I had a brief look at the Bando webcam this morning and there was a fairly continuous flow of people passing by. Looked pretty busy. According to the pilgrim office stats page just over half of the arrivals this year have walked the Frances. So at a rough guess there may have been 1500+ on that final stage of the Frances today!
I haven't been on those final stages since 2018. I can't begin to imagine how busy it is.
It will be interesting in the next few years to see the growth impact on the final 100 kms of the Frances v the other routes.
I'm sure most first time Pilgrims, particularly locals, will stick to the 'top two'.
Being the Frances and Portuguese. Even busy, they are still wonderful routes after all.
But maybe repeat Pilgrims will start to shy away from the last 100 kms on the Frances particularly?
It may not happen for a few more years, but I suspect the Invierno will become very popular.
The route is just stunning.
There are 'enough' accommodation options already, but as more are added, it will become a lot easier to undertake. And of course once luggage transport arrives, in the form of the main commercial players, that may open things up more.
I suppose the Invierno is fairly unique, in that it can provide an alternative finish, for the Frances, as well as other routes. The Sanabres, maybe to a lesser degree. But both of course can provide a great 'short' Camino of 100 kms or so.
Whilst on the one hand I'm glad I got to walk the Invierno whilst it still provides that remote feel, with so few Pilgrims on the route, I'm sure greater numbers will help some of the smaller communities along the way economically. The local authorities are certainly doing a lot in regard to signage and route maintenance......
Interesting times ahead, as the various routes adapt and change..........