What is the best time to do the Camino de Santiago?

Spring and autumn are the best time to do the Camino de Santiago as they usually meet all three points. Although in these intermediate seasons the weather is unstable, both in spring (from April to June) and autumn (September-October) we will avoid extreme temperatures as well as other adverse phenomena: heavy rain, snowfall, heat waves...

At both times of the year the temperatures are usually pleasant, with a sun that is not yet scorching but invites you to enjoy being outdoors with cool mornings and evenings, so the pilgrim will not need to get up early to avoid the high temperatures of summer.

In addition to favourable weather, pilgrims can enjoy all the services that surround the Camino de Santiago. The busiest season in the Jacobean Routes is between Easter (March-April) and October, months in which are in operation 100% of the hostels and accommodation present on the routes and other services such as our daily transport of backpacks, the Paq Mochila. 

This simplifies the organisation of the Camino, the planning of the stages or where to sleep and allows to solve other questions such as where to eat or where to stop for a break.

All this without having to suffer the crowds on some stretches, which tend to be more typical of the summer months (July-August), when most Spaniards enjoy their holidays.

What is the best month to do the Camino de Santiago?

If we had to choose just one, our recommendation would be May. The data indicates that it is the month with the most hours of sunshine and the least rainfall. Add to that good walking temperatures and a 100% service network, and the equation is perfect.

What is the best month to do the Camino de Santiago by bike?

When it comes to choosing the time of year to embark on the Camino, the same rule applies for the walker as for the bicigrino. Therefore, spring and autumn are the best months to enjoy the Camino experience.

Which Camino de Santiago to walk depending on the time of year?

As we said at the beginning, any season is good to do the Camino de Santiago, since walking any of the Jacobean Routes is a unique experience. However, some routes are more recommendable than others depending on the time of year.

• Vía de la Plata and Camino Mozárabe are less recommendable in the central summer months (from 15 June to 15 September). The presence of high temperatures, the lack of shade and a more dispersed network of services make the pilgrimage along these routes more difficult, and can even be dangerous on extremely hot days. On the other hand, spring - especially the months of April and May - is an excellent time to experience the Silver Route or the Mozarabic Route.
• Camino Primitivo. Characterised for being a tougher Camino due to its mountainous route, it tends to become more complicated in winter, especially due to heavy rain and snowfall in certain areas. In this case, summer is a good time to walk this route that separates Oviedo from Santiago.
• Camino Francés. Any time of year is a good time to walk one of the most popular routes. However, it is important to bear in mind that extreme caution should be taken in the area between Burgos and León during the summer due to the high temperatures. Meanwhile, in winter, mountainous areas such as the Pyrenees or the climb to O Cebreiro can be affected by snow. In fact, pilgrims leaving Saint Jean Pied de Port will find the Lepoeder pass closed, as it presents very difficult conditions. Until March, the option will be to cross via Valcarlos.

What are the months with the most pilgrims?

July and August are usually the months of the year with the highest influx of pilgrims, as well as good weather, in Spain are the holiday months par excellence. To these are added other periods of rest marked in the calendar such as Easter or national holidays and long weekends.

The French Way and the Portuguese Way are the two most popular routes throughout the year. Therefore, if you are going to do the Camino de Santiago in summer and want to avoid possible crowds, it is best that you do without these two routes. Especially the last 100 kilometres: from Sarria, in the case of the French Way, and from Tui in the case of the Portuguese Way.

Remember that throughout the peninsular territory there are numerous Jacobean routes, so if you have to do the Camino in summer but you want to avoid large crowds, it is possible. The Primitive Way, the Northern Way or the English Way are three good options.

The months with fewer pilgrims tend to be the winter months: December, January and February. Bad weather (cold, rain, snow...) discourages pilgrims from embarking on the Camino. In addition, it should be borne in mind that many accommodations take advantage of this time to close their doors and rest. However, if you do not mind braving the elements and want to do without company, this is your time of year.

We remind you that the services of Correos for pilgrims, both the shipment of suitcases and bicycles as well as the left-luggage office, are available all year round. For its part, the service of transporting backpacks from stage to stage is available all year round from Sarria to Santiago and from Easter to 31 October in the main Jacobean Routes of Spain.

We hope this article has helped you to choose the time of year to do your next Camino. And we encourage you to share your experiences and tell us which is for you the ideal month to live this adventure. As always, you can do it in comments or in our social networks: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter o Youtube. ¡Buen Camino!