Where to spend Easter on the Camino Frances?

Stephan the Painter · Mar 13, 2022

I’ll be arriving in Madrid March 30, 2022.I had planned to spend a few days there and/or go somewhere warm in the south(Cadiz!) to spend a few days on the beach to warm my body after a cold northern winter.

But then I want to start the Camino From Roncevalles. I’m quite flexible so I’m trying to decide the best day to start. I’m thinking sometime between the April 6 and the 13th. Easter falls on April 17 this year.

Perhaps the most important thing to consider is where I would end up farther down the Camino Frances on Easter weekend? Maybe there’s a particular town that is special on Easter or a place I want to avoid. I think Easter would be a good day for a rest day, don’t you?I could plan my start date to be at a particular place.
So up to 10 to 12 days out from Roncevalles or anyplace in between?

Will the holy week (semanta semana, April 10th–18th?) before Easter typically be very busy between Roncevalles and Pamplona? I’m hoping the real busy area would be more towards Saria? I could start a few days earlier then April 6, although I wouldn’t get down to the South!

A suggestion I read in a different thread from @Oxford Alice was Santa Domingo De Calzadas. That sounds interesting. 8 Brierley stages out from Roncevalles?

My other thought is to avoid the camino accommodation crunch around Easter, and just go hide out somewhere warm in the south and start after Easter? Where would you go?

I’m hoping to not do too much booking in advance, but I think I have to decide what I do Easter weekend.
Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

Arniece2022 · Mar 14, 2022

I am arriving in Roncesvalles on April 19th to begin on the 20th. I'm staying in Pomplona Old Town for Easter Weekend, Friday to Monday. There is no particular reason for choosing Pomplona, it just felt like a good place to be for the celebrations.

Stephan the Painter · Mar 14, 2022

Arniece2022 said:
I am arriving in Roncesvalles on April 19th to begin on the 20th. I'm staying in Pomplona Old Town for Easter Weekend, Friday to Monday. There is no particular reason for choosing Pomplona, it just felt like a good place to be for the celebrations.

Sounds nice! You probably booked way in advance.

markwyman · Mar 14, 2022

In 2019 we were walking between Pamplona and Navarrete during Easter week. It was an amazing time to be on the Camino. The evening parades prior to Easter in Logrono and Navarrete were fantastic. We had zero problems with finding space at night.

Stephan the Painter · Mar 14, 2022

markwyman said:
In 2019 we were walking between Pamplona and Navarrete during Easter week. It was an amazing time to be on the Camino. The evening parades prior to Easter in Logrono and Navarrete were fantastic. We had zero problems with finding space at night.

Sounds terrific! And good to hear about finding space. Did you stay in Albergues?

Arniece2022 · Mar 14, 2022

Stephan the Painter said:
Sounds nice! You probably booked way in advance.

I booked about 3 weeks ago. I was actually surprised to find a few places on AirBnB. Right in the centre of town where no cars are allowed, and 2 small balconies overlooking the street. So I can go downstairs and participate or watch from above. I'm quite excited about it.

DMaynard · Mar 14, 2022

I'll be in SJPdP on Easter, after there normally festivities there as well as Spain?

Kathar1na · Mar 14, 2022

Based on walking before, through and after Burgos around Easter a few years ago, staying in hotels and private albergues (not dormitories), and on what I've read on the forum. Happy to be corrected:

I would avoid the section SJPP to Pamplona from the night of Maundy Thursday to the night of Easter Sunday unless pre-booked.

Burgos will be packed on Thursday night (we had to resort to an AirBnB because hotels were booked out); the greater the town the more processions and the more spectacular; you can look up the programmes for processions during Semana Santa on the websites of the larger towns and/or on the websites of the fraternities (hermanidad) who organise the processions; there are more Spanish walkers on Camino during Semana Santa than during the week before and after but numbers are not so huge that they are the major factor for the demand for beds. It's over by Easter Monday which is not a public holiday. I believe that Good Friday is THE big day for processions, followed by Easter Sunday, but I am not certain.

