The best time to walk the Camino
With the Pilgrim Office figures in front of you, the advice repeated for years has stopped being true: September is no longer the quiet month. It is the busiest of the year.
How many arrive each month
Pilgrims arriving in Santiago by month, 2025Not yet checked Published Pilgrim Office figures for 2025. The September figure appears as 81,569 in some sources and 76,987 in others: pending verification against the original report before we treat it as settled.
Two things the chart makes obvious, both against conventional wisdom:
- July is the quietest summer month. Ten thousand fewer pilgrims than September, and fewer than August too.
- May now rivals August. It is no longer the quiet month it used to be.
From November to March arrivals fall off a cliff and you walk almost alone, with all the trade-offs winter brings.
Why September stopped working
For years the standard advice was «go in September»: good weather, cooler than August, fewer people. It worked.
It stopped working through its own success. The advice was repeated so often that everyone followed it at once. On top of that, a large share of overseas pilgrims — Americans especially — travel outside the European school calendar and pick exactly those dates.
The weather in September is still excellent. What is no longer true is the «fewer people» part.
What the weather does on each section
| Section | Summer | Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Pyrenees and Navarre | Pleasant, with afternoon storms in the mountains | Cold, snow at the Roncesvalles pass |
| The meseta Burgos to Astorga | Punishing: extreme heat and no shade | Dry cold and wind, but walkable |
| León mountains and O Cebreiro | Pleasant, the best time of year | Snow, thick fog and closed albergues |
| Galicia | Mild, with rain possible any day | Frequent rain, mud, few hours of daylight |
| Cantabrian coast Camino del Norte | Mild, and competing with beach tourism | Very wet |
The practical rule: the meseta in August and O Cebreiro in January are the two combinations to avoid. The rest is preference.
Which month to pick
- Good weather with fewer peopleLate April, early May and the first half of October. It is the best balance left.
- Walking almost aloneNovember to March. The trade-off: short days, cold, rain and a good many closed albergues.
- Atmosphere and companyJune to September. There are people, there is atmosphere and everything is open.
- If summer is your only optionJuly, which surprisingly has lower arrivals than August and September.
And one piece of advice that applies whatever the month: start early. In summer because of the heat, and at any time of year because the trail at first light is far emptier than at mid-morning.
Common questions
What is the best time of year to walk the Camino de Santiago?
Late April, early May and the first half of October give the best balance of weather and crowds. May and September have better weather but many more people.
Is September a good month?
For weather, excellent. For crowds, it is the busiest month of the year, so it no longer works as the quiet alternative to August.
Can you walk the Camino in winter?
Yes, with care. O Cebreiro and the León mountains can have snow, daylight is short and a good many albergues close.
Which month has the fewest people?
January and February by a distance. Within the main walking season, July is the quietest summer month.