Most pilgrims walk in May or September, when the days are long and every albergue door along the way stands open. A smaller number walk in winter — and many of them will tell you, quietly, that they would not trade their winter Camino for any other. Winter changes the terms of the walk. That […]

As of November 1, the high road from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles — the Napoleon route, over the Lepoeder pass by way of Orisson — is closed for the winter, as it is every year until March 31. This is a legal closure, not advice: the crossing is prohibited in winter conditions, and pilgrims who attempt […]

Intro Walking the Camino Francés in winter is a different pilgrimage: quiet trails, cold mornings, and far fewer beds. Most albergues close between November and February — but not all of them. This list brings together the albergues that plan to open this winter, from Roncesvalles to Pedrouzo, with their phone numbers, whether they take […]

  As autumn extends its grip along the camino, the presence of pilgrims begin to fade like the colors in the landscape. The numbers arriving in Santiago de Compostela drop dramatically in November. But there is still plenty of life in the villages, towns and cities that line the way. The magosto is a typical celebration in […]

The mornings are now cool. Sweaters, maybe even gloves are needed to start the day. Coffee not only energizes the mind, but warms the body. Mid autumn on the meseta. As the sun climbs into impossibly blue skies, the heat begins to build slowly. By midday, the desire to be warm has dissolved into a […]

Autumn has arrived on the camino with its warm days and cooler evenings. What to wear has re-entered the daily conversation when getting ready for your early morning departure. It was only a short six weeks prior that the main concern was sufficient water, sunscreen and the coolest clothing possible. July and August on the […]

First day of fall. Great time to be walking along the camino. Wine harvest in full swing. The crops have been taken off and all that remains is the stubble in the sun-baked fields. The colour palette is less vibrant, more muted. These trees in their fall foliage at Monasterio de San Zoilo in Carrion […]

Spain…  land of eternal sunshine. Maybe in the tourist literature or some memory of a long ago holiday. But in truth, the climate of the Camino Francés will exhibit all four seasons of weather, from the heavy snows which smothered Burgos, driving rains and muddy trails come springtime in Navarra, the parched lands near Hornillos del […]