Best Time To Walk Camino de Santiago (& The Worst!)
Not sure when the best time is to walk the Camino de Santiago? Read on!
I spent five weeks walking the Camino de Santiago, and in my experience it is so crucial to choose the best time to walk the Camino – it can affect your experience greatly.
The Camino has become a very popular walking route across northern Spain, starting in the Pyrenees mountains in France all the way to Santiago de Compostella on the west coast.
As someone who has walked over 700km on the Camino in the height of summer, I’m the perfect blogger to tell you all you need to know about when to walk the Camino and what to expect along the way.
Best Time To Walk Camino de Santiago
So when exactly is the best time to walk the Camino de Santiago? Well, there’s a number of factors to consider, which we’ll look at in detail in a moment, such as weather and when the tourist season is busiest on the Camino.
Walking the Camino during the summer months however is definitely the worst time! The temperature during June/July/August can rise to the mid 30 degrees (Celsius) and even higher around 40 degrees Celsius.
Hiking the Camino during these months is absolutely unbearable! I chose to walk the Camino during July/August and the heat most times was excessive, which only slowed me down and tired me out quicker.
Plus, these summer months is the peak season when tourists absolutely flood the Camino. This is the case especially during the last couple of hundred kilometres towards Santiago de Compostela.
This makes the Camino less enjoyable. What should be a peaceful, quiet hike can turn into the opposite with busy crowds of tourists. This soon becomes tiresome when hiking 20 plus kilometres every day.
You are also putting your health at risk when walking the Camino during hot temperatures. Walkers have been known to suffer with severe exhaustion, sunstroke, dehydration and of course sunburn.
If you do plan on walking the Camino during the summer months then it’s essential you go well prepared.
You need to wear the right clothes, plan each day’s hiking outside of the hottest parts of the day and be in peak physical condition.
Best weather for Camino de Santiago
In my experience, any of the months during spring or autumn would be ideal for walking the Camino. The temperature is perfect for hiking during these months and the routes will be less crowded.
Summer time can be a great option to walk the Camino despite the temperatures and the crowds that I’ve mentioned earlier in this post.
During the summer, it’s common for a lot of people on the Camino to begin each daily hike before dawn to beat the oppressive heat from midday onwards.
This is admittedly quite a beautiful experience, but it makes for very long and very tiring days! Having walked the Camino during the height of summer only made me my walk all the more arduous.
And if you don’t mind 6am starts then go for it! You can finish your hike by lunch time and you have the rest of the day to relax and recover.
Winter time can be a beautiful time to walk the Camino too, but expect harsher weather conditions and much lower temperatures.
What are the busiest Camino months?
The summer months is when the Camino really starts to get busy.
Any time during June, July or August is going to be super busy with lots of students, bike riders and general tourists making their way through the Camino, especially on the French route.
This can be a problem when finding a place to stay for the night. A lot of tourists like to book a bed in a hostel in advance, especially in the popular cities along the Camino the closer you get towards the finishing line; Santiago de Compostela.
There may be instances when every hostel you come across is fully booked up during the summer months, which is the last thing you want after a whole day of hiking!
If this happens then you just have to keep on walking until you reach a quieter town or village which will hopefully have hostels with availability for the night.
Adding on extra walking time after you think you’ve reached your destination because of a lack of accommodation space can be a nightmare!
Tips for Walking the Camino
While walking the Camino de Santiago is a fantastic, beautiful, unforgettable experience, it is also a very challenging one! I can guarantee you that you’ll question why on earth you decided to hike for countless days on end.
You’re going to be facing exhaustion every day and it’s crucial you’re as fit as you possibly can be before starting the Camino. So, let’s look at some top tips worth remembering for your incredible walk across northern Spain.
Tip #1: Drink plenty of water! 💧
Yes, it should go without saying, but stay hydrated on the Camino! Whether you decide to walk it during the summer or during the cooler months, it’s going to be a tiring experience, so don’t forget to take your favourite water bottle with you!
There are numerous fountains you’ll pass throughout the entirety of the Camino, but make sure you always have a full bottle of water with you each and every day. Drinking tap water in Spain is completely safe as well.
Tip #2: Stock up on protein snacks 🍎
Obviously, you’re going to be burning a lot of calories while walking every day on the Camino. So, it’s very important that you make sure you eat enough; a big breakfast, lunch and dinner is essential.
And having protein snacks during your hike is a great way to stay fuelled up. These are not particularly easy to find on the Camino however.
Some days you’ll be passing through small towns with no supermarkets in sight, so taking them in advance with you is a wise idea.
Tip #3: Travel light 🧳
Knowing what to take with you on the Camino is so important. The lesser and lighter items you take with you on the Camino, the better your experience will be!
Ideally, a small backpack with just a few t-shirts, shorts, socks etc would be perfect. You can wash your clothes along the way at most of the hostels you’ll be staying at.
If you have a big backpack with countless clothes items and what have you, it will really weigh you down, making an already challenging task of conquering the Camino all the more difficult.
