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When does it get really busy

when in June does it get really busy, early, mid, late June. I wanna go but finish befroe it's busy

  • early June

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • all of June is busy

    Votes: 4 100.0%

  • Total voters
    4
  • Poll closed .

Roger Deee

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
May/June 2016
I am walking this year, I want to go as late as possible to enjoy the warmer weather, but I want to finish before the crowds. So my question is, when in June does it get really busy, early June, mid June or late June.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I think it would take a Crystal Ball to answer that sadly :(

Though some of the members with multiple Caminos behind them may have a view.

Where are you starting/finishing?

Some of the ways to avoid crowds.....

Stay in smaller intermediate villages.
Walk later after 8 am. (lots start early) A few days I started at 9am or later from major hubs and had the path to myself.
Make sure you are not in major 'hubs' around holidays.

Weather is also hard to predict. I left on April 28th from St Jean (ended 6th June) and had great weather all the way. Only two days of light rain, and some days were really hot!

Whatever date you pick, being your first Camino, you have no reference point. So it will be great. :)
 
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Last year, the number of Compostelas was consistently over 1,000 per day from May 15. There were regularly 1,500 starting in August, with many days over 2,000. Subtract about 30 days and the number of pilgrims begins to increase in April. All of July will have large number, as will August. Arrivals dropped back to about 1,000 per day in September, indicating that departures in August (from 30 days back) begin to taper off.

You are probably better off starting in early June than late June. If you want to beat the crowds, go in January. There were 23 when I arrived in Santiago, almost all Koreans!
 
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I think it would take a Crystal Ball to answer that sadly :(

Though some of the members with multiple Caminos behind them may have a view.

Where are you starting/finishing?

Some of the ways to avoid crowds.....

Stay in smaller intermediate villages.
Walk later after 8 am. (lots start early) A few days I started at 9am or later from major hubs and had the path to myself.
Make sure you are not in major 'hubs' around holidays.

Weather is also hard to predict. I left on April 28th from St Jean (ended 6th June) and had great weather all the way. Only two days of light rain, and some days were really hot!

Whatever date you pick, being your first Camino, you have no reference point. So it will be great. :)

thanks for your reply,
I am planning to walk end May to 1st week of July, just concerned about the last 100ks being overcrowded.
As for you suggestion to stay between big towns, yes already have plan as part of my plan.
and yes, it will be great, thanks
 
I think without a crystal ball you can get very far with camino statistics

http://peregrinossantiago.es/eng/pilgrims-office/statistics/?anio=2015&mes=6

Just look at may, june and july (2014/2015) and you can sort of calculate what the bussiest time is from your starting point (not mentioned).

Dont worry about the last 100k. Every year all pilgrims survive this section without being homeless for a day and so will you. It really isn't that horror some van make it out to be.
 
I think without a crystal ball you can get very far with camino statistics

http://peregrinossantiago.es/eng/pilgrims-office/statistics/?anio=2015&mes=6

Just look at may, june and july (2014/2015) and you can sort of calculate what the bussiest time is from your starting point (not mentioned).

Dont worry about the last 100k. Every year all pilgrims survive this section without being homeless for a day and so will you. It really isn't that horror some van make it out to be.

thanks, starting from StJPdP
 
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The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
I am walking this year, I want to go as late as possible to enjoy the warmer weather, but I want to finish before the crowds. So my question is, when in June does it get really busy, early June, mid June or late June.

It is very busy in the period June to mid September, with August being the peak month, but even (in my experience) in the busiest periods you find windows where it is a little more tranquil than the days around it, I think I have come to the conclusion that many people have set periods on the camino usually journeying to and commencing near a weekend and finishing and travelling out near a weekend. What happens is you get days that don't fit into the majority of peoples schedules for getting to and from either major towns/start/finish points. So how do you find out which days they are? There is no sure way but having a loose schedule helps, you can sit back or go slower for a day or two to let waves of pilgrims go on ahead. another way of having a quieter camino is to travel to Santiago when there is a special event i.e 25 July, New Years Eve, Easter weekend , long holiday weekends in Spain etc, and arrive 2/3 days before or after. The bulk of pilgrims will have been trying to get their etapas to match a schedule with arrival at those times, I have walked in to Santiago on the 22nd July with maybe seeing 20-30 pilgrims before getting to the square, and O Pedruso Xunta albergue the night before had about 40 people in.
Anyway whatever you decide to do Buen Camino
 
Here are the number of compostelas issued in 2015, divided by month

All 262,459 Month %

Jan 1,217 0.5%
Feb 1,544 0.6%
Mar 5,080 1.9%
Apr 17,722 6.8%
May 31,078 11.8%
Jun 35,925 13.7%
Jul 44,799 17.1%
Aug 54,796 20.9%
Sep 37,433 14.3%
Oct 25,574 9.7%
Nov 5,229 2.0%
Dec 2,061 0.8%
 
