Best Time of Year to Walk Madrid Camino

[Robo]

Any thoughts most appreciated.

I struck lucky with the VdlP last year (April) and managed perfect weather the whole way.
No rain, not too hot.
Dawn starts were about 9-10 C. Reaching 22-25C by mid afternoon.
We certainly prefer warm rather than wet!
I tease my wife that she is like a Cat (hates the wet)

I'll start researching the Madrid
Being that bit further North I would expect it is cooler / wetter?

The plan is to walk the Madrid, then the last 100 of the Sanabres and then Muxia to SDC.
So I might also start looking at the historical weather around SDC for the period we might finish, and work back from there.......

 

[futurefjp]

I walked several days over December 2022, before the weather and my foot injury put a stop to it in Valladolid. It's a nice route. Looking back at Madrid as to finally reach it's end is also cool. Going over the mountains via the Roman Road was excellent in the fog...

 

[Robo]

I walked several days over December 2022, before the weather and my foot injury put a stop to it in Valladolid. It's a nice route. Looking back at Madrid as to finally reach it's end is also cool. Going over the mountains via the Roman Road was excellent in the fog...

Not sure we'd survive being in Europe in December
Winter in Sydney is cold enough for me.
Some days I have to put on socks!!

 

[MikeJS]

I walked in Sept and had only 1 or 2 days with rain. The rest of the time the temp was not too hot.

 

[Robo]

I walked in Sept and had only 1 or 2 days with rain. The rest of the time the temp was not too hot.

Yes, I've been looking at September weather. Up to mid October it looks OK still.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Any thoughts most appreciated.

I struck lucky with the VdlP last year (April) and managed perfect weather the whole way.
No rain, not too hot.
Dawn starts were about 9-10 C. Reaching 22-25C by mid afternoon.
We certainly prefer warm rather than wet!
I tease my wife that she is like a Cat (hates the wet)

I'll start researching the Madrid
Being that bit further North I would expect it is cooler / wetter?

The plan is to walk the Madrid, then the last 100 of the Sanabres and then Muxia to SDC.
So I might also start looking at the historical weather around SDC for the period we might finish, and work back from there.......

either late autumn or early spring. mornings will be brik and, if sunny (and we get lots of sun here), then perfect weather. i walked in the winter, and it was tough some days. mind you, it can rain. we have four seasons in spain, and if it doesn't rain between october and april, we are in trouble.

albergues were open all year, although in most cases (being winter), i had to call ahead and warn them i was showing up.

 

[jungleboy]

We walked the Madrid in early April and got hit with a snowstorm in Segovia. Generally, it was colder than ideal! So I would say May at the earliest. One good thing about the Madrid (and your whole plan, really) is that it's a much less travelled route so you don't have to play the weather vs crowds balance game as you might when planning more popular routes. So I would pick whatever suits you best out of May/June/September or even July.

 

[Pelegrin]

We walked the Madrid in early April and got hit with a snowstorm in Segovia. Generally, it was colder than ideal! So I would say May at the earliest. One good thing about the Madrid (and your whole plan, really) is that it's a much less travelled route so you don't have to play the weather vs crowds balance game as you might when planning more popular routes. So I would pick whatever suits you best out of May/June/September or even July.

Yes in April you have a small risk of snow ( rain more risk) but is when the Camino is really beautiful. Everything is green with snow on the top of the mountains but Fuenfria pass usually is free of snow. There could be some water in April on some paths easy to pass. Between Tres Cantos and Colmenar there is a small river that you must cross nine times (I think). There are stones and is easy but some balance with the help of the poles is required. In September this river will go drier.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I walked the Madrid last fall (from Segovia) starting on October 7th. Weather was mostly ideal, usually cool for walking with some warm days, but neither hot, nor cold and a lot of sunshine. I only recall one day of rain. Overall I felt ithe weather was perfect.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

…, And I was there in late March’24, starting from Segovia and skipping the mountains.

It was mostly cool but not cold. But there were a couple days when it was hot enough to walk in shorts. I met three pilgrims the whole time. It was the week before Easter and open grocery stores and restaurants were hard to find.

 

[Robo]

Very helpful, thanks folks.

 

[DTCamino]

Any thoughts most appreciated.

I struck lucky with the VdlP last year (April) and managed perfect weather the whole way.
No rain, not too hot.
Dawn starts were about 9-10 C. Reaching 22-25C by mid afternoon.
We certainly prefer warm rather than wet!
I tease my wife that she is like a Cat (hates the wet)

I'll start researching the Madrid
Being that bit further North I would expect it is cooler / wetter?

The plan is to walk the Madrid, then the last 100 of the Sanabres and then Muxia to SDC.
So I might also start looking at the historical weather around SDC for the period we might finish, and work back from there.......

I walked the Madrid last year Sept 23-October 5th. Not one bad day of weather, and no seasonal closures yet. Great time of year to be walking!

 

[Anik2001]

I walked the camino de Madrid this summer, end of June, beginning of July. Temperature from 25 to 33 degrees, no rain at all. Beautiful camino, very quiet.

