The best time to walk the Camino de Santiago
Many people preparing for the walk want to know when is the best time to do the Camino de Santiago. In general spring-summer months, April to September, are the best time to walk the Camino de Santiago. To narrow the period down you have to decide on the Camino route you want to walk. Routes through Southern and Central Spain are better to walk in spring before it gets too hot. Coastal or mountainous routes in Northern Spain are nice to walk during the summer months.
There are several aspects to find the best time for you to walk the Camino. First of them is the weather; you don’t want it to be too hot, too rainy, or too cold. Second, crowdedness, it’s important to consider if you’re going to walk one of the popular Camino routes. You don’t want to worry every day about not being able to find a place to sleep. Third, prices, it’s closely related to seasonality. Some coastal Camino routes e.g. the Camino del Norte go past very popular summer holiday places, as a result, accommodation prices increase significantly during the peak summer season. Let’s look at these three aspects in detail.
As of February 2023, we've completed 9 different Camino routes all of them between the months of April and November: Camino Portuguese from Lisbon - May; Camino Primitivo - June; Camino del Norte - October; Camino Finisterre - November; Via de la Plata - April; Camino Ingles - May/June; Camino Frances - September, Camino del Salvador - September; Camino de Gran Canaria - October.
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When is the best weather to do the Camino de Santiago?
It's one of the most FAQs on the Camino de Santiago we get. We’ve walked seven Camino routes during different months; April, May, June, September, October, and November. As you can see we have never walked the Camino during the peak summer months of July and August because it gets too busy and too hot. Spring is our favorite time to walk the Camino, especially on southern routes; it’s warm and sunny but not too hot, there are not too many people, and fields are covered in flowers.
If you're looking for a nice route to walk in winter I can recommend (from our experience) the Camino de Gran Canaria. It's a short 3-4-day route off mainland Spain on one of the Canary Islands.
As I already mentioned best months for walking vary depending on the Camino route. Let’s focus on the 7 main Camino de Santiago routes and the best months for walking each of them.
Camino Frances goes through Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y Leon, and Galicia. It is by far the most popular route especially the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago. The best weather months to do it are May, June, and September. It’s warm but not too hot, there is not much rain. I walked the French Camino in September. For most of the month, I had really nice and comfortable weather with a couple of rainy days (in Galicia) and a couple of hot days (walking through the Meseta).
Camino Portuguese starts in Portugal and finishes in Galicia, Spain. It’s the second most popular Camino (starting from Porto or Tui, very few pilgrims start in Lisbon). Pretty much the same months as for the previous route; May, June, and September. July and August will be fine too in Northern Portugal and Galicia it doesn’t get extremely hot even during the peak summer months but you still can get a couple of scorching days.
If you’re planning to walk the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon then April and May are your best months in that part of the country it gets very hot in July and August. We walked this route in May starting from Lisbon and had lovely weather all the way with maybe one or two rainy days.
Camino del Norte passes through the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia. It is the third most popular route. It follows the beautiful Northern coast of Spain, therefore, the summer months June to September is the best time for walking it. It doesn’t get as hot here as inland on the Camino Frances. We walked the Northern Camino in October. For the first two or three weeks, we had really nice and warm weather. By the end of the month when we reached Galicia it got cold and rainy, we even got some snow.
Camino Primitivo route goes through Asturias and Galicia. It’s a mountainous route through the area that sees a lot of rain in spring/fall and quite a bit of snow in winter. June to August are the best months for walking here. The warmest months with the least rainfalls. We completed the Camino Primitivo at beginning of June but were quite unlucky with the weather we got a lot of rain in the mountains. It wasn’t cold just rainy and overcast.
Via de la Plata is the longest out of the discussed 7 Camino routes. It starts in Andalusia and crosses Extremadura, Castilla y Leon, and finishes in Galicia. In Andalusia and Extremadura, it gets extremely hot in summer, July to September day temperatures are over 40C°. It’s a very dry area with few towns and villages. This route is not recommended to walk in summer. April, May, and October are the best months to do it. We started walking the Via de la Plata in mid-April. It was nice, warm, sometimes a bit overcast but overall very comfortable weather for walking.
Camino Ingles, the shortest Camino route that finishes in Santiago de Compostela. It goes through Galicia where it never gets really hot but it rains a lot. Summer months, June to September, are the best time for walking this Camino. We walked it in June and had lovely weather; warm and sunny days with no rain.
