Whether to book accomodation in advance or not? Camino del Norte from Santillana del Mar (sep 2024)

What harm could it do to book at least the first few days?
Well....perhaps a little more expense than anticipated.
And that is all that I can see.

What benefits?
Well.....A settled mind of course. In the knowledge that...come wind...come rain...come disturbed travel arrangements...come a hoard of desperate accommodation seeking pilgrims of all conditions, your absolute primary need is guaranteed fulfilled.

Experience informs that these hoards, not necessarily unpleasant in themselves, unfairly become that way in our estimation because of the deleterious effect they can have on us.
Without organised accommodation we find we join them, become one with them.
We don't want that to happen.
Not me anyway cobber!

Regards and good travelling,
Gerard

It depends when you are going. booked the first 4-5 nights on the Norte because those beach resort areas are very popular during the summer months. There are many summer festivals in the smaller towns. Those places can fill up fast as well.
We did half with reservations and half without. Then a kayak race sold out every place for miles around. We stayed in a person's house by grace. After that we reserved a spot each night.

MartaP said:

Hi everyone! I am starting my first Camino at the end of next week and I am wondering if you recommend booking albergues/ hotels in advance. I am planning on sleeping in albergues and not in hotels. Thank you in advance!

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Hi Marta. I’m doing the last stretch from Sarria to SDC the third week of September. I am booking albergues at the moment and there still seems to be reasonable availability. That said, if you know where you want to stay, my thinking is that it makes sense to get your place reserved and avoid the “first-come-first-served” risk when you arrive already tired at the end of your daily walk.