 

[Robert B.]

Any thoughts most appreciated.

I struck lucky with the VdlP last year (April) and managed perfect weather the whole way.
No rain, not too hot.
Dawn starts were about 9-10 C. Reaching 22-25C by mid afternoon.
We certainly prefer warm rather than wet!
I tease my wife that she is like a Cat (hates the wet)

I'll start researching the Madrid
Being that bit further North I would expect it is cooler / wetter?

The plan is to walk the Madrid, then the last 100 of the Sanabres and then Muxia to SDC.
So I might also start looking at the historical weather around SDC for the period we might finish, and work back from there.......

I started the Madrid Camino at the beginning of May and walked to Finisterre. The weather could not have been more perfect! Been Camino!

 

[LTfit]

And I walked it late June. It was an unusual year according to locals because it had rained a lot in May so I was gifted with a plethora of wild flowers when the landscape is usually a bit barren (campos). Weather was pleasant but I can imagine that it is usually hot.

My guess is that May or September/October would be great months to walk the Madrid. The Sanabrés was by the way also very pleasant in October.

 

[peregrina2000]

I left Madrid in mid May and it was perfect weather. For me, the terrain is just as important as the temperature, and the difference between fall and spring on the Madrid is pretty big. Since so much of the Madrid goes through ag lands, the backdrop color will be emerald green in spring (plus wildflowers) and brown in fall. I have walked caminos in fall, but always go to caminos that are further north and whose wide open fields tend to be vineyards and fruit orchards, rather than grains, because the colors will be something other than brown.

Madrid has had some early spates of ridiculously high temperatures over the past few years, but I believe 2024 was “normal” so of course there’s no way to predict.

 

[Hans-Georg Goebel]

Not sure we'd survive being in Europe in December
Winter in Sydney is cold enough for me.
Some days I have to put on socks!!

In December, I don't think it will be possible to walk Cercedilla - Segovia due to a lot of snow at over 1800 metres above sea level. However, you can easily avoid this long stage by taking the railway

 

[Camino Chrissy]

left Madrid in mid May and it was perfect weather. For me, the terrain is just as important as the temperature, and the difference between fall and spring on the Madrid is pretty big. Since so much of the Madrid goes through ag lands, the backdrop color will be emerald green in spring (plus wildflowers) and brown in fall.

I agree that Spring is definitely my favorite time to be on the Camino for the same reasons, but getting an itch for going again before waiting another year leaves me with fall, and actually was a pleasant change on the Madrid. I felt it had quite a bit of golden, and lots of greenery in the beautiful huge parks such as in Valladolid, in church yards, and along the canal.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I walked it in June last year and it was great.

 

[DTCamino]

I agree that Spring is definitely my favorite time to be on the Camino for the same reasons, but getting an itch for going again before waiting another year leaves me with fall, and actually was a pleasant change on the Madrid. I felt it had quite a bit of golden, and lots of greenery in the beautiful huge parks such as in Valladolid, in church yards, and along the canal.

It was suprisingly green last September , maybe a mild summer?

 

[blueskywa]

We started walking the Madrid 6th April 2023.
Just checked my photos, sunny skies, no rain (bliss) but it was cold in the mornings needing a beanie.
I have about 3 layers of upper body clothing on in each photo including a very light 200g Macpac raincoat but that was only for layering!!!
Hope that helps

 

[futurefjp]

My advice. Don't skip the mountains...

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Both times in June. Perfect for an Aussie.

 

[camino07]

We started walking the Madrid 6th April 2023.
Just checked my photos, sunny skies, no rain (bliss) but it was cold in the mornings needing a beanie.
I have about 3 layers of upper body clothing on in each photo including a very light 200g Macpac raincoat but that was only for layering!!!
Hope that helps

How did you go crossing all the stepping stones in the river valley after Tres Cantos?

 

[Pelegrin]

How did you go crossing all the stepping stones in the river valley after Tres Cantos?

I crossed them in May ( I am seventy) and was easy for me and for my friend (same age) . The river had a lot of water then ( for that small river) but I think that I could have had the option of crossing in all the points walking bare feet.

 

[Robo]

My advice. Don't skip the mountains...

We weren't planning to

 

[David Tallan]

I walked in June and the weather was fine, but I'm not really in a position to compare to other times of year because I've only walked it once (so far).

 

[mla1]

In 2023 - walking after April 11th - it was dry dry dry - everyone I met talked about the need for rain. I was coming directly from the end of a Canadian winter, so I enjoyed the sometimes very cool mornings and found some of the afternoons too hot! Being a quiet Camino before the prime time of May, it was almost entirely solitary. It was fab!

 

[Liica]

We started walking the Madrid 6th April 2023.
Just checked my photos, sunny skies, no rain (bliss) but it was cold in the mornings needing a beanie.
I have about 3 layers of upper body clothing on in each photo including a very light 200g Macpac raincoat but that was only for layering!!!
Hope that helps

Definitely not between June and End of August.