John Hungerford · Mar 14, 2022

Back in 2009 we were in Pamplona for Palm Sunday and watched the street parade. People in it were waving palm fronds. They handed some to us and encouraged us to join in the parade. Then next thing we knew we were in the Cathedral for the Church Service. Five days later we were in Logrono for Good Friday. Again we watched the street parade. Many floats were being carried by about 16 men - and lots of others in costumes. A drummer would beat the drum to give the signal for the float to stop - so the bearers could have a rest - then beat again for them to resume. The only way to tell the gender of the those in costumes was to look at their feet. Two days later we were in Los Arcos for Easter Sunday. We went to the church service during which Jesus was taken down and put in a glass coffin in the church. Then there was a street parade - again with many people and many floats. We wondered why so few were watching. Then we realised just about everyone in the town was in the parade. Experiences not to be missed.

Stephan the Painter · Mar 14, 2022

Kathar1na said:
Based on walking before, through and after Burgos around Easter a few years ago, staying in hotels and private albergues (not dormitories), and on what I've read on the forum. Happy to be corrected:

I would avoid the section SJPP to Pamplona from the night of Maundy Thursday to the night of Easter Sunday unless pre-booked.

Burgos will be packed on Thursday night (we had to resort to an AirBnB because hotels were booked out); the greater the town the more processions and the more spectacular; you can look up the programmes for processions during Semana Santa on the websites of the larger towns and/or on the websites of the fraternities (hermanidad) who organise the processions; there are more Spanish walkers on Camino during Semana Santa than during the week before and after but numbers are not so huge that they are the major factor for the demand for beds. It's over by Easter Monday which is not a public holiday. I believe that Good Friday is THE big day for processions, followed by Easter Sunday, but I am not certain.

Nice and thorough answer, thanks. That makes sense from what I’ve read. Try to leave Roncevalles by the eighth or ninth at the latest.

Stephan the Painter · Mar 14, 2022

John Hungerford said:
Back in 2009 we were in Pamplona for Palm Sunday and watched the street parade. People in it were waving palm fronds. They handed some to us and encouraged us to join in the parade. Then next thing we knew we were in the Cathedral for the Church Service. Five days later we were in Logrono for Good Friday. Again we watched the street parade. Many floats were being carried by about 16 men - and lots of others in costumes. A drummer would beat the drum to give the signal for the float to stop - so the bearers could have a rest - then beat again for them to resume. The only way to tell the gender of the those in costumes was to look at their feet. Two days later we were in Los Arcos for Easter Sunday. We went to the church service during which Jesus was taken down and put in a glass coffin in the church. Then there was a street parade - again with many people and many floats. We wondered why so few were watching. Then we realised just about everyone in the town was in the parade. Experiences not to be missed.

What fun! I’m starting to look forward to it instead of being worried about it!

Arniece2022 · Mar 14, 2022

Kathar1na said:
Based on walking before, through and after Burgos around Easter a few years ago, staying in hotels and private albergues (not dormitories), and on what I've read on the forum. Happy to be corrected:

I would avoid the section SJPP to Pamplona from the night of Maundy Thursday to the night of Easter Sunday unless pre-booked.

Burgos will be packed on Thursday night (we had to resort to an AirBnB because hotels were booked out); the greater the town the more processions and the more spectacular; you can look up the programmes for processions during Semana Santa on the websites of the larger towns and/or on the websites of the fraternities (hermanidad) who organise the processions; there are more Spanish walkers on Camino during Semana Santa than during the week before and after but numbers are not so huge that they are the major factor for the demand for beds. It's over by Easter Monday which is not a public holiday. I believe that Good Friday is THE big day for processions, followed by Easter Sunday, but I am not certain.

One note to add - even though Easter Monday is not a Public Holiday, it is a Regional Holiday in some places. One of those is Pamplona. So the bus that travels between Pomplona and Roncesvalles does not run on Easter Monday. Something I learned after making my plans and had to push everything forward a day. I'm not sure if it being a Regional Holiday effects anything else.

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Where to spend Easter on the Camino Frances?

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