Camino Finisterre is the only route that starts in Santiago de Compostela. It’s a short route in Galicia that leads to the coast. Just like with the English Camino June to September are the best months for walking it. We did it in November after completing the Camino del Norte and had terrible weather; strong wind and heavy rains for the entire week.
Find out more about average weather conditions in different regions of Spain.
If you planning your pilgrimage we have some tips regarding training for the Camino de Santiago that you might find helpful.
When is the busiest time on the Camino?
According to the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago de Compostela in 2023, 446 061 pilgrims arrived in Santiago.
Some Camino routes get extremely busy during the peak season, some don’t see many pilgrims overall. The months of May, August, and September are in general the busiest period on the Camino de Santiago. In 2023 200 000 pilgrims (45% of all pilgrims) arrived in Santiago in these three months (May - 14%, August - 16%, September - 15,2%).
The Camino Frances (50% of pilgrims completed this route in 2023) gets overcrowded between May and the beginning of September especially the last part of the route from Sarria (31% of all pilgrims walked that route in 2023). Many organized Spanish groups do that part. The main problem with too many pilgrims is finding budget accommodation. Some parts of the Camino have limited options e.g. the Meseta. If you arrive too late or don’t book a bed in advance you might be forced to continue walking to the next town or take a taxi and drive to the nearest available hotel. Luckily the part from Sarria has plenty of albergues despite many people it’s usually not a problem to find a bed.
The Portuguese Camino from Porto (32% of pilgrims) is another route that gets busy during July, August, and the first half of September. It’s not as bad as on the Camino Frances there are different route options; the Coastal Route, the Central Route, and the Spiritual Variant. Pilgrims are distributed between these routes. The last 100 km on the Portuguese Camino from Tui is a very popular route. In 2023 7,7% of all pilgrims completed it.
The Northern Camino (4,6% pilgrims) is another route that depends a lot on seasonality not only because of pilgrims. The Camino goes through very popular beach holiday places in Northern Spain that see thousands of tourists during the summer months. Due to the high demand prices on accommodation increase significantly from July to mid-September. Some cities and towns don’t have many public albergues sometimes you have to stay in hostels and hotels.
As for the other Camino routes, they get busier during the summer months but are never overcrowded. If you want to walk the Camino in July or August and don’t like crowds choose one of the lesser-known routes e.g. Camino Primitivo, Camino Ingles.
If you’re seeking solitude on the Camino you can either walk any route off-season or choose one of the off-the-beaten-track Caminos e.g. Camino del Salvador, Via de la Plata, Camino de Madrid, Camino Sanabres, etc. It’s important to remember the fewer pilgrims are on the route the less infrastructure it has. Such routes are not the best options to walk as your first Camino de Santiago. They’re for more experienced pilgrims or long-distance walkers.
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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
I NEED for my 48 year old son and his two boys 25 an 17 to plan accordingly for their first walk!
Hello Melinda. We have plenty of information about the Camino de Santiago on our site. We don't do personalized Camino planning but we can answer your questions. Your son is welcome to contact us if he needs some advice.
Buen Camino
I keep reading from you that the Camino del Norte is the most expensive route, especially in July and August... what kind of accommodation budget should I plan for on the Camino del Norte in July and August? Assuming that I will try to stay in public albergues as much as is possible.
Hello Chad. Thank you for the comment. You can budget 20-25 euros per bed in private albergues/hostels and 40+ euros for a private single room. We have a PDF that contains a list of places to stay on the Camino del Norte where you can find information on accommodation and price range. The PDF can be found in the third paragraph of this post https://stingynomads.com/camino-del-norte-stages/.
Buen Camino
Planing on walking the French route in September/24
Hello Bill. Buen Camino!
Hi
Thanks for your very informative posts. Got lots of useful info from your website when I walked most of Camino del Norte in October 2019. Haven't finished the Irun to Bilbao section as I started from Bilbao. Likely to be in Europe in early November this year and thought of finishing that section and starting part of Camino Frances as well. Hoping to walk about 3 weeks or so in November. Is it a good time to walk? Just concerned about accommodation and weather.
Hello Andrew. Thank you for the comment. From our Camino experience, November is not a good month for walking especially in Northern Spain. You can get expect to have a lot of rain and low temperatures (above 0C though). As for accommodation on the Camino del Norte many albergues close in October/November. On the Camino Frances, it's easier to find accommodation even off-season because there are many more places and there are still some pilgrims walking the route even in winter. We finished del Norte and walk to Finisterre end of October-beginning of November and we had terrible weather. It doesn't mean that you'll definitely get very bad weather but the chances of it are quite high.
