What can I do late November/early December?

[Backagain]

I postponed my planned 2+ week camino for late August/early September due to covid numbers, work and family concerns. I had stuff I couldn't mess scheduled in-person for my return and my youngest child was not yet eligible for a vaccine. (didn't want to inadvertently carry the virus home). Well, early-mid December is my quiet time at work and my daughter just got her first vaccination. I still have the vacation time I can use, but I can't take it before American thanksgiving.

I am looking at traveling November 26-December 12. If I stick to the area closer to Sarria/Santiago, is a short walk even possible? I dont mind cool temperatures, but I am not interested in walking in snow or a lot of freezing rain, and I would like for hotels, cafes, and restaurants to be open so I can eat and sleep.

What do you think I should do? Go when I can, and do what I can? Or wait/pick another (non-Camino) pilgrimage destination?

 

[C clearly]

To help us think about suggestions, I have some questions...

Is the arrival in Santiago important on this trip? Do you speak Spanish? How much social interaction with other pilgrims or locals do you want?

 

[alexwalker]

I am very interested about this thread...

Edit: I am locked at home due to responsibilities until end of Oct., but the urge to walk is so strong, I need to do something...

 

[naplesdon]

Weather-wise do some research about historic weather condition from Sarria and Santiago. If the weather suits you then try contacting some of the accommodations in the towns you want to stay overnight and ask about avialability.

 

[alexwalker]

I am pondering going to Merida and walk up the VdlP, due to better weather conditions, hopefully. Hoping that accomodations are available in Nov...

 

[jsalt]

I am looking at traveling November 26-December 12.

Hi, in February last year I walked from Ferrol to Santiago on the Camino Ingles, and then to Muxia, Finisterre and back to Santiago. Took me 17 days, just ambling along, so could be done in less . . . . really enjoyed it. All sorts of weather for that time of the year, including lots of sunny days. Stayed in the municipal albergues, but there were other places available.

 

[Backagain]

To help us think about suggestions, I have some questions...

Is the arrival in Santiago important on this trip? Do you speak Spanish? How much social interaction with other pilgrims or locals do you want?

Good questions. Thanks for asking.

No, I do not need to arrive in Santiago. I was thinking that there may be more traffic (and therefore more places open) for the last part of the Frances route, but I am open and flexible.

I speak a bit of Spanish. Can muddle through basic exchanges but cannot have an in-depth conversation.

And I am fine with any amount of social interaction.

 

[C clearly]

Like @alexwalker suggestions, how about Merida to Salamanca? (Or start in Zafra and/or end in Zamora.) Check the recent threads in the VDLP section of the forum, including some people currently walking. That should give you an idea of what places are open now, although there will be fewer in December, of course. If you are open to accommodation in hotels and hostales, you'll have more options than just albergues.

 

[Mycroft]

I am interested in this as well, although I will be a month earlier. Original plan had been to fly to Santiago and walk to Muxia and then Finsterra. As it turns out the easyJet flight I had planned on doesn't run off season. There is a flight on the dreaded Ryanair but only on certain days, so I will be arriving a few days earlier than planned. The extra days got me to looking at doing the Invierno, starting Monforte. But when I looked up bus and trains from Santiago to there, found the bus runs only M-F and the train not on Saturday (the day I arrive in Santiago) and the one train on Sunday train goes very late.
Unless anyone can tell me my findings are incorrect, I am back heading to Muxia. I have started to check the albergues listed in gronze as being open that time of year, and have received my first reply saying no way.
Sigh.

 

[Vince Rollason]

I postponed my planned 2+ week camino for late August/early September due to covid numbers, work and family concerns. I had stuff I couldn't mess scheduled in-person for my return and my youngest child was not yet eligible for a vaccine. (didn't want to inadvertently carry the virus home). Well, early-mid December is my quiet time at work and my daughter just got her first vaccination. I still have the vacation time I can use, but I can't take it before American thanksgiving.

