First Time Concerns

kdvanderpool said:

Hi Everyone,

Grateful for this community as my wife and I are planning our first Camino after 13 years of longing to go! We will be walking in mid-May to mid-June and I have a few questions:

1. What is the humidity like? Specifically on the Frances or the Primitivo. Where we live it is very hot but very dry. Humidity affects me much more than heat.
2. Which route do you recommend for first-timers (and possibly only timers for the foreseeable future). We are considering the Primitivo or the Frances but are open to ALL options.

When choosing a route, here are our wants and concerns:

• WE can only spare between 2-4 weeks so none of the super long routes.
• We love beautiful views, solitude, and moments of "sacred silence"
• We are not experienced hikers by any means but we are relatively fit and did a 10mile hike in Copenhagen this year that felt very easy (though my calves hurt the next two days). We are also careful and athletic.
• We like challenges but we also like to enjoy ourselves and don't do well with uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. The one area that we can be a little high maintenance is where we stay when we travel. We will be doing some public albergues because that is the experience, but we will want to do some nicer accommodations.
• I have heard the Primitivo does not always have reliable accommodations and you may have to figure it out or sleep outside after a long day of difficult hiking. We can handle it but this would greatly sour our trip. Just being honest about ourselves when we travel. The less decision-making and trouble-shooting the better.

I think that's it for me! Thank you all so much for your help!

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Welcome to the Forum, we were all New Members once and we all had our questions and concerns.

I’ll share my thoughts on some of your question/concerns.

The temperature and humidity will really depend upon the route and time of year, from my experience. Generally the interior routes should be warmer and dryer, again depending upon the time. Summer will probably be down right hot.

As a first timer, I’d choose the Francés. With your available time, you could do it from St. Jean or Pamplona or Burgos. It also has the most infrastructure. Regards your accommodation concerns, the Francés offers many options in most places.

I’ve not done the Primativo so I’ll let others offer their thoughts. There’s a lot of experience here.

I hope you enjoy your Camino and good luck.

In researching the humidity question, you might check out weatherspark.com and insert a few locations that you would pass through on the routes that are of interest.

I'd bet that you will be fine on any route you choose. If elevation gain and loss are a concern, then the Primitivo might be more of a challenge. Although if crowd avoidance and opportunities for silent walking are major drivers for you, then that could outweigh the physical challenge.

On the CdF you will find a broad range of accommodation types in many (but not all) areas. I suggest trying out a pension first to if that meets your needs. They're great for getting a good shower and an uninterrupted night of sleep. You can find posh hotels in the metropolitan areas.

kdvanderpool said:

The less decision-making and trouble-shooting the better.

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Then you should do some planning in advance and you have the time to do it (and it's fun). GRONZE is a great resource to start with.

Buen Camino!

I also recommend the Camino Frances. Given your time constraints, I would probably start in Logroño. If you have time at the end you can walk or take a bus to either Muxia or Finesterre.

Private rooms will increase your costs so budget a bit more. Don't take for granted private rooms will be more comfortable. Be sure to look for perks like AC as not all rooms will have that. I find private rooms isolating so look for opportunities to talk or eat with other pilgrims. They also may not have a place to do laundry so maybe look for AirBNB's that have a washer and drying rack. Some private albergues have private rooms so that might be a good option for you although you may still share a common bathroom in some. Usually bedding will be provided for those.


You may be aware that Booking.com does not have all the rooms in a hotel so don't panic if you can't find a place on booking.com where you want to sleep. Use other resources, too, and maybe call direct or send a WhatsApp. Gronze.com is an excellent resource to see what is available. It is in Spanish, but your browser can translate.