If you have time and really want to walk the Camino then go for it. Otherwise, I can suggest doing the Fishermen's Trail, a 2-week route in the south of Portugal. Weatherwise it's a much better area for hiking in November. It has nothing to do with the Camino but it's one of the most beautiful walking routes in Europe. Here is the link to the post on the route https://stingynomads.com/fishermens-trail-rota-vicentina-itinerary/
Buen Camino
@Stingy Nomads, Appreciate the good advice. Maybe better to find time in 2024!
Hello,
What is the Camino Frances like if done April as in the weather and the crowds? Would it be a problem for a first timer doing the Camino?
Hello Arnel. Thank you for the comment. April is the beginning of the season for the Camino Frances there won't be many people. Finding a place to stay won't be a problem. As for the weather it might be chilly at night and in the morning and you might get some rains especially in Galicia. Overall it's not a bad time for walking the Camino.
Buen Camino
Hi There,
I am planning to walk the last 100 KM of Portuguese route (Vigo to de Santiago) Mid January. My question are, what should I be expecting weather wise and also the accommodation situations?
or perhaps would it be better to postpone it till April?
I would appreciate any advice.
Cheers,
Hello Hoss. In January you can expect cold and rainy weather in Northern Spain. If it's possible I would suggest postponing your Camino walk till April.
Buen Camino
Hello!! Such great information!
We’re planning on walking part of the Camino francais april/May 2023.
We’re wondering about the hostels. Will a light sleep liner be warm enough? Are the hostels on the cool side that time of year?
Hello Janna. Thank you for the comment. If you're planning to stay in public ablergues I would suggest taking a thin sleeping bag rather that a liner. Some places don't have blankets in April/May at night it might be quite chilly. If you're going to stay in private albergues and hotels a liner should be fine as far as I remember most if not all of them have blankets or duvets. Otherwise, you can just pack warmish clothes for sleeping (long pants and a long-sleeve top).
Buen Camino
Would I be mad to attempt any section of this in late January/early Feb? Happen to have some time off work around then so looking at hike options!
Hello Neil. There are many Camino routes in Spain what exactly route are you talking about? The French Way is the most popular one some people walk it during winter. Some albergues stay open for winter as well. Your chances of meeting other pilgrims and finding open albergues on that route are much better than on any other Camino route. If you decide to walk it I would recommend doing the last sections e.g. from Sarria to Santiago. There are many accommodation options and restaurants along the route I'm sure some of them will be open in January-February.
Buen Camino
Hello SN, thank you very much for your detailed descriptions. We are looking into starting the Camino walk from Porto, Central Route the first two weeks of October. I am kind of worried if it will be rainy. This will be my first Camino experience and I want to love it.
Hello Tatiana. Thank you for the comment. You can't be sure what weather you will get in northern Portugal and Spain in October. It's likely to rain but not for 2 weeks. We've walked some Caminos in October and the first half of the month is usually lovely weather though in Galicia it might rain any time regardless of the season.
Buen Camino
I would like to go In November. Would this be a good time starting In Leon
Hello Sharon. From our experience, weatherwise November is not the best time to walk the Camino de Santiago. It's very likely you'll get quite a bit of rain, especially in that last part through Galicia.
Buen Camino
Hello there
My son and I went to do camino Portuguese June 1 from lisbon. We only did 10 stages and aborted the plan. The heat was brutal with very industrial non shaded stages. Its bothering me that we didn't finish so I want to return. Looking at Sept 4/5 to start from Cambria. Do you think weather and crowds will be ok?
Hello Yadira. I'd suggest continuing the Portuguese Camino from Porto. The Lisbon to Porto part has long stages and little infrastructure for pilgrims. You don't have to finish the entire route. If you continue walking from Porto (like most pilgrims do) it won't make your pilgrimage less meaningful or important. From Porto, you can take the Coastal Route to Caminha and from there continue on the Central Route. In my opinion, that part of the Portuguese Camino is more picturesque and the heat won't be a big problem there you will get a fresh sea breeze. The Porto to Santiago part of the route is busier but there are a lot many accommodation options including albergues than on the Lisbon to Porto part. We have detailed posts on the Portuguese Camino from Porto and on the Coastal Route where you can find more information. Here are they are https://stingynomads.com/camino-portugues-stages/ and https://stingynomads.com/portuguese-coastal-camino-stages/
You were unlucky with the weather usually it's not that hot in June yet but we had a heat wave in Portugal and Spain temperatures were abnormally high.
