of the camino it rarely got about 5 degs for about a week!
 
I think because I grew up on a farm in Ohio I still think of spring as a very rainy season, and so tend to plan my travels for late September up to the end of October. To be honest my Camino experiences have borne out my biases -- generally nice weather in the fall in Galicia but a lot of rain (on the Camino Portuguese) in late March. Summer, NO WAY! I can't stand the heat and could not carry enough water to stay hydrated or enough towels to mop up the sweat. (On a visit to the Red Fort in Delhi my wife was able to find me by following a trail of sweat drops falling from my fingers.)
 
The Primitivo was the MUDDIEST camino I’ve ever walked, so I think if I ever did it again I would choose the DRIEST time of year, which would, of course, be the end of summer. Unless those MUDDY paths have been paved in the last couple of years. Does anyone know?
Ja, ja, ja! Paved paths on the Primitivo? I don't think so <w>. In Spring '19 we tried to tip-toe through the boggy Primitivo paths on two very rainy days. With pastures on both side of the path, I'm certain you can imagine who are the primary "walkers" on the paths - las vacas! Finally, we gave up, held our noses and slogged through. BTW, in Cantabria, wooden shoes are worn on farms and rural properties. In mid-May we had two serious days of rain, book-ended by gloriously sunny and pleasant days on both sides of the rain.
 

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So, I just got confirmation that my trip this summer is cancelled :( which means I get to reschedule the Primitivo a 2nd time.

My first trip was scheduled for October, and this one was going to be in June. If you could pick any month to go *besides* September, what month would it be and why? (I'm a comptroller and September is fiscal year end for us, so I'll almost never be able to travel during that month).
August.
 
So, I just got confirmation that my trip this summer is cancelled :( which means I get to reschedule the Primitivo a 2nd time.

My first trip was scheduled for October, and this one was going to be in June. If you could pick any month to go *besides* September, what month would it be and why? (I'm a comptroller and September is fiscal year end for us, so I'll almost never be able to travel during that month).
Hi My first Camino was Frances in June and it was very hot. I then did Camino da Costa in April and it was quite mixed with warm and cold days plus a good deal of rain. My second Frances was done throughout October although it started at the end of September and conditions were almost perfect.
Buen Camino
Vince
 
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The Primitivo was the MUDDIEST camino I’ve ever walked, so I think if I ever did it again I would choose the DRIEST time of year, which would, of course, be the end of summer. Unless those MUDDY paths have been paved in the last couple of years. Does anyone know?
I hope they aren't paved--pavement is much harder on your feet.
 
I like walking in the Summer, July/August. At first, it was out of necessity (I am a teacher) but now I just love it. For a start, far fewer people 😉
 
Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

This October won't be an option, unfortunately, because I have a family reunion in October (and by then theoretically we'll have enough vaccinations/herd immunity to make the reunion possible!), and seeing my family for the first time in 2 years takes priority for me 😉

And now I'll be in school from May through mid-August 2022, so it's looking like either April of October will be my best options. Sounds like several votes for both months, but likely to see more rain/mud in April? But also more wildflowers 🤔

I get a new boss this summer so I should prooobably talk to him before (re)booking any tickets I guess lol.
 
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