Pilgrim numbers on the Primitivo 2022/2023/2024

Luka · Dec 8, 2024

I was wondering what the recent numbers were per month on the Primitivo. I put the data from the pilgrim's office in a simple graph, so I could as well post it here:

Yearly totals
2022: 20.958 (11.150 Oviedo/6.806 Lugo)
2023: 20.402 (12.214 Oviedo/5.996 Lugo)
2024*: 23.936 (13.788 Oviedo/7.881 Lugo)

* Until the 7th of December

So the numbers are up by a whopping 17% between 2023 and 2024. And after that bump in August 2022, the numbers have levelled out a bit over the months of May till September. But August still considerably busier.

Luka · Dec 8, 2024

Checked one more thing. The numbers in 2024 starting from Oviedo. That gives a bit of a different perspective:

So then May till September are all very similar, only July has slightly lower numbers.

This one is with Lugo as starting point:

So the August 'crowds' are mainly caused by pilgrims walking the last 100 kms. So all in all very similar to the Francés.

Betsybow · Monday at 3:30 AM

Interesting! Thank you.

Are the dates recorded as finishing in SdC? So people recorded in July may have started in June etc?

I’m planning a July 2025 Primitivo ….. so exciting!

jungleboy · Monday at 7:43 AM

Luka said:
So the August 'crowds' are mainly caused by pilgrims walking the last 100 kms. So all in all very similar to the Francés.

I didn't realise just the last 100km numbers on the Primitivo were that high, and to be honest I don't really understand it. Lugo aside, all the best of it is behind you. I get that people might be looking for an alternative to Sarria, but it seems to me like the thought process is not much more than, "I heard the Primitivo is nice but I don't have time/energy for all of it, I'll just do the last 100km," without looking into what makes it nice and where those parts are.

Disclosure: I developed a cold right after Lugo and it rained quite a bit for those next two days, then we joined the Francés, so those days were particular unmemorable for me — literally, as in I barely remember anything! If I walk the Primitivo again, I'll definitely do the Via Verde alternative after Lugo.

Blister Bill · Monday at 2:13 PM

jungleboy said:
I didn't realise just the last 100km numbers on the Primitivo were that high, and to be honest I don't really understand it. Lugo aside, all the best of it is behind you. I get that people might be looking for an alternative to Sarria, but it seems to me like the thought process is not much more than, "I heard the Primitivo is nice but I don't have time/energy for all of it, I'll just do the last 100km," without looking into what makes it nice and where those parts are.

Disclosure: I developed a cold right after Lugo and it rained quite a bit for those next two days, then we joined the Francés, so those days were particular unmemorable for me — literally, as in I barely remember anything! If I walk the Primitivo again, I'll definitely do the Via Verde alternative after Lugo.

Just wondering if it's got anything to do with it being slightly less than 100km from Lugo . (Also got solid rain for the 3 days from Lugo and it's mainly on road verges so empathise Nick)

David Tallan · Monday at 2:51 PM

Luka said:
I was wondering what the recent numbers were per month on the Primitivo. I put the data from the pilgrim's office in a simple graph, so I could as well post it here:

View attachment 181958
Yearly totals
2022: 20.958 (11.150 Oviedo/6.806 Lugo)
2023: 20.402 (12.214 Oviedo/5.996 Lugo)
2024*: 23.936 (13.788 Oviedo/7.881 Lugo)

* Until the 7th of December

So the numbers are up by a whopping 17% between 2023 and 2024. And after that bump in August 2022, the numbers have levelled out a bit over the months of May till September. But August still considerably busier.

Interesting. Looking at the bars on the chart, I would not have expected 2024 to be so much ahead of the other two years, especially not so far ahead of 2022.

Luka · Monday at 2:52 PM

Betsybow said:
Interesting! Thank you.

Are the dates recorded as finishing in SdC? So people recorded in July may have started in June etc?

I’m planning a July 2025 Primitivo ….. so exciting!

Yes, these are arrival dates in Santiago, registered by the pilgrim's office. I think most people walk in about 14/15 days from Oviedo to Santiago.

¡Buen Camino!

Luka · Monday at 2:56 PM

jungleboy said:
I didn't realise just the last 100km numbers on the Primitivo were that high, and to be honest I don't really understand it. Lugo aside, all the best of it is behind you. I get that people might be looking for an alternative to Sarria, but it seems to me like the thought process is not much more than, "I heard the Primitivo is nice but I don't have time/energy for all of it, I'll just do the last 100km," without looking into what makes it nice and where those parts are.

Neither did I. It must indeed be to qualify for a Compostela and to avoid the crowds. But still a strange choice IMHO. In Melide you'll be back in the crowds and I think the Sanabrés from Ourense is a much more attractive 100 km alternative. So yes, misinformation might be part of it too.

I am actually considering walking the Primitivo just from Oviedo to Lugo.

Luka · Monday at 2:58 PM

David Tallan said:
Interesting. Looking at the bars on the chart, I would not have expected 2024 to be so much ahead of the other two years, especially not so far ahead of 2022.

I agree. That's why I added the total numbers.

peregrina2000 · Monday at 3:09 PM

jungleboy said:
"I heard the Primitivo is nice but I don't have time/energy for all of it, I'll just do the last 100km," without looking into what makes it nice and where those parts are.