Buen Camino
Hello, and thanks for the helpful hints. We are walking from St.Jean Pied de Port to Finisterre starting May 9th. We have purchased a thicker version of a sleeping bag liner, but would like your thoughts on whether or not we should also carry a sleeping bag?
Thanks,
Hello, Tim. You don't need both if your liner is warm enough you don't have to carry a sleeping bag as well. Having either of them will be fine. Many albergues especially private have blankets. It won't be very cold in May. I walked the Camino Frances in September and was fine sleeping in a thin summer sleeping bag.
Buen Camino
@Stingy Nomads, Thanks for the info.
Thanks for all the great information. My daughter and I are planning to walk from Tui to Santiago from 20th April this year. I’m looking at waterproof trousers and either a short anorak or a longer rain jacket. Would you recommend a packet down quilt jacket underneath either of these options?
Hello, Susan. Thank you for the comment. For Portuguese Camino in mid-April, I'd suggest packing a rain jacket and a long-sleeve fleece top or a packet down jacket and a rain poncho. A down jacket and a rain jacket it's too much it won't be that cold. We usually wear a combination like this hiking high in the mountains when it snows. You'll be sweating in both jackets after 1 hour of walking with a backpack.
Buen Camino
Totally agree with Theadora this is the best Camino source of info. Was wondering about taking a warm weather jacket as I'm leaving st jean pied de port on April 24th. Do I need a warm jacket or am I ok with layers and wind/waterproofs. Just wondering about that 1st high stretch to Roncevalles. Would love your opinion. Thanks
Hello, Harriet. Thank you very much for your comment. I walked the Camino Frances in September which is a bit warmer than April-May and I had a thin down foldable jacket that I wore quite often in the mornings and evenings. If you have a small light jacket I'd suggest taking it with you. Otherwise, a fleece top and a thin rain jacket will be for mornings and evenings too.
Buen Camino
Hello! Absolutely love all the helpful advice on your website! I'm really hoping to do the Camino this year but only have time in April and late July. Leaning towards the Camino Frances but I'm not sure. It would be nice to have some other people on the route so it's not too lonely. Which do you think would be best time/ route? Would really appreciate any tips 🙂
Hello, Theadora. The Camino Frances is the most popular route there will be some pilgrims even in April. Weather-wise it might be a bit chilly at night and in the morning but overall April is a good time to walk this Camino. The end of July is the peak season for the Camino Frances there are usually many pilgrims. It gets quite hot in some parts of the Camino e.g. the Meseta. I'm not sure how busy it'll be this year it depends on travel restrictions and the situation in general. The Portuguese Camino from Porto might be a good option for July. It's the second most popular route but it's not as busy as the French Camino. It's a bit cooler in that part of Portugal and Spain. If you don't mind many ascents and descents on the route you can walk the Camino Primitivo. July is the best time for walking it there will be other pilgrims on the route that time of the year.
Buen Camino
@Theadora, Hi Theadora I'm doing a week of the camino starting in St Jean pied de port on April 23rd...maybe see you there 👍 Good luck on your walk
Hii!
I'm planning to do a Camino route this April, starting around 8th or 9th, so I'll be walking through Easter. I wondered your thoughts on which route too choose, it's either The Northern or The French, but I can't decide. Also, if you have any input on whether it's a good idea at all since it's Easter? Will the albergues be open at all?
Any other advise or help is also much appreciated:) I've done a lot of short hikes before, but nothing of this magnitude and I will be walking alone
Hello, Tonje. Many albergues open after Easter but there will be some open earlier especially on the French Camino. For the scenery, we personally prefer the Northern Way it's a coastal route.
The Camino Frances has more albergues both public and private, and overall accommodation is cheaper there. Many public albergues on the Northern Camino were closed last year because of the Covid. There is no information yet if and when they're going to reopen maybe this year maybe not. I guess it depends on the situation. I'd recommend booking private albergues in advance at least for the first week (and for the Easter holiday) to make sure every night you have a place to sleep and see how it goes after that. You can find downloadable PDF files with albergues and hotels for both the French Camino and the Northern Way in these posts https://stingynomads.com/camino-del-norte-stages/ and https://stingynomads.com/camino-frances-walking-itinerary/.
