Planning a May 2025 pilgrimage

[vikkid]

Hi. I've been reading posts for a couple months now, and the info here is excellent. I recently read that the French camino is the busiest and especially in May. What is "busy"? My husband and I will be walking together mostly but will do some solo days too. I have it in my head that there will be times of quiet, solitary walking and some with other pilgrims. Am I being realistic? Or will it be a lot of walking alongside other pilgrims during this time? I know every day is different. Just looking for some feedback. Thanks!

 

[J Willhaus]

I expect that every morning, there will be pilgrims in your line of sight. From St Jean and definitely from Sarria. (You didn't say where you planned to start.)

Here's a late morning example as you leave the road and head from France into Spain. You can see pilgrims behind me strung along.

Then another from Sarria crossing the bridge out of town in mid June in 2023. On the CF in summer, there will most likely be someone in sight unless you walk later in the day and stay in towns between the most common towns. Don't let it stop you.

You don't have to talk to anyone if you don't want and you should just walk your own pace.

 

[Bradypus]

Last May 10,642 pilgrims were recorded by the SJPDP pilgrim office. So on average about 340 per day leaving there that month. At the other end of the Camino the stretch from Sarria to Santiago is likely to be even more busy. 33,960 people claimed a Compostela in Santiago in May after walking at least the last 100km of the Frances. So you can expect around 1,000 people per day or more on each day of the final stages. Numbers arriving in June were only slightly smaller.

 

[Anhalter]

Having started twice on May 13th i experienced a good variety. Yes, mornings can be busy. Yes, ther for sure will be talk about full albergues and whatnot. I opted for unconventional stages, always taking alternative routes if one presented itself, sometimes walked long into the afternoon. I had my fair share of "crowds" but also a surprisingly high amount of solitude. Once had to walk into the next village for a bed, but otherwise no issues finding a place to sleep.
Theres a popular recommendation to book SJPDP till Pamplona, since most people walk pretty much the same stages, and i think that can be a good idea. Once in Pamplona, there are more options and you have a better feeling how busy it really is.

 

[trecile]

The main issue with it being "busy" is that there are a few locations that don't have sufficient accommodations for large numbers of pilgrims during busy times. But that doesn't mean that the trail itself will be crowded all day. You should have plenty of opportunity to walk alone.

 

[vikkid]

Thanks for that info and the photos!

 

[Jarrad]

If you want to avoid the biggest bubbles of pilgrims, I would search the forum for advice (I'm inexpert in this area, as I fear not the bubble!). Bottom line is you can schedule your start on different days of the week (and month) to avoid the larger bands of pilgrims.

Solo days: That is a magnificent idea! Lots of variants that you could diverge onto and then reconvene for dinner (personally, I recommend one of you visit the Eunate church early in your pilgrimage).

I absolutely love May. I was planning to walk in May this spring until I had a major family scheduling conflict. I almost gave up on the idea of a CdF pilgrimage in 2025, but will spend the holidays this year considering a new plan. I'm looking hard at June.

Buen Camino and Merry Christmas!

 

[trecile]

This is a good thread to understand how the flow of pilgrim traffic changes by season and location.

Thread 'A tale of two Caminos - What about those crowds?'

May 3, 2023

And they are both the Camino Francés!

Lastly, I would like every newby to be informed that the high season in the first section of the CF is not the Summer at all: the high season are May and September, while the Summer (August and especially July) are the low season; it's not like that at all in the last section of the CF (Galicia), where the Summer months are the busiest ones.

As @Juanma says, the high (crowded) seasons of the first 700 km of the Camino Francés are in May and September, (and it seems increasingly in April), while the high season of the last 100 km...

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[vikkid]

Thanks! The Eunate church looks amazing. On the list for sure.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

The speed of your walk will also influence how crowded the trail feels. Walk slow and you'll be passed more often (and maybe be conversing more for awhile). When passed you also get to see the passers for awhile. Go fast yourself and you avoid more of the people coming from behind but you meet new friends in front of you. Adjust your pace to regulate how many folks you want to meet or avoid in addition to getting to a certain place at a certain time.

 

[woody66]

May 16th this year i left SJPP and walked the Valcarlos route left at 9am!
SJPP Valcarlos saw 6 to 8 Pilgrims on the way. That night in the restaurant there were enough to sing me Happy Birthday!
Next day Valcarlos to Puerta de Ibaneta i saw one pilgrim on the way ;i again left at 9am!
I walked on to Burguete when i left there the next morning there were loads of pilgrims. and again leaving Pamplona!
As for the rest up until the last 100 km not so many; but leaving Sarria and Portomarin loads and after that peace and quiet!
If it's not to busy wait a little while until they are out of sight; hat's what i did
The video below shows the worst!

