What time of year

[SARAH A]

Hi, I am planning a Camino walk and am wondering whether to go in May/June or Sept/Oct. Two things I's like advice on please - weather at those times and also how busy does it get (is it easier to get into the accommodation in spring/early summer or in the autumn. Or does it make no difference?
Thanks
Sarah

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There will be more rain in May, and more pilgrims in September! I prefer September because I do not worry about finding a bed. October also is great, but June is a bit hot for my taste. Therefore, I would go in September/October (and have, several times).

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

My favorite time for walking is April and May .

The bottom line will be that you get a lot off different answers on your question.

At the end off the line is it you who decide what time you wil walk .

Wis you well and a Buen Camino , Peter .

 

[CdnDreamer]

May/June the days are getting longer (June 21 is the longest day of the year), the flowers are out, the fields are green. Sept/Oct the days are getting shorter the fields are done but the grapes are on the vines.

Pick the time of year that you prefer. The weather is similar in May and September, and then the weather is either getting warmer or colder the second month, depending on which time you choose.

I've walked both and I loved the long days of spring. If you go in May, try to avoid May 1st as it is a big holiday in Spain and the camino is very busy for that week.

 

[SARAH A]

May/June the days are getting longer (June 21 is the longest day of the year), the flowers are out, the fields are green. Sept/Oct the days are getting shorter the fields are done but the grapes are on the vines.

Pick the time of year that you prefer. The weather is similar in May and September, and then the weather is either getting warmer or colder the second month, depending on which time you choose.

I've walked both and I loved the long days of spring. If you go in May, try to avoid May 1st as it is a big holiday in Spain and the camino is very busy for that week.

That's very helpful re 1 May week - thanks!
Sarah

 

[mousehog]

Now is a bit early. March/April this year is cold so far. This is the only time between newborns which would fit the schedule. Hoping the weather warms a bit in the coming week.

 

[t2andreo]

It is good that you identified the 'hip' seasons as the best times to go on Camino. From June through the end of September, the Camino is more crowded, as the universities are out across Europe and mostly around the world. It is also when working folks have their holidays / vacations.

FYI, The arrivals of pilgrims at the Pilgrim Office follows a classic 'bell curve" distribution. The absolute peak is from the third week of July through mid-August. This encompasses the major religious feasts (and national holidays) of Santiago (25 July) and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (15 August).

So, in both hip seasons, there are fewer pilgrims to compete for finite bed space. However, and as others have stated, there is more rain on the front-end (April - June). The June - September period is famously hot and drier. The weather is drier, but relatively more pleasant in September and October. But, DO remember that the rain in Spain falls mainly...on Galicia! Always be prepared.

I walk my Caminos in the April - May timeframe. This is because it is cooler (sometimes single digits in the morning), and there are lots of colorful flowers and new animals to be seen. Yes, it rains more, but that is a necessary thing to promote new growth. Conversely, in September, the crops are mostly harvested and the terrain is "browner." My choice is for cooler temperatures and more color.

Easter marks the 'official' start of the annual pilgrimage season. From Easter (Semana Santa / Holy Week) daily pilgrim arrivals at the Pilgrim Office begin an upward trajectory. What were dozens of people arriving daily in March, becomes several hundred daily by mid-April. By the end of June, the arrivals are up to 1,500 - 2,000 daily. This rate continues until mid-August. Then it starts to taper off again.

By the beginning of November, the season is essentially over. However, there are hardy folks who prefer the solitude of the Caminos during the colder, winter months.

So, for ease of finding a place to stay, walk in April - early June, or mid-September - early November. IMHO, the best weather for walking is at these same times.

Hope this helps.

 

[SARAH A]

It is good that you identified the 'hip' seasons as the best times to go on Camino. From June through the end of September, the Camino is more crowded, as the universities are out across Europe and mostly around the world. It is also when working folks have their holidays / vacations.

FYI, The arrivals of pilgrims at the Pilgrim Office follows a classic 'bell curve" distribution. The absolute peak is from the third week of July through mid-August. This encompasses the major religious feasts (and national holidays) of Santiago (25 July) and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (15 August).

So, in both hip seasons, there are fewer pilgrims to compete for finite bed space. However, and as others have stated, there is more rain on the front-end (April - June). The June - September period is famously hot and drier. The weather is drier, but relatively more pleasant in September and October. But, DO remember that the rain in Spain falls mainly...on Galicia! Always be prepared.

I walk my Caminos in the April - May timeframe. This is because it is cooler (sometimes single digits in the morning), and there are lots of colorful flowers and new animals to be seen. Yes, it rains more, but that is a necessary thing to promote new growth. Conversely, in September, the crops are mostly harvested and the terrain is "browner." My choice is for cooler temperatures and more color.

Easter marks the 'official' start of the annual pilgrimage season. From Easter (Semana Santa / Holy Week) daily pilgrim arrivals at the Pilgrim Office begin an upward trajectory. What were dozens of people arriving daily in March, becomes several hundred daily by mid-April. By the end of June, the arrivals are up to 1,500 - 2,000 daily. This rate continues until mid-August. Then it starts to taper off again.

