What I wish I knew when I first walked the Camino

lynnejohn · Feb 12, 2012

In another thread, Tim-the-fat-Canadian said he has learned not to start his Camino on a Sunday. This reminded me how ill-prepared I was for the rhythm of life, openings and closings and holidays and festivals in Spain when I walked my first Camino. For my second camino, I made sure I knew this information. In addition to the information here, there are the festivals. Some are national, some are regional (such as April Fair in Sevilla (April 24-29 this year). Whether you want to attend these festivals or avoid them, planning is necessary. Here are some of the tips I picked up:

TIPS:

Sundays and Mondays
Sundays in general are not a convenient time to get anything done. Different Autonomous Communities have different laws regarding shopping on a Sunday - in Madrid, for example, the shops are open on the first Sunday of a month and closed on the rest of the them. Most regions are more relaxed regarding Sunday opening in December.

Big shops like El Corte Inglés and FNAC often open on public holidays (though not on Sundays and not on Workers' Day - May 1).

Museums and other activities aimed at tourists may have their weekly closed day on Monday instead. Bars and cafes will usually have either Sunday or Monday off. Some stay open.

Puente:
If a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many businesses will take the Monday or Friday off too. This is known as a 'puente', a 'bridge' between the holiday and the weekend. Sometimes, if the holiday falls on a Wednesday, staff may take both Monday and Tuesday off.

Siesta:
There are two periods of siesta in Spain - siesta for shops and businesses, during which time many people go to a bar or restaurant, and then siesta for the restaurants, who obviously can't rest when everyone wants to come and eat.
The siesta for shops and businesses is from approximately 2pm until 5pm while bars and restaurants close from about 4pm until about 8 or 9pm

Public Holidays 2012
January 1 New Year's Day.
January 6 Epiphany.
Week Before Easter Semana Santa - the later in the week you get, the more likely things will be closed - with Thursday, Friday and Sunday the most affected. Easter Monday is not a public holiday, except in Catalonia and Valencia.
May 1 Workers' Day.
August 15 Assumption of the Virgin.
October 12 National Day.
November 1 All Saints' Day
December 6 Constitution Day
December 8 Immaculate Conception
December 24 Navidad. Christmas Eve (Night) is far more important than Christmas Day in Spain. Shops may close early on Christmas Eve, though most will be open in the morning.

peregrina2000 · Feb 12, 2012

Hi, Lynne,

Good tips for first timers to Spain, who often have a hard time figuring out the schedules, the openings, and the holidays. From what I've heard, the new Rajoy government has really shook up the holidays and has abolished at least 5 possible puentes. As of this year, apparently, the following holidays will all be celebrated on a Monday, rather than on their "real" date, unless the holiday falls on a weekend, in which case it will keep its real date.

1 May
15 Aug
12 Oct
6 Dec
8 Dec

Of course, if you look at your list of holidays, there is still plenty of puente opportunity.

Kind of hard to envision Spain without puentes, but then again it was hard to imagine Spain without smoking in bars, and look at where we are now. Buen camino, Laurie

lynnejohn · Feb 12, 2012

Wow! And yet another tradition bites the dust! Thanks Laurie!

lessilb · Aug 25, 2012

Hi
We are planning our first Camino for next May walking from Villafranc del Bierzo to Santiago de Compostela. On of the (many) questions we have is whether it will be difficult to find places to eat on Sunday or Monday. We appreciate any answers that might help and are sure to be back with more questions over the next few months. This forum has been very helpful and interesting. We hope to meet some of you along the Way.
Les

Strac72 · Aug 28, 2012

lessilb said:
Hi
On of the (many) questions we have is whether it will be difficult to find places to eat on Sunday or Monday.
Les

A good question, which I am interested in the answer to too.

Deleted member 3000 · Aug 28, 2012

No problem. Bars and restaurants cater to pilgrims, so are closed only rarely. Supermercados may be a different story, so if you self-cater, stock up Saturday with supplies for Sunday. Monday closings can be a problem in France, but I never found it to be a problem in Spain.

CaptBuddy · Aug 28, 2012

Having been to Spain several times, I can affirm what lynnejohn and the others write. Particularly about Sundays. It is a real shock to your system. We had to beg a hotel clerk for a complimentary toothbrush once, when our bags were delayed on a Sunday arrival. Travel with one in your carry-on.

Also, I'll add that the national pastime is the Sunday Family outing, especially in the north (Camino Frances). Packing the family into a vehicle or two and finding a rural restaurant is very popular. Be prepared to find another place or wait. If you're not seated by about 1530, you may not get lunch.

The good part is Sunday is a great day to sightsee or people watch, take in a game of boles, or sit in a park and enjoy.

robertt · Aug 28, 2012

Much appreciated, lynnejohn. That's a very handy list, along with explanations. It deserves to be copied and folded inside one's guide book. Now, if you could just demystify French opening and closing hours for us...

Kitsambler · Aug 28, 2012

French opening and closing hours:

To give you the bottom line first, it varies, and one needs to carry extra provisions in the event.

Generally, shops and restaurants will be closed on Sundays and one additional day of the week (could be Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday). In the very small towns (ie, the ones you are likely to be in), that means everything closes. In slightly larger (two-restaurant) towns, sometimes place A closes on Monday and place B closes on Tuesday. But one can be hungry even in the large towns: I arrived in Cahors (major town - 50,000+) on a Sunday evening to find every single restaurant closed. Frankly, I was convinced that whenever they saw me coming, the town closed down!

In France, everyone goes home (or out) for lunch, so shops close from about 12 to about 2. Everywhere. Restaurants are open for lunch from about 12 to about 2 or 3, and then close until they open for the evening meal about 7 or 7:30.

Bakeries will often be open early, and for a few hours, on days others will be closed (Sundays and "closing day" whenever it is), where you can get sandwiches and the occasional pizza slice. However, there is enough inconsistency in this practice that there were continuing sources of disappointment.

Your best bet is to reserve your lodgings ahead for Sundays and Mondays; either get demi-pension or confirm with your host that a local restaurant will be open. If they are self-catering, make sure you stock up groceries on Saturday. Also plan your lunch supplies for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.