December Camino

[Angus137]

I completed the Camino Frances in March 2018 from SJPDP and hope to persuade my work to let me have another month off next year, 2023 but feel that it will be easier to do so if I go in December - I am thinking Podiensis, del Norte or de la Plata

I am not so bothered by bad weather but would like bars and pilgrims' hostels to be open and some company on the way - I would be very grateful for your opinions and recommendations.

 

[J Willhaus]

There is a winter camino list online here that is very helpful. It is updated regularly, but only available during the winter months. When you are ready to start, send a note to the forum or look for it posted here and that will be a big help. Also several apps available and the Gronze.com website can augment your list.

 

[Isca-camigo]

Hi @Angus137 , I can't really talk about the other routes in winter apart from the Frances which in this year will probably get back or just surpass the 2019 pre pandemic amount of pilgrims walking it in Winter. You will know what the weather is like, when you walked in march you might have had worse conditions than December walkers. I have walked several Caminos in December now, not a full one but 1-3 week sections, the weather can be mixed from proper awful with driving freezing rain to relatively mild days when I wish I had brought my shorts, definitely windy days when I have encountered 1-2 day periods of crazy storm force winds which have happened once to many times to say they were a one off, but a definite feature of December walking.
There is Albergues opening and has been a very kindly drawn up list of open Albergues in winter by a woman from Fromista which usually gets put on here. I have not had a problem with accommodation in the festive/new year period, but that could be due to usually being in galacia by the 24th December when it just like there is more of all types of accommodation to be had. There is always people on the Frances and the closer you get to Sarria you will encounter Spanish groups who do the last stages every year, it is their way of their pilgrim groups of coming together and socializing ,there is birthday events at the same stages every year. If you don't like that thing and want somewhere quiter then that's easy to do as well.
I'm hoping to do the full CF again this year
in December but it is dependent on a lot of health issues clearing.

Buen Camino

 

[C clearly]

There is a winter camino list online here that is very helpful. It is updated regularly, but only available during the winter months. When you are ready to start, send a note to the forum or look for it posted here

The list of winter albergues is maintained at the site mentioned in this thread, which is pinned to the top of the Camino Frances forum. Note that the list is not available at the moment but will be put up on that site around November 2022.

 

[nilesite]

I love walking in December. I went from Pamplona to Villafranca del Bierzo in 2021 - I found that Aprinca website not to be helpful. Things were open that were not on the list, and that can affect decision-making, and things were closed that they said were open - also not helpful. Use Booking Dot Com or just call ahead. It's doable. And yes, the weather is every season in a day.