The best time to walk the Camino Frances May or September?

[Scuba]

Hi all

I imagine this question has been asked already, but I cannot seem to find an answer. When is the best time of the year to walk the Camino Frances? I have heard conflicting opinions;…. May versus September. Some people say it’s better in May because the country side looks green and fresh. Others say May can be cold. Some say September is better, but the country side looks burnt. Others say September is too busy. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated as my wife and I are planning to walk our first Camino next year.

 

[Robo]

You may not be surprised to hear..........
Those are the two busiest months
Great minds (like everyone) think alike.........

Where are you planning to start?

 

[Anhalter]

May and September are both very busy. There are regularly reports of big waves of pilgrims at that time. You can still be lucky and get "between" the waves, but do not expect things to be empty either way.

For me it was always a natural decision to walk in May. Lots of public holidays to work with (helps with taking that time off work) and i like the season very much. Great to see how things come to live during the time you walk. There might also be an argument to be made, that infrastructure and people are not as exhausted by tens of thousands of pilgrims as they might be by the end of summer.
Weather can be unpredictable, but yes, i would guess theres a bit of a higher chances of bad weather in May than in September. I can live with that, but if it is important to you it might be worth considering.
And of course i can think that September can also be a wonderful time to walk. Just if i personally had to chose, i would always go in Spring.

 

[Ianinam]

As written before: both months are exactly the busiest months of the year. In these weeks every day hundreds of pilgrims start in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and in Roncesvalles (245 beds) much to our regret we have to send away many pilgrims every day who did not make a reservation. Which of the two choices you take: be prepared and make your reservations from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port through Pamplona.

 

[Lexicos]

I've walked it once in May and once in September.
I prefer May.
I prefer Spring to Autumn.

Some of the pros and cons are detailed above from our fellow pilgrims.
I hope to do it again in May-June in 2025.
Either way, it's a great walk., at any time.
Buen Camino.

 

[dougfitz]

I've started on the CF in Mar and early May. It was starting to warm up by mid-Jun, and I wouldn't want to have left SJPP any later than the first week. My experience walking later in the year is on the St Olav's Ways in Sweden and Norway - not particularly helpful for you!!

 

[David Tallan]

Hi all

I imagine this question has been asked already, but I cannot seem to find an answer.

Probably because while there has been a lot of discussion, no consensus answer has emerged. It seems some people are spring people, others are autumnal. Some, who are walking from SJPP prefer to avoid both May and September, finding it too crowded. They may go deeper into the shoulder seasons with April or October, or prefer the summer warmth, or even the solitude of winter.

For me, the best season is whenever you have the opportunity.

 

[Joe.Iozzi]

Days are longer in May, nearly three hours more daylight in May than in September. Sunrise is around 8 'clock in mid-September, making an early start difficult.

 

[lbrown498]

The best time is whenever you can arrange it. I went in October, and it was beautiful!

 

[SioCamino]

I walked this year in August, starting 15th August from Logroño, arriving to SdC on the 11th September and Fisterra on the 15th. It was a great camino, the weather was hot but not too hot (I didn't walk in the afternoons but didn't generally start before first light), there were plenty of beds, I was never in a full albergue and there was a nice number of Pilgrims (at least until Sarria), plenty of company if you wanted it and plenty of solitude while walking. It was pretty perfect!

 

[dfox]

Hi all

I imagine this question has been asked already, but I cannot seem to find an answer. When is the best time of the year to walk the Camino Frances? I have heard conflicting opinions;…. May versus September. Some people say it’s better in May because the country side looks green and fresh. Others say May can be cold. Some say September is better, but the country side looks burnt. Others say September is too busy. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated as my wife and I are planning to walk our first Camino next year.

It boils down to what kinds of experience you would enjoy or want to enjoy.

 

[t2andreo]

I have walked the entire Camino Frances (CF) twice, from late April through the end of May. It is beautiful, but can get crowded.

Consider that Easter is late in 2025. I believe it falls on Sunday 20 April. So, the CF will experience a big surge in departures from Saint Jean Pied de Porte (SJPdP) from around 14 April, through the end of April. May pilgrims use their holidays and several bridge days" to be able to walk the two weeks straddling Easter, without using too much time off.

Because of this, you will not be alone much, from the end of April through the first week or so of June.

In fact, were I to plan to walk the CF again - and I am thinking about it - I am seriously considering starting from SJPdP in the last week of September.

Although there is a final, in-season surge in mid-September, by the last week of September, most of that added traffic will be ahead of you. Walking in October is very pleasant, and the crowds start to reduce as the days shorten. Typically, albergues do not close for the season until the beginning of November.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[JabbaPapa]

Well, depends on your walking speed, but I'd suggest some point in June and get to Sarria at the start of July.

 

[Bedspring]

I started this year 4th June and had perfect weather, about an hour of rain, and one day a bit too hot, some people in May had 4 weeks of rain IIRC, and this led I assume to the riot of flowers I saw. Personally I valued the lighter mornings, so for me that would preclude September. But the weather is the weather ¯\_(ツ)_/¯