April 2025 and Easter pros and cons

[Mackcrabs]

It appears things really pick up in early May on the CF. So, my question, is what are pros and cons of starting my pilgrimage a few days before or after Easter 2025? (Crowds, weather, events, other nuances)

I wanted to start mid April. I can push the start of my pilgrimage into late April if there’s an advantage.

Thanks in advance

 

[Vacajoe]

Much of Spain will be traveling Holy Week, so trains/planes/buses will be packed those two weekends. Definitely avoid that! Walking during Holy Week is completely dependent on what part of what Camino you are on. A lot of Europeans take that opportunity to walk a section, so I’d avoid walking into Santiago at the end of that week or any major city (Leon, Pamplona, etc).

 

[Mackcrabs]

Much of Spain will be traveling Holy Week, so trains/planes/buses will be packed those two weekends. Definitely avoid that! Walking during Holy Week is completely dependent on what part of what Camino you are on. A lot of Europeans take that opportunity to walk a section, so I’d avoid walking into Santiago at the end of that week or any major city (Leon, Pamplona, etc).

That was so informative! Great advice. I will look into starting ten days after Easter or so. I heard the first week of May is usually the start of the early season. I am trying to avoid that too.

 

[trecile]

Great advice. I will look into starting ten days after Easter or so

I don't think that you need to wait until ten days after Easter. The week before Easter will probably be fairly busy, but it should fall off a few days after Easter.

 

[jungleboy]

That was so informative! Great advice. I will look into starting ten days after Easter or so. I heard the first week of May is usually the start of the early season. I am trying to avoid that too.

Well, Easter Sunday in 2025 is April 20, so ten days after that is the start of May anyway. As trecile said, the best way to avoid these dual rushes would be to start the CF a couple of days after Easter, which would be a week or so before the early May crowd.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@Mackcrabs, you've had a little on 'cons' now for a 'pro' .

I would not avoid walking into Santiago at Easter, rather the opposite in fact. I walked into Santiago on Easter Friday 2023 (along with well over 3,000 others spread across the various caminos), the experience was incredible. The atmosphere, the parades - I absolutely loved it. An experience I felt privileged to share.

Walking into any major city during Semana Santa would likely offer a similar experience.

There is in fact a thread from the rev asking about which town or city he should visit during that period, hopefully somebody will find and link it.

As a general rule I do not like crowds. I am not religious & I knew nothing about Semana Santa. That week was the only week that I had to walk. So I started the Camino Inglès expecting the eight to ten pilgrims that people of the forum were reporting the week prior - and found I was walking with around 100!
Fortunately, because of my time constraints I had pre-booked all of my accommodation. So with this potential worry out of way I was free to simply enjoy. (Others struggled to find a bed at times, at Bruma many had to taxi or walk a further 10 kilometres.)

The Frances will have similar pinch points; you don't mention your start Point. If it is SJPDP then the usual advice would apply - start slow, (even potentially break up the first day) & book through to Pamplona. Or even a day or two beyond to get you past Easter. As mentioned above, even just a few days after Easter things will quieten down considerably. The section hikers predominantly drop off at the weekend, normally at a major town or city ( transport).

Consider timing your entry into one of the major towns to try and enjoy the beauty of this almost unique experience. I'm not sure if that should be Pamplona or not, I guess it depends on how well you do with crowds.

Despite the 'crowd' on trail I found plenty of opportunity for time by myself, at others I enjoyed the company.
Contributors have often commented that even during the busiest of periods on the Frances they can find solitude when desired. (And a bed!).

Weather is very unpredictable and the best we can do is look at historical records. Which shows that pretty much anything can happen. Sometimes April is actually nicer than May. Either way it's spring, a beautiful time of the year.

 

[J Willhaus]

We are walking into Zamora on the Via de la Plata on Easter week. Have an AirBNB reserved there.

 

[Mackcrabs]

@Mackcrabs, you've had a little on 'cons' now for a 'pro' .

I would not avoid walking into Santiago at Easter, rather the opposite in fact. I walked into Santiago on Easter Friday 2023 (along with well over 3,000 others spread across the various caminos), the experience was incredible. The atmosphere, the parades - I absolutely loved it. An experience I felt privileged to share.

Walking into any major city during Semana Santa would likely offer a similar experience.

There is in fact a thread from the rev asking about which town or city he should visit during that period, hopefully somebody will find and link it.