This is exactly the rookie mistake that I made when I began my Camino adventure, and I ended up having to throw away several items of unnecessary clothing items because I had packed way too much.
Tip #4: Wear comfortable hiking boots 🥾
Last but definitely not least in my tips for walking the Camino; wear comfortable hiking boots! They don’t have to be the most expensive pair in the world, as long as they are comfortable for you then that will do the job.
And to be honest you can walk the Camino in sneakers if you wish, just don’t take your favourite pair with you as they will get very muddy during the walk!
Camino de Santiago: FAQs
Still not sure if walking the Camino de Santiago is for you or not? Let’s answer some of the most common questions that people have about walking the Camino:
Do I need a guide for walking the Camino?
It’s not necessary to book a guide for walking the Camino, but it is an option worth exploring.
Booking a guide means letting them do all the hard work, such as finding a place to stay each night during your hike and taking care of your luggage and providing meals.
This of course would be the more expensive option, but would definitely make your life easier on the Camino.
Some people would say that this option is not really the authentic Camino experience, and I’d have to agree! But if you feel the need to have a guide with you to help you out along the way, then go for it!
How much does it cost to walk the Camino de Santiago?
Surprisingly, walking the Camino de Santiago can be quite a cheap experience, which is why you’ll meet so many students during your hike!
You can stay at cheap hostels that are located all throughout the Camino, known as ‘Albergues‘.
They range from small places to huge hostels that host hundreds of Pilgrims (the nickname for people walking the Camino) in the bigger cities like Burgos and Lyon.
The bigger Albergues may not be your cup of tea – they definitely weren’t for me. Sleeping with hundreds of people can make for a sleepless night if you’re a light sleeper, so expect plenty of snoring!
Staying at an Albergue
The first time you enter an Albergue you’ll be given a little stamp book. At each Albergue from then on, your book will be stamped to prove that you’ve walked so many miles.
When you reach Santiago de Compostela you can show your stamp book at the official tourist office and receive a certificate for your efforts.
Most Albergues are relatively cheap, ranging anywhere between 1 Euro to 20 Euros. There are also ‘Donativo’ Albergues. Here you pay a donation; whatever you can afford to pay or nothing if you’re broke.
It is also possible to stay at monasteries that are located on the Camino too, most of which are free of charge. These are totally unique settings to spend a night at and unforgettable too!
I was lucky enough to stay at both donativos and monasteries on my Camino walk and in my experience, staying at such locations were some of the most memorable occasions during my five weeks walking across northern Spain.
Staying at a monastery on the Camino.
How long to walk the Camino de Santiago?
This is totally up to you and depending on your hiking experience. If you’re quite experienced at hiking then you can do the whole route from France to the west coast of Spain.
This depends on if you have the time, as it will take you around 4-5 weeks to complete, or longer! A lot of hikers aim to walk between 20-30km a day, which is no mean feat.
This is roughly what I averaged (some days more, some days less) and it is a lot to accomplish but certainly do-able as long as you’re in good physical shape.
If you’re more of a novice hiker then you could start the Camino just 50 or 100km outside of Santiago de Compostela, depending on how many days you want to spend walking.
You could spend 4-5 days aiming to complete 100km which is totally achievable.
Which Camino route is the most beautiful?
There are seven main routes on the Camino de Santiago, so picking the right one is a crucial step in your planning process. Let’s take a look at the three most beautiful routes you can take:
📍 Camino Frances: Also known as the French Route, this is the most popular route that begins in France.
This route can get overcrowded at times but is still very beautiful, especially when crossing the Pyrenees into Spain and walking through Galicia.
I walked this route and would highly recommend it; despite being overcrowded at times you do get to meet fascinating people from all around the world.
📍 Camino del Norte: The northern route on the Camino is considered the most beautiful route. This is because the path takes you along the coastline, where you’ll see stunning views of the Atlantic ocean.
📍 Camino Portuguese: The Portuguese route is also very beautiful, where you get to walk alongside the coastline of Portugal with amazing views, and passing through the major cities; Lisbon and Porto.
Conclusion: Best Time to Walk Camino de Santiago
There are so many beautiful destinations in Spain, from the north to the south as well as amazing cities like Madrid, but for me nothing beats walking the Camino!
If you decide to walk the Camino de Santiago, for whatever reason, whether for one week or for a few months, just know that it is hard to walk. But is also a genuine life changing experience that I would highly recommend!
It’s sure not a relaxing holiday; expect to be pushed to your limits! But the rewards certainly outweigh any negatives. You can meet all sorts of people along the way and make life long friends after bonding throughout the hike.
Now that you know the best time to walk Camino de Santiago, what are you waiting for? Get your hiking boots on and get ready for an unforgettable experience!
You might also like this blog posts about Spain:
➡️ Is Madrid Worth Visiting? Top 23 Reasons Why You Should Visit
➡️ Is Alicante Is Worth Visiting? 10 Reasons Why You Should Go
➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights
