When to do the Way of Saint James

Each season of the year has its advantages and disadvantages, the most common is to do the Way of Saint James in the summer months, as these coincide with the holiday periods. The longer duration of the days added to the almost guaranteed good weather make these days the most popular. There are many who dare to do the Way on these days and this means that depending on the route we choose (French Way, North Way ...), we are not totally alone at almost any time. Luckily every day there are more establishments that provide services to pilgrims, but even so the busiest days are many that hang the sign of complete, forcing us to plan our stages very well to avoid unnecessary problems. The tremendous heat of the days makes that not very demanding stages become hard to carry out. Practically from the moment we leave Pamplona until we reach Astorga we will be at the mercy of the relentless sun.

In winter, on the other hand, although every day we are more pilgrims who venture into the Way in those months, the difficulties are different. The villages on the Way that are so full of life the rest of the year fall into a kind of hibernation showing, as many purists say, the true essence of the Way. Dealing with people becomes calmer and closer, also the times in solitude allow to enjoy the journey in another way. To the time, equal or more demanding than the summer, we have to add the short days and the scarcity of open places in the towns that the route crosses, conditioning tremendously the planning of the trip. To this we must add the necessary equipment that is considerably expanded.

Late spring and early fall are offered as the ideal months, chosen by more and more people for their pilgrimage. This fact is especially noticeable in the French Way, the most realized at present, which sees how these months begin to have, at specific moments, the same problems of occupation as in summer. It is a period that offers panoramic views and contrasting colors that leave almost no one indifferent. The days with a good average of light allow to take the stages with certain calm and to assume greater routes in comparison to the winter. The somewhat more unstable weather forces us to go well equipped with material for what we might need.