By the beginning of November, the season is essentially over. However, there are hardy folks who prefer the solitude of the Caminos during the colder, winter months.

So, for ease of finding a place to stay, walk in April - early June, or mid-September - early November. IMHO, the best weather for walking is at these same times.

Hope this helps.

It does, many thanks. I think it will be April - June time.
Sarah

 

[t2andreo]

You are very welcome...

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The weather is similar in May and September

Last May, it rained on 13 days. Last September it rained on two days. (Leon as a midpoint)

 

[JillGat]

May/June the days are getting longer (June 21 is the longest day of the year), the flowers are out, the fields are green. Sept/Oct the days are getting shorter the fields are done but the grapes are on the vines.

Pick the time of year that you prefer. The weather is similar in May and September, and then the weather is either getting warmer or colder the second month, depending on which time you choose.

I've walked both and I loved the long days of spring. If you go in May, try to avoid May 1st as it is a big holiday in Spain and the camino is very busy for that week.

I walked once in the spring May-June and once in the fall Sept.-Oct. I agree with the above comments. Both seasons had their plusses and I enjoyed them both. But I preferred the spring for the greenness, the profusion of flowers (especially the fields of red poppies), and the earlier sunlight. Weather was comparable both times of year for me, though a bit cooler in the morning in the fall. It seemed to me there were a LOT more walkers in the fall than in the spring, which kind of surprised me.

 

[Michelle Hansen Finholm]

I am waking in early May of this year, May 8th or 9th, CF route.
What is my main goal for rain gear?
Thank you for any input.

 

[Anamiri]

I walked in Sept, already knew there would be another Camino after the first week.
One afternoon we were all sitting around the albergue pool chatting, and I asked a Canadian guy who was on his 4th Camino which was his preference.
He suggested May/June for the same reasons as above.
So the following year we did (2017), we had one and a half days of rain in total. And one of those we had already finished walking when the rain started. (The other was in Galecia and was the most spectacular thunderstorm I have walked in, carrying metal poles seemed risky but with the rain, the hills were slippery).

In May/June the Camino was green, lush, with wild flowers everywhere, especially poppies in bloom. We heard bird song. It wasn't as dusty. The Meseta was glorious. There were less pilgrims. The garden roses in all the villages were also in bloom and were really colourful. Cherries were in season, but best of all there were storks in the nests with their babies.The were rain storms during the nights some times, but it was always fine for us the next day.
So overall I think May/June was nicer for me, but I know that years are different in pilgrim numbers and rainfall, so I don't know if it is typical or not.
The previous September was horrendously hot (2016) and it took me a week and half to acclimatize. May/June was cooler and I had time to get used to the heat as we neared the end of June.
It was hot then; the Portuguese fires were blazing and Britain was suffering under a heat wave.
Just prior to last year's Camino, I had been following the progress of a friend walking in April/May and she was experiencing a lot of rain, so I was nervous last year thinking I'd made a mistake, but the Gods smiled on us it seems, and kept our feet dry.

 

[SARAH A]

Yes, thank you. I am thinking spring time and crossing my fingers not too much rain, although I know there will be some. Thanks.

 

[mousehog]

I am waking in early May of this year, May 8th or 9th, CF route.
What is my main goal for rain gear?
Thank you for any input.

I brought CAPE Pack-It jacket and rain pants, plus a cheap clear plastic poncho. I love the CAPE rain gear. I would likely pack a slightly better poncho with a hood that can stay up in a stiff breeze. My AARN backpack has lined main sections.

 

[t2andreo]

As I start from Ponferrada on 13 April, to follow the Camino Invierno into Santiago, I know to bring extra means of rain protection.

This year, I have a rain parka with pit zips, a poncho that covers the rucksack as well, AND (for the first time) a reflective silver trekking umbrella that attaches to my rucksack harness while I walk so my hands are free to use hiking poles. In anything short of horizontal rain and high winds, I am good to go...

The trade-off was that the down sleeping bag is staying home. I will trust in my microfiber liner and wearing clothing to sleep if need be. There simply was no room IN my new rucksack...

This year, I traded my 46-liter Osprey Kestrel in a M/L torso for a 38-liter Osprey Kestrel in a S/M torso (so it measures at 36-liters capacity). I shrank 5 cm (@ 1.5 inches) over the past five years from inherited spinal stenosis. So, I shrank out of the longer torso frame for the rucksack...life happens....

But the key takeaway is that the new rucksack has some 10 liters less cubic volume to use for packing. However, I packed over the weekend and everything just made it, without resorting to "dangly bits," items attached to the outside of the bag.

Hope this helps.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I've walked both times and I'd agree with what Falcon said.
Fewer pilgrims in September and you have the opportunity to pass through some great harvest/wine festivals!