The summer is advancing and at the end of September will gradually give way to the rains and cold temperatures of autumn and winter. If you have proposed to do the Camino de Santiago this summer and you haven’t done it yet, September is still an ideal month. In this article we will talk about the benefits of doing the Camino in September.
Pilgrimage in September is the smartest option, with the end of the holidays there is a smaller influx of pilgrims and the weather is perfect.
September is traditionally one of the months in which we will still see quite a few pilgrims walking, although less than in July and August. In 2019 (the last year before the pandemic), as the statistical data of the Pilgrim’s Assistance Office of Santiago de Compostela show, 45,653 pilgrims collected their Compostela at its offices, a far cry from the 62,814 in August or the 53,319 in July of the same year.
With the end of the main holiday months, July and August, there will be fewer pilgrims on the Camino, particularly those who spend part of their holidays on pilgrimage. This will allow you to find your accommodation more easily, even day by day and without booking anything, although it is better not to risk it and take everything previously booked: for that we recommend you the agency Travel Camino de Santiago which can help you organize your Camino without obligation.
Holy Year, a safe year
You have to take into account that the year 2021 is a Holy Year and as such, you will be able to cross the Holy Door of the Cathedral and receive the indulgences due to your pilgrimage, as long as you cover 100 kilometres on foot or 200 kilometres by bicycle, on one of the official routes and with arrival in Santiago de Compostela. You can even attend a pilgrim’s mass and even be lucky enough to see the botafumeiro flying in the Cathedral of Santiago.
It is possible that the number of pilgrims may be higher than in other years because it is a Holy Year, although it is to be hoped that the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic will keep the numbers of pilgrims not very high. However, traditionally the month of September, along with May, is a month of not too much pilgrim traffic, so this will be an advantage if you want space for reflection for yourself.
The Camino de Santiago, with its accommodation and hotel infrastructures, is prepared to receive all pilgrims with the appropriate security measures. In addition, walking outdoors, and with fewer crowds than in July and August, is the safest thing to do in these pandemic times.
A perfect climate for walking
September is also an ideal month for the weather and temperatures, which will be milder than in months like July and August. Walking along the paths to Santiago de Compostela will be a delight for the senses and for your skin, as you will surely sweat less. That does not mean that the nights are a little cooler, keep in mind that in the ninth month of the year the days are already shorter, and this also means that you have less daylight hours to walk. In addition, Galicia does not guarantee that rain will be absent for many days, so you should carry adequate equipment in your backpack for walking in the rain, just in case.
Festive Galicia
Something almost unique in Galicia is the large number of popular festivals and open-air dances that are held throughout the territory in the month of September. Maybe you are walking and you find a “vermouth session” in a village, or you arrive at the end of your stage and it turns out that there is a verbena in the square. In addition, as a Holy Year and Xacobeo, there are concerts and different events all over Galicia.
Do you want to go on pilgrimage in a group?
You may be interested in doing the walk in a group. As there are fewer pilgrims, it is more difficult to find people to go on pilgrimage with, although, eureka! Enter the website of Viajes Camino de Santiago, choose your route and contact us without obligation, we will be happy to advise you.
Many roads, and one destination: Santiago de Compostela.
Depending on what you want to find on your pilgrimage, perhaps there is one of the different Routes of the Camino de Santiago that are more in line with what you are looking for, although they all have the Galician capital as a common factor. Santiago de Compostela is, with its historic centre, an open-air museum full of art, architecture, animation and gastronomy. In addition, you have a wide range of museums to visit, and even your Pilgrim’s Credential and / or your Compostela can serve to enjoy a discount on the rate. Santiago de Compostela is ready to welcome all those who do the Camino in the month of September.
You can reach Compostela from any point of the compass. From the north of Galicia comes the English Way, which with its mixture of estuaries, beaches, mountains and meadows, is not especially the busiest. It is followed by the Camino del Norte, also not very busy and with plenty of space for you, as well as the Camino Primitivo. In these three you will find cooler temperatures.
From the west, the French Camino de Santiago approaches, the busiest and the one that will allow you to meet more pilgrims. The Vía de la Plata and the Camino Sanabrés approach from the southwest and offer a more intimate and less travelled route, somewhat warmer but with several rivers.
From the south we must highlight the Portuguese Way and its variants along the coast and the spiritual, which will offer you even more estuaries and beaches, beautiful cities and villages, although a little more heat. You will even be able to see how the grape harvest is carried out in the lands of the famous Albariño wine, one of the most valued wines in Galicia… Maybe they will even invite you to help with the work!
Finally, to the west and from Santiago de Compostela, towards the Costa da Morte and the End of the Earth, Finisterre, is the Camino de Finisterre and Muxía. You can do it in that direction or even the other way around, arriving in Santiago, thus achieving the Finisterrana, Muxiana and Compostela. In addition, you can treat yourself to a mythical sunset at Cape Finisterre.
As the song says, “it’s already September, and I’m not going to be there”. Tell your partner, friends and family that you are going on pilgrimage, maybe they will want to accompany you. Santiago awaits you in September, the end of the summer season, and Viajes Camino de Santiago is here to make your Camino easier.
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