Baztán during Semana Santa... Hordes? Prebooking?

[Bad Pilgrim]

Hi everyone,

I couldn't walk any Camino during Winter, but my chances are much better in April: somewhere between the 4 and 11 of April.

I have heard on this Forum that many Spaniards walk the Caminos during Easter, for example the Baztán during "Semana Santa". Does Semana Santa mean the week before or after Easter Sunday? Or just that they are walking a lot between Good Friday and Easter Sunday?

I would be on the Baz' before Easter, and heading home before Easter Sunday. Do you think I will coincide with hordes of pilgrim on the Camino? I would like to avoid the hordes & the bed race as much as possible… :O(

/BP

 

[jgiesbrecht]

Hi everyone,

I couldn't walk any Camino during Winter, but my chances are much better in April: somewhere between the 4 and 11 of April.

I have heard on this Forum that many Spaniards walk the Caminos during Easter, for example the Baztán during "Semana Santa". Does Semana Santa mean the week before or after Easter Sunday? Or just that they are walking a lot between Good Friday and Easter Sunday?

I would be on the Baz' before Easter, and heading home before Easter Sunday. Do you think I will coincide with hordes of pilgrim on the Camino? I would like to avoid the hordes & the bed race as much as possible… :O(

/BP

Holy Week for Easter is the whole week before. There will be an influx (I'm on the frances that week and have prebooked all of my accomodations just to save me stress). I would think the Frances would be by far the one most go to during that week, just like the rest of the year.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Holy Week for Easter is the whole week before. There will be an influx (I'm on the frances that week and have prebooked all of my accomodations just to save me stress). I would think the Frances would be by far the one most go to during that week, just like the rest of the year.

Hmm,

I am no stranger to prebooking myself - perhaps that would be the wise thing to do here. And I prefer hotels & hostals to the albergues, by far.

I plan to walk the Baz' in five or six days (no hurry).

What does the experienced Baz' mob think? Is prebooking required during Semana Santa?

 

[Gary Martin]

Hmm,

I am no stranger to prebooking myself - perhaps that would be the wise thing to do here. And I prefer hotels & hostals to the albergues, by far.

I plan to walk the Baz' in five or six days (no hurry).

What does the experienced Baz' mob think? Is prebooking required during Semana Santa?

I walked the Baztan in reverse starting at the end of Semana Santa last spring. In spain there were lots of beds, mostly empty. Except in Pamplona which was completely full. (I found a comfortable spot under a tree by the river. )
Some of the French accommodation was small enough to fill up fast. Booking might be wise.
This is a great route and I enjoyed it very much. Best of luck!
Gary

 

[NualaOC]

Hi @Bad Pilgrim, sorry for the delay in weighing in.

In answer to your question, I don't think you'll encounter ' hordes' on the Baztan at any time of year. However, you're probably correct in expecting things to be busier during Semana Santa. Here's an extract from one of my older posts:
The pilgrim record in the Berroeta albergue gives an interesting snapshot of pilgrim traffic. 590 people stayed there in 2015 and just 100 names are recorded so far this year. Most were French and Spanish, with many coming from nearby cities or regions. The busiest nights this year were 25 March (Good Friday), when 12 of the 16 beds were occupied, and 4 May (10 pilgrims). There were also quite a few nights with no, or just one or two pilgrims. The earliest record is for December 2006 and numbers seemed to have grown over the years.

For a more up to date answer, you might want to contact Dominique Maurin, who co-ordinates the pilgrim office at Bayonne Cathedral. She's very helpful and will no doubt have some words of wisdom. I contacted her through their facebook page - I can't seem to find any other contact details. The couple who run the Hostal Venta San Blas (between Berroeta and Lantz) would also be a good source of information and advice.

Overall, if you're prepared to use private accommodation and perhaps start earlier in the week, I don't think you'll have too many problems. Gronze shows all of the available options. You could perhaps start by booking the first couple of nights and then seeing how busy it actually is.

Happy planning and Buen Camino. I wonder if you'll become a Baztan lover or a Baztan hater

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

The busiest nights this year were 25 March (Good Friday),

Ok, I plan to arrive in Pamplona on Good Friday, so I will be on the Camino before that day. I hope there will be rooms in Pamplona, then, but it's a large city at least. The municipal albergue (Camino Francés) in Pamplona would fill up easily, I think...

As far as I can see on Gronze, there are two etapas with only albergues (?) on the Baztán, so I have 3 or 4 private accomodations to arrange...

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Iiii don't know about the Baztán in April anymore. I'm a bit disheartened here.

It seems prices are crazy and a lot of accomodations are full. In Bayonne and in the following towns on the Camino. Or they are like 7 kms off Camino.

And Gronze says that the albergue in Espelette is closed? (I just sent them a message.)

And Amaiur (end of stage according to Gronze) doesn't even have an albergue?!

This seems like a lot more complicated than my leisurely summer caminos...

/BP

 

[Thornley]

Iiii don't know about the Baztán in April anymore. I'm a bit disheartened here.

It seems prices are crazy and a lot of accomodations are full. In Bayonne and in the following towns on the Camino. Or they are like 7 kms off Camino.

And Gronze says that the albergue in Espelette is closed? (I just sent them a message.)

And Amaiur (end of stage according to Gronze) doesn't even have an albergue?!

This seems like a lot more complicated than my leisurely summer caminos...

/BP

Easter breaks are to be avoided if possible .
They can become a very long break for families with a few extra days off.
And the Basque countryside would be desirable