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[eamackey]

Hi. I am planning a May, 2025 Camino. Leaning towards Camino Portugal. Is June really less crowded than May?
Ellen

 

[lovingkindness]

Buen camino, @eamackey.
Welcome to the forum!

 

[henrythedog]

Hi. I am planning a May, 2025 Camino. Leaning towards Camino Portugal. Is June really less crowded than May?
Ellen

Yes.

Mid April through May and then September are now like the queue at The Magic Kingdom, in so many ways, especially on the Frances and increasingly on the Portuguese routes. Honestly, don’t do it.

June, if history is a guide, will be better.

Personally, I wouldn’t now venture onto the tourist routes from April to September.

 

[trecile]

Hi. I am planning a May, 2025 Camino. Leaning towards Camino Portugal. Is June really less crowded than May?
Ellen

June is less crowded on the beginning stages of the Camino Francés, I don't know about the Portuguese Caminos.

 

[eamackey]

Yes.

Mid April through May and then September are now like the queue at The Magic Kingdom, in so many ways, especially on the Frances and increasingly on the Portuguese routes. Honestly, don’t do it.

June, if history is a guide, will be better.

Personally, I wouldn’t now venture onto the tourist routes from April to September.

Thank you. What would be the non-tourist routes?

 

[henrythedog]

It’s my subjective opinion, but pretty much anything not renowned for the ‘how do I get a Compostela with the minimum walking’, so that’s anything other than the Frances (which is pretty much ‘the Camino’ to most folk) , more recently the Portuguese routes and regrettably (because it hasn’t got the infrastructure to cope) the Ingles.

I’d simply suggest shifting your time window if you can - the routes themselves are all great.

 

[grdemedeiros]

Hi, welcome! My husband and I walked the Portuguese from June 27 - July 17 2024 and did not find it crowded except for the stretch between Tui and Pontevedra. Even then, we were told by others who'd walked the Frances that it wasn't nearly as bad as that route.

We did veer onto the Spiritual Variant after Pontevedra, which influenced our experience; we came across *far* fewer pilgrims during those three days as compared to what we heard from our friends who continued along the Central route for those same days.

We counted pilgrims each day - you can see the details in our Live from the Camino thread https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/slow-and-steady.87626/

 

[eamackey]

It’s my subjective opinion, but pretty much anything not renowned for the ‘how do I get a Compostela with the minimum walking’, so that’s anything other than the Frances (which is pretty much ‘the Camino’ to most folk) , more recently the Portuguese routes and regrettably (because it hasn’t got the infrastructure to cope) the Ingles.

I’d simply suggest shifting your time window if you can - the routes themselves are all great.

Thank you. I am hoping to walk for 30 days. So maybe shifting time window to June or October?

 

[eamackey]

Hi, welcome! My husband and I walked the Portuguese from June 27 - July 17 2025 and did not find it crowded except for the stretch between Tui and Pontevedra. Even then, we were told by others who'd walked the Frances that it wasn't nearly as bad as that route.

We did veer onto the Spiritual Variant after Pontevedra, which influenced our experience; we came across *far* fewer pilgrims during those three days as compared to what we heard from our friends who continued along the Central route for those same days.

We counted pilgrims each day - you can see the details in our Live from the Camino thread https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/slow-and-steady.87626/

Thank you. I think you mean 2024. Would love recommendations for which Portuguese route is more enjoyable, challenging, and spiritual. Hope to walk for 30 days.

 

[jungleboy]

Thank you. I think you mean 2024. Would love recommendations for which Portuguese route is more enjoyable, challenging, and spiritual. Hope to walk for 30 days.

Here's my overview of caminos in Portugal that may help you narrow it down:

https://spiritofthecamino.com/camino-de-santiago-portugal/

 

[eamackey]

Here's my overview of caminos in Portugal that may help you narrow it down:

https://spiritofthecamino.com/camino-de-santiago-portugal/

Thank You!

 

[grdemedeiros]

Thank you. I think you mean 2024. Would love recommendations for which Portuguese route is more enjoyable, challenging, and spiritual. Hope to walk for 30 days.

Yes, 2024, I've fixed it.
I loved each part of the Portuguese for different reasons. The Coastal was lovely, amazing seafood, fresh breeze from the ocean, cooler temps, and charming fishing villages. The Central was beautiful rolling hills, produce filled gardens, small village churches, Roman roads & bridges, with more Pilgrims allowing us to build a bit more of a walking community and great farm food. The Spiritual Variant had really unique sights and monuments - the Poios in Combarro, the story-telling crosses at crossroads, Armenteira monastery, The Route of Stone and Water the boat ride and maritime stations of the cross. If you haven't yet read Elle Bieling blog, you should! It was a great resource for us in our planning. As were Nick's (aka Jungleboy) podcast Spirit of the Camino, linked above.