Current volume of pilgrims on Salvador?

[fb1]

After reading multiple reports of large numbers along camino Frances in recent days, wondering what to expect on Salvador as I’m planning to start on Friday. What is typical daily pilgrim volume along San Salvador?

I’ve been on via de la plata since Salamanca and besides Zamora Albergue being almost full (including many cyclists), it has been relatively calm since then (particularly along non-sanabres north of granja de moruela).

 

[sun is shining]

We (my husband and me) are finishing the San Salvador tomorrow. We met one pilgrim on the first evening in Cabanillas that shared almost all the stages with us so far. We picked up another pilgrim on the third night in Poladura de la Tercia. So far it’s always been a maximum of 4 of us in any given albergue. Two nights ago there were 6 people at Benduenos.

So I’d say chances are high that you won’t be walking alone but I wouldn’t worry about any accommodation being full.

Apart from that: the Camino de San Salvador is wonderful. The nature, the little towns, the people - it’s been fantastic! Not easy but well worth all the strenuous ascents and descents.

 

[fb1]

Thank you! I’m excited to start tmrw!

 

[BobY333]

This is a wonderful Camino! Make sure you get Ender's guide - there are some small villages where you need to call a day ahead to make sure they have food for you (e.g., Pajares). Also, Poladura de la Tercia's lone restaurant used to be closed on Tuesdays (though I don't think that should be an issue for you). He also provides detailed info about the route and its options in several places. Buen Camino!

 

[MesaWalker]

This is a wonderful Camino! Make sure you get Ender's guide - there are some small villages where you need to call a day ahead to make sure they have food for you (e.g., Pajares). Also, Poladura de la Tercia's lone restaurant used to be closed on Tuesdays (though I don't think that should be an issue for you). He also provides detailed info about the route and its options in several places. Buen Camino!

This is really helpful information. Does anyone know if the restaurant in Poladura de la Tercia is still closed on Tuesdays?

 

[sun is shining]

This is really helpful information. Does anyone know if the restaurant in Poladura de la Tercia is still closed on Tuesdays?

Yes. They were also closed last Sunday because of a family function - I’d confirm my meals for Poladura and Pajares before you walk past La Robla / Pola de Gordón.

There’s a fantastic kitchen at the albergue in Poladura so you can cook up a real storm there if you bring provisions. (See picture)

 

[walking sticKs]

@fb1, how did did you link to Leon from the la Plata? I have been looking at walking into Leon from the cut off toward Astorga to continue up to the Norte in September!
Thanks

 

[Beth and Rodney]

Thank you! I’m excited to start tmrw!

Last May I hiked the Salvador with a friend. We saw a total of 4 pilgrims. These were 1 pair of friends, and 2 others walking solo. We spent 1 night with the 2 solo hikers. They rest of the walk we were the only pilgrims.
If you want to be alone in the mountains, and avoid the crowds, it's the right choice.
Buen Camino!

 

[Moniq]

We (my husband and me) are finishing the San Salvador tomorrow. We met one pilgrim on the first evening in Cabanillas that shared almost all the stages with us so far. We picked up another pilgrim on the third night in Poladura de la Tercia. So far it’s always been a maximum of 4 of us in any given albergue. Two nights ago there were 6 people at Benduenos.

So I’d say chances are high that you won’t be walking alone but I wouldn’t worry about any accommodation being full.

Apart from that: the Camino de San Salvador is wonderful. The nature, the little towns, the people - it’s been fantastic! Not easy but well worth all the strenuous ascents and descents.

This sounds very good. Will it be safe for a woman alone? And did you need a sleeping bag and a puffy or will a liner and a fleece be enough?

 

[sun is shining]

This sounds very good. Will it be safe for a woman alone? And did you need a sleeping bag and a puffy or will a liner and a fleece be enough?

What do you mean with “for a woman alone”? I doubt you need to worry much about sexual aggression on any of the Camino paths?

You’ll go up fairly high into the mountains - we still had frost in shaded spots by 10am some days. I wore a thick jacket with hat and gloves for three days, afterwards it was t-shirt weather. This really is a mountainous trek that needs a higher level of preparedness than your standard town-to-town Camino. Looks like warm weather is moving in though so you might be fine with a fleece (although I’d really urge you to bring rain protection - you don’t want to get caught out in the middle of nowhere without a poncho).

All albergues I stayed in had blankets and heating so a liner should be enough. Check the Enders guide for places where pre-booking (in terms of food) is required. This is really essential because all hospitalieros had tales of hungry pilgrims arriving without provisions and without booking meals.

 

[fb1]

@fb1, how did did you link to Leon from the la Plata? I have been looking at walking into Leon from the cut off toward Astorga to continue up to the Norte in September!
Thanks

I took a bus from Astorga to Leon. Alternately you could walk backwards on the Frances for 2 days to Leon but the Frances seems quite busy these days and I wanted to use the recent good weather days on the Salvador.

 

[The Cumbrian]

I've just finished the San Salvador (I'm in Oviedo now), and the albergues in La Robla and Poladura were full on the nights I was there. The private albergue in Llanos de Somerón was less than half full (it's a fantastic albergue too, i highly recommended it).
The weather has been incredible over the last few days, and the route is amazing. If I walk it again, the only thing that I would change is that I'd rather walk it over six days rather than five.