It may be that people wanting to just walk the last 100 kms might compare Lugo to Sarria, both in terms of what there is to see and how easy it is to get there — Lugo wins, IMHO, on both counts. I agree that the last 100 km aren’t the most spectacular part of the Primitivo.

jungleboy said:
If I walk the Primitivo again, I'll definitely do the Via Verde alternative after Lugo

I know you missed Santa Eulalia last time, but I think it would make those last 100 km much more enjoyable! There are tracks on Camiño Verde alternative through Santa Eulalia. Personally, I didn’t find the stretch from Santa Eulalia to Friol to be any more pleasant than Santa Eulalia to Ferreira, and Friol to Sobrado had a long (5-8km?) slog on pavement after joining the Norte. But visiting Sobrado was also a highlight. So Lugo + Camiño Verde + Santa Eulalia + Sobrado dos Monxes makes for what I think is a more enjoyable last 100 km.

Elle Bieling · Monday at 3:53 PM

I agree that from Lugo, the best is behind you! With, of course the grand exception of Santa Eulalia. However, I have yet to do the Camiño Verde, as I wanted to re-experience the final 100 km, since it was many years since I had.

jungleboy · Monday at 4:17 PM

Luka said:
I am actually considering walking the Primitivo just from Oviedo to Lugo.

I almost did that a couple of years ago because I was with a friend and we were short on time after the Salvador. In the end we took transport to Lugo so he could check it out, and then to Tui, from where we did the last part of the CP instead.

Blister Bill · Monday at 7:40 PM

David Tallan said:
Interesting. Looking at the bars on the chart, I would not have expected 2024 to be so much ahead of the other two years, especially not so far ahead of 2022.

Makes sense as the total numbers are already 60,000 up on 2022.

peregrina2000 said:
It may be that people wanting to just walk the last 100 kms might compare Lugo to Sarria, both in terms of what there is to see and how easy it is to get there — Lugo wins, IMHO, on both counts. I agree that the last 100 km aren’t the most spectacular part of the Primitivo.

...and its over 15km shorter which is probably significant when walking @ 100km.

Elle Bieling said:
I agree that from Lugo, the best is behind you! With, of course the grand exception of Santa Eulalia. However, I have yet to do the Camiño Verde, as I wanted to re-experience the final 100 km, since it was many years since I had.

The first stretch from Lugo following briefly the Mino and then the Mera is really lovely and one I can highly recommend - plenty of good picnic spots !

David Tallan · Monday at 8:53 PM

Luka said:
I agree. That's why I added the total numbers.

I think the bars are off, then. Just looking at the bars, there is not a significant difference in Jan or Feb. In March, 2024 is about 600 ahead of 2023. May about 400, June about 500, July about 200, August maybe 450. The rest around the same or lower than 2023 (like April, September, and December). There is no way that is showing a 3,000 difference. If the totals are correct, the bars are mistaken.

Luka · Monday at 9:32 PM

David Tallan said:
I think the bars are off, then. Just looking at the bars, there is not a significant difference in Jan or Feb. In March, 2024 is about 600 ahead of 2023. May about 400, June about 500, July about 200, August maybe 450. The rest around the same or lower than 2023 (like April, September, and December). There is no way that is showing a 3,000 difference. If the totals are correct, the bars are mistaken.

I had a second look and you are totally right. The totals of the bars don't correspond with the other totals I found on the PO's website.

These are the totals of the bars:
2022: 21.360
2023: 20.155
2024: 22.198

I don't know which numbers are correct. The statistics of the PO give different totals. For example: there is also a slight difference between the totals of the starting locations and the totals of the nationality of pilgrims (both are higher than the totals of the bars though). Maybe caused by missing data?

Beeman · Tuesday at 1:04 AM

Luka said:
Neither did I. It must indeed be to qualify for a Compostela and to avoid the crowds. But still a strange choice IMHO. In Melide you'll be back in the crowds and I think the Sanabrés from Ourense is a much more attractive 100 km alternative. So yes, misinformation might be part of it too.

I am actually considering walking the Primitivo just from Oviedo to Lugo.

From lugo take the Verde and avoid the frances entirely

Luka · Tuesday at 9:12 AM

Beeman said:
From lugo take the Verde and avoid the frances entirely

I considered that, but if I recall well the distances were too long for me. I might leave my decision open. Calculate about 5/6 days extra and decide when arriving in Lugo whether I'll continue on the Primitivo, take my chances on the Verde or bus to Santiago and walk to Finisterre/Muxía (which I still have never done).

Fred Gaudet · 2024-12-14T21:38:05+0100

Where can I find more information about going from " Lugo + Camiño Verde + Santa Eulalia + Sobrado dos Monxes" as peregrina2000 recommends. I plan to do the Primitivo in July.

Thanks.

Luka · Dec 8, 2024

I was wondering what the recent numbers were per month on the Primitivo. I put the data from the pilgrim's office in a simple graph, so I could as well post it here: Yearly totals 2022: 20.958...

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Pilgrim numbers on the Primitivo 2022/2023/2024

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