I am looking at traveling November 26-December 12. If I stick to the area closer to Sarria/Santiago, is a short walk even possible? I dont mind cool temperatures, but I am not interested in walking in snow or a lot of freezing rain, and I would like for hotels, cafes, and restaurants to be open so I can eat and sleep.

What do you think I should do? Go when I can, and do what I can? Or wait/pick another (non-Camino) pilgrimage destination?

Hello
I don't think that I can be a lot of help bit I will be interested to see the responses. I was due to leave Birmingham England next Friday to walk Camino Ingles and Finisterre but sadly my mother-in-law passed away this weekend. I now need to wait until all the necessary arrangements are sorted out and look to reschedule for late October/November.
Buen Camino
Vince

 

[TrvlDad1]

I’ve been thinking Portugal in December between Lisbon and Porto, mostly to visit Templar sites along the Camino. Have limited time so would require some train/bus trips to make all the sites I have in mind. Moderate and wet weather beats cold for my tolerance.

 

[Eugene Carroll]

Well I am backing a start in Merida ( which I am booked to begin on 10th November). My plan is to walk the VdlP as far as Zamora and then switch to the Camino Frances at Astorga. From there to SDC arrive around the 9th/10th December. I have flights booked home on the 12th December. Plenty of time to get the Christmas dinner on the table.

 

[lt56ny]

I am pondering going to Merida and walk up the VdlP, due to better weather conditions, hopefully. Hoping that accomodations are available in Nov...

I am walking the VDLP from October 14 through about December 1. I try to stay in albergues as much as possible and my first choices are always municipals or donativos. I walk on a budget but of course donativo is not free but I usually find some of my best experiences in donativos. It seems that most municipals are closed but doing my research here and checking Gronze and other sites as well as this posting I made yesterday:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/good-information-from-vdlp-facebook-page.71569/

Should give you a good choice of albergues and hostels throughout the VDLP. It seems like you will not have alot of options but with the VDLP being a much less traveled route I doubt if you will have a problem finding a place to sleep each night.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Weather in Galicia in early winter is fickle and unless you have good gear and enjoy a challenge, Burgos to Leon or Ponferrada might be a better option. The Meseta is beautiful at that time of year ... But of course when you gotta go, you gotta go, the call of the Camino is irresistible.

 

[MarieLauFlorin]

I am heading for Camino de Santiago de Gran Canaria late December this year. Don't know if it has the camino feeling or not, but I hope is has.

 

[Aguapura]

I postponed my planned 2+ week camino for late August/early September due to covid numbers, work and family concerns. I had stuff I couldn't mess scheduled in-person for my return and my youngest child was not yet eligible for a vaccine. (didn't want to inadvertently carry the virus home). Well, early-mid December is my quiet time at work and my daughter just got her first vaccination. I still have the vacation time I can use, but I can't take it before American thanksgiving.
I am looking at traveling November 26-December 12. If I stick to the area closer to Sarria/Santiago, is a short walk even possible? I dont mind cool temperatures, but I am not interested in walking in snow or a lot of freezing rain, and I would like for hotels, cafes, and restaurants to be open so I can eat and sleep.

What do you think I should do? Go when I can, and do what I can? Or wait/pick another (non-Camino) pilgrimage destination?

How about Camino Mozarabe? You could start in Seville, which is a great town to visit anyway, and head north. Or if the weather is to your liking, begin in Granada or somewhere between Granada and Seville, which has more mountainous country.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

You probably know that "Pope John XXIII granted in 1965 to the city of Gáldar a papal bull. This gave the city the same privileges as Santiago de Compostela to celebrate the Jacobean Holy Year."

This should do the trick, but when I visited Gran Canaria last year I didn't know it had a Camino, so it's not very well known ... But it's a wonderful place with some excellent hostels and it has some of the best hiking trails I've come across. Have a great time.