As a general rule I do not like crowds. I am not religious & I knew nothing about Semana Santa. That week was the only week that I had to walk. So I started the Camino Inglès expecting the eight to ten pilgrims that people of the forum were reporting the week prior - and found I was walking with around 100!
Fortunately, because of my time constraints I had pre-booked all of my accommodation. So with this potential worry out of way I was free to simply enjoy. (Others struggled to find a bed at times, at Bruma many had to taxi or walk a further 10 kilometres.)

The Frances will have similar pinch points; you don't mention your start Point. If it is SJPDP then the usual advice would apply - start slow, (even potentially break up the first day) & book through to Pamplona. Or even a day or two beyond to get you past Easter. As mentioned above, even just a few days after Easter things will quieten down considerably. The section hikers predominantly drop off at the weekend, normally at a major town or city ( transport).

Consider timing your entry into one of the major towns to try and enjoy the beauty of this almost unique experience. I'm not sure if that should be Pamplona or not, I guess it depends on how well you do with crowds.

Despite the 'crowd' on trail I found plenty of opportunity for time by myself, at others I enjoyed the company.
Contributors have often commented that even during the busiest of periods on the Frances they can find solitude when desired. (And a bed!).

Weather is very unpredictable and the best we can do is look at historical records. Which shows that pretty much anything can happen. Sometimes April is actually nicer than May. Either way it's spring, a beautiful time of the year.

Peter,

That is very sage advice. It appears there are two schools of thought. I, myself, being spiritual, am probably going to embrace the Easter in a major city. I am doing the entire CF with the start point being SJPDP.

I do want a combination of solo and companion travel. So, the beginning stages will probably a little more crowded and then as the trails merge the end should also be a little congested.

I also plan to have accommodations booked before I set out. I see most people go day to day. I don’t need the anxiety of getting up at before dawn just to get a room at the next stop. Some days I will spend the morning and if the city isn’t all that spectacular, I will set out so I arrive just before the last light of the day disappears below the horizon.

The weather doesn’t bother me. It is a pilgrimage, not a beach with 360 days of sunshine. I will enjoy walking in the sun, rain or wind.

I guess my plan now, until I change it, is arrive in Pamplona on Saturday before Easter Sunday and spend two days enjoying the festivities.

Thanks Peter

 

[Mackcrabs]

We are walking into Zamora on the Via de la Plata on Easter week. Have an AirBNB reserved there.

Very nice! I think Pamplona will be my Easter destination.

What time do you think you will arrive in Via de la Plata? Just curious….

 

[J Willhaus]

Complicated. We will be pilgrims and then hospitaleros on the CF in March. Will try to time it to walk into Zamora on the VdlP on April 15. Will stay until the day after Easter for all the week's festivities. Definitely walking from Salamanca to Zamora leading up to that. The rest is fluid at this moment. Maybe pilgrims or maybe tourists early April in southern Spain.

 

[steve392]

Complicated. We will be pilgrims and then hospitaleros on the CF in March. Will try to time it to walk into Zamora on the VdlP on April 15. Will stay until the day after Easter for all the week's festivities. Definitely walking from Salamanca to Zamora leading up to that. The rest is fluid at this moment. Maybe pilgrims or maybe tourists early April in southern Spain.

Hey.
When and where will you be Hospitaleros in March?
I start from SJPDP on March 4th, maybe I can call in a say hi?
Steve.

 

[J Willhaus]

Hey.
When and where will you be Hospitaleros in March?
I start from SJPDP on March 4th, maybe I can call in a say hi?
Steve.

We are walking from Roncesvalles to Grañón from March 1 to March 15. Will be at Grañón the middle to the end of March. Yes, please stop in and say hi, use the bathroom, or stay with us when you come through. No phone or internet. No reservations, but we are never full. Communal evening meal prepared by/with pilgrims, optional Mass with pilgrim blessing, optional evening meditation, breakfast the next morning.

 

[steve392]

We are walking from Roncesvalles to Grañón from March 1 to March 15. Will be at Grañón the middle to the end of March. Yes, please stop in and say hi, use the bathroom, or stay with us when you come through. No phone or internet. No reservations, but we are never full. Communal evening meal prepared by/with pilgrims, optional Mass with pilgrim blessing, optional evening meditation, breakfast the next morning.

Thanks great.
Which Albergue will you be running?
Maybe I'll even see you on the trail.

 

[J Willhaus]

Hospital de San Juan Bautista.
It is entered through the church Bell tower.