 

[Robo]

Definitely not between June and End of August.

Don't walk then? Too Hot?

 

[Liica]

Don't walk then? Too Hot?

Yes, too hot. (I live in Madrid)

 

[Paul-CH]

I struck lucky with the VdlP last year (April)

Hi Bob, did you read the read the posts from this year. It was a bad spring weather, with flooding on paths and roads. So just to see the weather history may give you an idea, but there is no warranty to have the same weather again. EXPECT the UNEXPECTED.
Thats what I will do on my next 830km from Vercelli to Rome.

 

[Robo]

Hi Bob, did you read the read the posts from this year. It was a bad spring weather, with flooding on paths and roads. So just to see the weather history may give you an idea, but there is no warranty to have the same weather again. EXPECT the UNEXPECTED.
Thats what I will do on my next 830km from Vercelli to Rome.

Yes, I read that. We got lucky last year!
Rome? Nice

 

[David Tallan]

Definitely not between June and End of August.

I walked the Camino de Madrid in June last year and it was fine.

 

[Liica]

I walked the Camino de Madrid in June last year and it was fine.

It’s great to those who enjoy walking in hot weather.

 

[David Tallan]

It’s great to those who enjoy walking in hot weather.

It wasn't above the mid-20s when I walked. I guess it depends on what you consider too hot.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

It wasn't above the mid-20s when I walked. I guess it depends on what you consider too hot.

I walked at a similar time, starting earlier than @David Tallan, meeting him in Valladolid and ending after him. I also didn't have any issues with the heat. There were days when it was hot, especially in the beginning, before David started but I didn't consider it dangerously hot (as it was this year on the Camino Aragonés) or even so hot that I considered starting much earlier in the morning.

Of course, weather is weather, and changes from time to time and so our experience may be different from other people's experience.

With this in mind I wouldn't include June in a "don't walk" list but I would certainly look closely at conditions when you walk and be prepared to adjust your morning start times and especially be prepared to adjust your end times in the afternoon.

 

[OTH86]

If going in the Spring, I would suggest checking the snow level on the mountains, check the temperatures for possibile snow melt that would fill the arroyos just after Trés Cantos... especially the Arroyo Tejada... Maybe the stepping stones have been repaired and are walkable...

 

[Pelegrin]

Maybe the stepping stones have been repaired and are walkable...

I passed in May and they were fine.

 

[Liica]

It wasn't above the mid-20s when I walked. I guess it depends on what you consider too hot.

For me, more than 18 is too hot.
This year it was already too hot in June

It wasn't above the mid-20s when I walked. I guess it depends on what you consider too hot.

for me, more than 18o is too hot. It was already too hot here in June (2024). Every year I’ve walked later than April, I convinced myself that I would never do it again.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I like to walk in less than 20° C and do my best when choosing time of year and route,but I still usually have a number if days when I wet my bandana around my neck. I hate any heat unless on a beach to swim.

 

[Liica]

I like to walk in less than 20° C and do my best when choosing time of year and route,but I still usually have a number if days when I wet my bandana around my neck. I hate any heat unless on a beach to swim.

So do I

 

[krystianw]

I haven't done the Madrid camino, but CaminoWeather says that April-May and September-October are best.

Best time of year to walk the Camino de Madrid

Discover the best time of year to walk the Camino de Madrid. Explore optimal start dates in late March, April, May, and September for a comfortable and enjoyable journey.

caminoweather.com

That's probably just really general, but they have a search thingy at the bottom of the page, where you can filter by average temperatures, rain, and stuff like that to narrow down which months have the least of whatever you hate . So maybe that's worth a try?

 

[Phil71]

I did it in June (2022) . Mornings were cold, say 4 or 5 c, afternoons were hot, later on towards the meseta very hot. I think may would be a great time to walk If you're prepared for the chilly mornings. It's worth doing the whole walk just to see Segovia. Took my breath away

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

I walked in July/August some years ago.
Nice walk, but the temperature was up to 38-40 C at times.
Some mornings I woke up at 4.30-5.00 to get ahead of the heat, which was not too bad, as the mornings were cool and beautiful.
Basically I was alone moste of the time in the albergues, except som bicigrinos, and thus I could make as much morning noice I wanted. Bliss!
Some etappes dont have much water, so be prepared to carry more than usual at times.
Local people were kind and stopped to check that I enough water.

Lettinggo

 

[Robo]

For me, more than 18 is too hot.
This year it was already too hot in June

for me, more than 18o is too hot. It was already too hot here in June (2024). Every year I’ve walked later than April, I convinced myself that I would never do it again.

18C is almost Winter for us
I find the perfect temp for us walking is actually about 15-20C
Above 25C I find it quite hot for walking. And the sun in Spain seems really harsh!

 

[Robo]

We're starting to look seriously at dates now, so thanks for all the tips.

I'm tempted to go a bit earlier to catch Semana Santa in some of the smaller towns North of Madrid, but if it's a trade off with the weather, we might start after Semana Santa I think.