 

[Texas Walker]

Just in case it slipped by without notice, staying at less publicized stopping points (avoiding Brierly end of stage spots) means less crowding at the sleeping place.

Most places have pensiones or apartamentos or hotels that you can stay at if the albergue is full, or too crowded for you. The only really useful thing that albergues generally have that the others often don't is laundry arrangements. There isn't a stack of tubs and a drying line at most pensiones, etc., as they love the pilgrims but they're not totally wrapped up into the pilgrim thing.

I personally don't like the making reservations far in advance habit. What if things change? (You discover that you need a rest day before the one you had scheduled, you lost a garment and really need the hiking store for a new one, etc.) You'd be not only making new plans on the fly but you'd also be frantically calling to cancel your stays that were arranged. I do believe it's a good plan to call ahead a day or so before arriving in a large city. And if the lady at the pension offers to call her cousin that has a casa rural or pension in the place we're going I am grateful for her kindness. You meet some really neat people that way.

HTH. BC!

 

[bullingtonce]

Hi. I've been reading posts for a couple months now, and the info here is excellent. I recently read that the French camino is the busiest and especially in May. What is "busy"? My husband and I will be walking together mostly but will do some solo days too. I have it in my head that there will be times of quiet, solitary walking and some with other pilgrims. Am I being realistic? Or will it be a lot of walking alongside other pilgrims during this time? I know every day is different. Just looking for some feedback. Thanks!

From one perspective, you are the deciding factor, the crucial element. You and only you decide how you are going to walk a Camino. Body language says everything. I can see someone walking and, without knowing anything about them, can immediately tell that this person is in a zone within itself and does not want even a soft and gracious 'Good Morning' greeting. He/she gives all waves of vibes that say, "I am in my zone of no contact." And to those who are ignorant and oblivious of this person's state, as they blindly issue a 'Good Morning!' greeting to this person, he/she does not respond; it is as if no one outside his zone/world exists.
I babble on this to make the point that your Camino experience is made by you and you alone, not by those around you and you are the one who chooses the level and frequency of contact. For example, on a Monday you and only you decide this will be a day of social interaction and reaching out to anyone and everyone. On Friday, you and only you are 'allergic' to humans and remain within your shell regardless of what is going on outside you. Either or both are fine. Just decide how you and only you want this to play out.
I am not sure an of what I just said makes sense, but thank you for giving me the opportunity even if I blew it.
All the best.

 

[SabsP]

From one perspective, you are the deciding factor, the crucial element. You and only you decide how you are going to walk a Camino. Body language says everything. I can see someone walking and, without knowing anything about them, can immediately tell that this person is in a zone within itself and does not want even a soft and gracious 'Good Morning' greeting. He/she gives all waves of vibes that say, "I am in my zone of no contact." And to those who are ignorant and oblivious of this person's state, as they blindly issue a 'Good Morning!' greeting to this person, he/she does not respond; it is as if no one outside his zone/world exists.
I babble on this to make the point that your Camino experience is made by you and you alone, not by those around you and you are the one who chooses the level and frequency of contact. For example, on a Monday you and only you decide this will be a day of social interaction and reaching out to anyone and everyone. On Friday, you and only you are 'allergic' to humans and remain within your shell regardless of what is going on outside you. Either or both are fine. Just decide how you and only you want this to play out.
I am not sure an of what I just said makes sense, but thank you for giving me the opportunity even if I blew it.
All the best.

I guess your Camino de la Lana was not so crowded seeing the general numbers on this route are very limited ?
Did it made a difference in depth of contact when you met another pilgrim? With other words : did you find communication easier or more diffcult talking with few pilgrims compared with sitting arround a table with lots of others?

 

[DwainS]

The main issue with it being "busy" is that there are a few locations that don't have sufficient accommodations for large numbers of pilgrims during busy times. But that doesn't mean that the trail itself will be crowded all day. You should have plenty of opportunity to walk alone.

The main issue with it being "busy" is that there are a few locations that don't have sufficient accommodations for large numbers of pilgrims during busy times. But that doesn't mean that the trail itself will be crowded all day. You should have plenty of opportunity to walk alone.

That is so true. Walked May -June this year and there was lots of time on the trail I was by myself but a lot of the small towns had full albergues.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

May is crowded on the Camino Frances, the Portuguese, and the Primitivo. So is September.
Try walking in late June/early July, there's a significant drop in numbers and the heat hasn't really set in yet -- there's still a great flush of wildflowers blooming, but not so many fellow pilgs.
If the heat doesn't bother you, August is ideal, you'll always find a bed when you're ready to stop.