 

[sun is shining]

I've just finished the San Salvador (I'm in Oviedo now), and the albergues in La Robla and Poladura were full on the nights I was there. The private albergue in Llanos de Somerón was less than half full (it's a fantastic albergue too, i highly recommended it).
The weather has been incredible over the last few days, and the route is amazing. If I walk it again, the only thing that I would change is that I'd rather walk it over six days rather than five.

That’s crazy! I finished one day ahead of you and can’t imagine that many people in the albergues. La Robla had one pilgrim the night I stayed in Cabanillas, Poladura had four (incl us) and in Llamos we had the albergue to ourselves. Incredible how conditions can vary from day to day.

 

[The Cumbrian]

It looks like we all took advantage of an amazing weather forecast. I arrived in Leon on Sunday to torrential rain, but it's been beautiful since then. Some of the pilgrims I met had delayed starting due to the weather, so that possibly explains it.

 

[walking sticKs]

I took a bus from Astorga to Leon. Alternately you could walk backwards on the Frances for 2 days to Leon but the Frances seems quite busy these days and I wanted to use the recent good weather days on the Salvador.

Thanks, good info, I must remember to take weather on the Salvador into my planning, the bus makes sense. I was thinking to walk, I would branch off at La Baneza towards Villar de Mararife then into Virgen Del Camino and then taxi into central Leon.
Regards

 

[fb1]

That’s crazy! I finished one day ahead of you and can’t imagine that many people in the albergues. La Robla had one pilgrim the night I stayed in Cabanillas, Poladura had four (incl us) and in Llamos we had the albergue to ourselves. Incredible how conditions can vary from day to day.

And I was solo in La Robla Albergue. Haven’t seen a pilgrim yet though I heard from locals they saw one ahead of me same day.

 

[sun is shining]

And I was solo in La Robla Albergue. Haven’t seen a pilgrim yet though I heard from locals they saw one ahead of me same day.

Yes, it’s crazy how it goes sometimes. People have been saying how busy the Primitivo is (and we have indeed seen lots of pilgrims so far), yet we are alone here in the albergue in Escamplero (3:30 pm).

Where are you stopping tomorrow? And how’s the weather like?

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Yes, it’s crazy how it goes sometimes. People have been saying how busy the Primitivo is (and we have indeed seen lots of pilgrims so far), yet we are alone here in the albergue in Escamplero (3:30 pm).

Where are you stopping tomorrow? And how’s the weather like?

To be fair, that’s probably because the first stage for most is either Paladin or Grado.
Whilst I knew about the existence of Escamplero, I actually didn’t realise that I’d walked practically right past it last year.
It’s only been when looking at helping someone plan a long Primitivo ( lots of short stages) that I was reminded of it.

What are the facilities like?

 

[sun is shining]

To be fair, that’s probably because the first stage for most is either Paladin or Grado.
Whilst I knew about the existence of Escamplero, I actually didn’t realise that I’d walked practically right past it last year.
It’s only been when looking at helping someone plan a long Primitivo ( lots of short stages) that I was reminded of it.

What are the facilities like?

That’s the whole point though - a “half stage” to start sets you up perfectly to walk in-between until you hit Hospitales.

The albergue is fine - bit old school but comfy beds, blankets, hot showers and a kitchen (one big pot, one small pan, lots of plates, cups, cutlery). So anything a pilgrim might need plus a fantastic view of the mountains.

The restaurant here in town (closed on Wednesdays) seems to have fantastic food! The plates we saw coming out of the kitchen when we had a quick drink there looked incredible. There’s a small tienda (normal Spanish opening hours, Saturday only till 2pm, Sundays closed) here that sells the basics.

 

[The Cumbrian]

I stayed there two years ago and the food in the restaurant was very good.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

That’s the whole point though - a “half stage” to start sets you up perfectly to walk in-between until you hit Hospitales.

The albergue is fine - bit old school but comfy beds, blankets, hot showers and a kitchen (one big pot, one small pan, lots of plates, cups, cutlery). So anything a pilgrim might need plus a fantastic view of the mountains.

The restaurant here in town (closed on Wednesdays) seems to have fantastic food! The plates we saw coming out of the kitchen when we had a quick drink there looked incredible. There’s a small tienda (normal Spanish opening hours, Saturday only till 2pm, Sundays closed) here that sells the basics.

I actually quite like old school Albergues, they remind me very much of the first backpacker hostels : often just an old house that somebody had put a few bunk beds in and furnished from the second hand store. On one occasion it had been the owner's parents house - they simply moved out anything of sentimental value. Literally everything else was there, even the old record player and 78 records.

Sadly when I walked the Primitivo in July last year the restaurant was not open. The hours on the door said it should be but I assure you nobody was home! It was just on two and the tienda was closing but my companion managed to get a few slices of Prosciutto or similar and a banana. ( I was carrying everything I needed.) As that is the only place for provisions between Oviedo and Paladin she was quite fortunate. Although it does also have the vending machine outside which is rather forward thinking of them. I got my first Aquarius of the trip there - didn't need it but it was very welcome!