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Two years ago I started the CF from SJPdP in the first week of June. Was not crowded at all until I got to O'Cebreiro. At that point it started to crowd up, but I still had no problem finding room in albergues. There were a few times before O'Cebreiro that there were many empty beds in the albergues and one 20 bed albergue it was just me and one other pilgrim there for the night.
One way to avoid some of the bigger crowds is to try not to arrive in Santiago on a weekend. A lot of locals do the Sarria to Santiago portion and it seems they start on Monday to get in Santiago on Friday, so as to be back at work on Monday. Of course if you make reservations beforehand in Santiago, no worries.
You are going to be walking the Camino at a good time. Nice, sunny warm daytime weather (it only rained on me one day) and cool mornings.
 
Two years ago I started the CF from SJPdP in the first week of June. Was not crowded at all until I got to O'Cebreiro. At that point it started to crowd up, but I still had no problem finding room in albergues. There were a few times before O'Cebreiro that there were many empty beds in the albergues and one 20 bed albergue it was just me and one other pilgrim there for the night.
One way to avoid some of the bigger crowds is to try not to arrive in Santiago on a weekend. A lot of locals do the Sarria to Santiago portion and it seems they start on Monday to get in Santiago on Friday, so as to be back at work on Monday. Of course if you make reservations beforehand in Santiago, no worries.
You are going to be walking the Camino at a good time. Nice, sunny warm daytime weather (it only rained on me one day) and cool mornings.

Great info, thanks, from what you say starting last week of May, which is my plan, is a good plan. Appreciate your reply
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
The period from Easter, to when European schools get out is a "hip season" for the Camino. There are more people out there, but this is the time of year I personally like to walk. I love the flowers, growing farm crops, new baby animals, and the cleanliness and newness of everything. That is why the spring is considered a time of renewal...

Once European universities and those in North America end their semesters, usually in late May or all during June, the Camino starts to come into peak season. Traffic grows constantly and fast, until reaching peak traffic loads all during July and August. it is not just students, but also administrators, teachers and some parents, whose time rotates around the collegiate calendar.

The relative decline in traffic does not occur until the universities go back into session at the end of August or into September. This is different form country to country. But, another factor is that. as a general rule, most Europeans have longer vacations / holidays than those of us form North America. So, and as many folks like to take time off work in July or August, these people contribute further to the surge in traffic. This is just an observation based on fact. It is neither good nor bad. It is what it is.

I have noticed an uptick in the number of formal student groups on the Camino during May, at the end of the student year. These groups are usually comprised of students in a Spanish or Western Civilization course that includes a week or more on the Camino as part of their course. They are usually accompanied by one or more faculty members or adult "chaperones."

The significance of these groups, and of all other organized groups, is the affect they have on reserving space at private albergues and hostal or hotels along the Camino. Organized groups tend not to stay in public albergues. They prefer private lodging wherever possible.

If you are ahead of such a group or behind one, you are lucky. It is a lot like surfing. You need to be flexible to "catch the right wave" or the though between the waves.

I always recommend being flexible. If you find yourself close to such a group, try to find out where they will be each night, and be somewhere else...;)

However, if your stages match theirs, private housing may be difficult to find in some places, on some routes. Just be advised. This is becoming part of managing the major Camino routes from Easter through mid-October.

If you do not care where you have to sleep for the night, great! Go in peace! However, if you have special needs, or standards, like me, this is a significant factor that needs to be managed as far in advance as possible, so it does not adversely affect my Camino experience each year.:oops:

I hope this helps.
 
My best bet is early to mid June. The summer peak in the overall number of Compostelas issued is largely the result of people walking from Sarria. The peak times for the rest of the route are Spring and Autumn. Leave SJPP comfortably after May and arrive in Santiago comfortably before August would be my advice.

See these charts based on 2013 data. (I also calculated for 2014 but the pattern was so similar it was hardly worth replacing the file!) These are fairly crude estimates based on the published figures from Santiago and don't take into account any 'weekend effects', changes in school holidays etc.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...e-the-busy-periods-on-the-camino-frances.114/
 
I've attached a PDF showing arrivals in Santiago by month from 2006 through 2015. I'll let you decide when it gets busy. For more stats, go to the American Pilgrims website (americanpilgrims.org) and under "The Camino" in the menu bar, look for "Statistics".

I am walking this year, I want to go as late as possible to enjoy the warmer weather, but I want to finish before the crowds. So my question is, when in June does it get really busy, early June, mid June or late June.
 

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  • Compostelas by month 06-15.pdf
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Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.

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