The Northern Camino is a bit more challenging than the French route longer with more ascents and descents and longer distances between albergues.
Weather is another reason to choose the French Camino. In April it still might be rainy and chilly on the Northern Coast of Spain. If it's your first long walk, you're going alone, and it's in April if I were you I'd choose the Camino Frances. There will be more pilgrims on the route even in April. On the Northern Way out of season, you might feel a bit lonely. If you really want to do the Northern Way you can always check in advance for accommodation options and decide based on this. Even if you start walking the Northern route you can always take a bus or train to one of the towns/cities on the French Camino and continue your pilgrimage. It's not something that many people do but it's an option. I hope it helps!
Buen Camino
@Tonje, We walked the Camino Frances in April/May and were there for Easter/Holy Week. It was wonderful! The albergues were open but PACKED. Lots of Spaniards walk during the holiday. Aside from that complication, it was a great time to be there. If you will be getting your food from markets, be sure to shop during the day. We were stuck eating from a vending machine on Easter because everything was closed. A plus of being there for holy week are the processionals - parades through town celebrating different parts of the story of the resurrection.
Hello. Jenny. Thank you very much for your valuable comment!
Buen Camino
Hey guys!!
Thank you for an amazing website. I’m planning to walk starting Easter/mid-April 2022, so perhaps leaning toward Portugues, tho only in early research stages. I’m solo and like the idea of possibly finding someone to walk w, at least initially, knowing things could change after as little as 1-2 days re walking/overall compatibility, lol. Is there a forum where walkers can find others arriving same time, ideally matched up by age, fitness, etc (and obviously route?). Thanks a lot! Nicky, fit 56 female, flying over from the Caribbean.
Hello, Nicky. Thank you very much for the comment! You can check caminodesantiago.me forum there might be threads where people look for fellow pilgrims to walk the Camino together. You can also check Facebook groups as well. Search "Camino Portuguese" and "Camino de Santiago all routes" in FB search, these are the most popular ones. Good luck!
@Nicky, I’m a 56 fit female from the US …let’s chat?
Hi. I’m deciding which route to take for my first pilgrimage. I’ll be string off November 18. I have 30 day to complete before I have to be somewhere else. Can I complete the French way in this time. I’m a strong Walker. I regularly walk with LDWA. Regards
EM
Hello, Eamonn. If you're a strong walker you can try to complete the French Way. November is not the best season for walking the Camino though. You can check out our post https://stingynomads.com/camino-frances-walking-itinerary/ to decide if it's feasible for you or not. As an option you can walk the Portuguese Camino from Porto, it's a shorter route, 12-14 days and if the weather is good after arriving in Santiago continue walking to Finisterre-Muxia. It's another Camino route that takes 5 days to complete. We have detailed posts on both routes https://stingynomads.com/camino-finisterre-muxia-stages/ and https://stingynomads.com/camino-portugues-stages/
I'd suggest booking or at least checking accommodation in advance some albergues close for off-season. We have PDF files in the articles with accommodation along the routes that you can use for finding places to stay.
Buen Camino
@StingynomadsI am planning to walk the Francés routes Next years November. However i am not sure how convenient It could be interms of cold and rain.please share your experienc.
Thanks,
Hello, Dil. We walked the Camino Finisterre in November and the weather was a total disaster; cold, rainy, and windy. From our experience, November is not the best month for walking the Camino Frances. If you can I'd recommend moving it to October. It's a better months, the weather is still good (most of the time) and there are fewer people than in September.
Buen Camino
Planning for May 2022
Hello, Aldene. May is our favorite month to walk the Camino. We're planning to walk one of the Camino routes again in May 2022 as well.
Cheers
@Stingy Nomads, What do you think of walking the Francis in April 2022 when Easter is late this year on April 17. I live in Alaska and would like to be back in Alaska end of May when our short, but intense gardening season starts. I'm in my early 60s and prefer not to do many 20-30 km days.
Hello, Kathy. I think walking the Camino Frances next year after Easter is a good time. Many public and some private albergues open for the season after Easter. The weather should be fine nights and early mornings might be a bit chilly but I'm sure you are used to it. We like walking the Camino de Santiago in spring April-May, it's not too busy, the weather is nice, the scenery is beautiful.
Buen Camino!