What Is the Best Time to Walk the Camino de Santiago?

The best time to walk the Camino de Santiago is May-June and September. These "shoulder season" months offer mild temperatures (15-25°C), long daylight hours, every albergue open, and noticeably fewer crowds than in peak summer. July and August guarantee the most stable weather but also bring the highest number of pilgrims, extreme heat inland, and albergues that fill up before noon.

Month by month: weather, crowds and open albergues

January-February (low season)

Cold, rain and short days, especially on the Camino Francés and the Vía de la Plata, where you may find snow at O Cebreiro or on mountain passes. Upside: near-total solitude and quiet villages. Downside: many municipal and private albergues close for the season, especially outside the Francés and Portugués. Check openings stage by stage before you leave; on Peregrinia's map you can filter albergues that stay open year-round.

March-April (season kickoff)

The Camino starts waking up. Easter Week concentrates a lot of people in a few days (book ahead for those dates), but outside those weeks volumes stay low. Weather is variable: frequent rain in Galicia and the North, intermittent sun on the Meseta. Most albergues have already reopened for the high season.

May-June (the best option)

Ideal walking temperatures, daylight until 9-10pm, green flowering fields, and a high but still manageable number of pilgrims. Every albergue is operational and there's still room to find a bed without booking weeks ahead, except around Sarria on specific dates due to the effect of the final 5 stages of the Francés (the minimum 115 km for the Compostela). This is the favourite month for those balancing good weather with a relaxed atmosphere.

July-August (high season)

The most stable weather of the year, but also peak crowding: albergues full before 1pm, queues for stamps, and heat that on the Meseta of the Francés or the Vía de la Plata can top 38-40°C at midday. July is also the busiest month of the year because of Spanish school holidays. If you walk these dates, start at dawn and book accommodation ahead, especially on popular stretches like Sarria-Santiago.

September (the other great option)

Many experienced pilgrims consider it the best month: August's heat eases, crowds thin out once school resumes, and days are still long and stable, especially in the first half of the month. Every albergue remains open. From mid-month onward, the first rains start arriving in the North and Galicia.

October (autumn, an underrated option)

Pleasant walking temperatures (10-20°C), very photogenic autumn scenery and far fewer people than in summer. The risk is rain, which increases progressively, especially on the Camino del Norte and the Francés through Galicia. Most albergues remain open until late in the month.

November-December (low season)

Cold, short days and heavy rain across northern Spain. Widespread albergue closures, especially private ones. Only recommended for pilgrims experienced with demanding weather and good rain/cold gear.

Nuances by route

The "best time" isn't the same for every Camino, because weather varies greatly between the humid North and the dry interior:

• Camino del Norte (818 km, Irún-Santiago): best in summer (June-September). Hugging the Cantabrian coast, rain is frequent nearly year-round, and summer is the only reliably dry window of several weeks.
• Vía de la Plata (973 km, Sevilla-Santiago): avoid July and August at all costs. It crosses Extremadura and Castilla, where dry heat can exceed 40°C with little shade on long stretches. Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) are much safer.
• Camino Francés (764 km, SJPP-Santiago): the most versatile, with most albergues open nearly year-round. May-June and September remain optimal; avoid crossing the Pyrenees (Route Napoleon) in winter due to snow and closures of the high route.
• Camino Portugués (609 km from Lisboa, 240 km/10 stages from Porto): milder climate than the Francés, a good choice in spring and autumn; in summer the Porto stretch can get quite busy.
• Portugués Costa (267 km, Porto-Santiago): running along the Atlantic, summer heat is tempered by the sea breeze, so it copes better with July-August than the interior routes.
• Camino Primitivo (304 km, Oviedo-Santiago): a mountain route with demanding elevation gain; avoid winter due to snow on the Asturian passes and opt for May-June or September.
• Sarria-Santiago (final 5 stages of the Francés, ~115 km): as the minimum stretch for the Compostela, it sees the heaviest crowding of the whole Camino during July-August and Easter Week. For more calm on this specific stretch, May or September make a real difference.

In short

If you can only pick one month, May-June or September will give you the best balance of weather, open albergues and atmosphere. If you're tied to summer holidays, start walking early in the morning, book accommodation on the busiest stretches, and avoid dry interior routes like the Vía de la Plata in July-August. With Peregrinia's stages, albergues and GPS map you can check each stage's elevation profile and accommodation availability before setting off, whatever month you choose.