Walking during Holy Week

[alaskadiver]

Looks like we've nailed down on our dates, and we will leave Alaska April 13th and start walking on the following Wednesday the 17th. That will put us on the Camino right in the middle of Holy Week. We'd arrive in Quiroga on Easter. I do plan to call or email the places but I'm wondering what the situation might be for bars and restaurants and grocery stores being open.

Anyone here walked during that time for the first part of the Invierno?

 

[SRutledge]

keen to hear responses on this - i too am considering doing the 2nd camino around Easter time...

 

[peregrina2000]

I will email @Ribeirasacra, who lives close to the route, to see if he has good info.

 

[Ribeirasacra]

You called????
Accommodation. Most places will be full between the 14 to 20 April 2019. I really would suggest you either change your dates or use a website where you can make a reservation.
Having said that it could be too early wait until the new year. Do not rely on phone calls and emails ensure you make some sort of reservation. A deposit to reserve has to be made.
Bars will be open as normal shops will be closed on the 19th. Both the 18th and 19th April 2019 are public holidays in all of Spain.

 

[alaskadiver]

You called????
Accommodation. Most places will be full between the 14 to 20 April 2019. I really would suggest you either change your dates or use a website where you can make a reservation.
Having said that it could be too early wait until the new year. Do not rely on phone calls and emails ensure you make some sort of reservation. A deposit to reserve has to be made.
Bars will be open as normal shops will be closed on the 19th. Both the 18th and 19th April 2019 are public holidays in all of Spain.

No you misunderstand, I don't have an issue with accommodations. I can easily find out what is open and available. The dates can't be changed at this point. My only concern was for bars and food shopping.

Thank you for that info.

 

[Red Rose]

Will the albergues be full at that time?

 

[Tincatinker]

Will the albergues be full at that time?

Oh yes. Many locals walk in Holy Week. As @Ribeirasacra has said, book your bed.

 

[Red Rose]

Oh yes. Many locals walk in Holy Week. As @Ribeirasacra has said, book your bed.

Thanks Tincatinker

 

[notion900]

For general info:
Holy week is a week, not a weekend. Easter Monday isn't a public holiday in most autonomous communities. Semana Santa is the whole week before Easter Sunday, with the public holidays being the Thursday and Friday in Galicia. My experience is that pilgrim specific accomodation in villages isn't really affected, in a town where people are likely to congregate, it's essential to book well ahead.

If you want to visit a popular tourist attraction with timed tickets (like the Alhambra), you will have to book many weeks in advance.

Be aware that public holidays in Spain are partly national and partly regional. Details at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Spain

Holy week is an amazing time to be in Spain, the slight logistical challenges are well worth it.

 

[Red Rose]

For general info:
Holy week is a week, not a weekend. Easter Monday isn't a public holiday in most autonomous communities. Semana Santa is the whole week before Easter Sunday, with the public holidays being the Thursday and Friday in Galicia. My experience is that pilgrim specific accomodation in villages isn't really affected, in a town where people are likely to congregate, it's essential to book well ahead.

If you want to visit a popular tourist attraction with timed tickets (like the Alhambra), you will have to book many weeks in advance.

Be aware that public holidays in Spain are partly national and partly regional. Details at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Spain

Holy week is an amazing time to be in Spain, the slight logistical challenges are well worth it.

Thanks for the information notion900. I am hoping to do the Portuguese Camino next spring and I might try to time it so that we get to Santiago for Palm Sunday or sooner hopefully that will work out better.

 

[Ribeirasacra]

..... pilgrim specific accomodation ......

That is the problem with this route. Little accommodation aimed at pilgrims. Hence my words of warning. Reports covering this region suggested that the accommodation was about 90% full last year.
Plus there is a medieval festival in Monforte de Lemos. The weekend before there is usually a wine festival in Chantada. It is busy busy busy.

 

[notion900]

Sounds fantastic

 

[alaskadiver]

That is the problem with this route. Little accommodation aimed at pilgrims. Hence my words of warning. Reports covering this region suggested that the accommodation was about 90% full last year.
Plus there is a medieval festival in Monforte de Lemos. The weekend before there is usually a wine festival in Chantada. It is busy busy busy.

When is the medieval festival?

 

[alaskadiver]

So I was able to secure accommodations for Wed through Easter and through the following Thursday. A couple of the pensiones took my name and reservation but wouldn't take a deposit (they are not on the traditional stops anyway). I promised to call a couple months ahead in February to reconfirm. And again while I was walking toward them.
Chantada on the weekend after Easter might be problem. One place is booked out and the other 2 don’t have great reviews, so it’ll be luck of the draw on that day
After that, accommodations seem plentiful.

 

[alaskadiver]

So for anyone wondering...I was able to book rooms at Hotel Mogay. Everything is full even past Easter Sunday. If you are planning to walk during this same time frame, good luck if you haven't secured accommodations. In a couple places I grabbed the last available room. Glad I started booking now!
Albergue in Villavieja said that they reserve a certain number of beds just for pilgrims and told me to call a couple days ahead (when we arrive in Ponferrada). He didn't think that we'd have a problem getting 2 beds there during Holy Week since it's not a usual place for pilgrims to stop at this point.

If it were possible, I would have changed my date to the week after Easter but logistically for us this was the only 2 weeks that worked for all of us walking. I relied too heavily on all the talk that this is a little traveled Camino and didn't expect that lodging would be such a challenge. I didn’t even think about Easter when we were trying to pick our 30 days to travel.
It is definitely more expensive then the Primitivo so be warned if you are traveling on a budget. This Camino is already costing at least $500 more than the Primitivo due to the lack of albergues.

 

[ranthr]

Hotel Mogay in Chantada was modern and nice and with a good breakfast.

 

[alaskadiver]

Hotel Mogay in Chantada was modern and nice and with a good breakfast.

Thanks! It was the only thing available so I’m glad to hear a good review from you