2009 stats

[Sil]

From: http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/galicia/2010/01/01/00031262371595712983968.htm

Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela grew by 16.6% in 2009
Pursuing the compostela volume issued by the Pilgrim Office, 125,141 of 145,877 by 2008.
According to the data handled by the Office of the Pilgrim, were 85,945 men who completed the Camino by 59,932 women,
How to do it was very diverse: 120,605 foot, 24,892 bike, 341 horses and 39 in a wheelchair.
For age distribution was as follows: 1,272 children under 12 years, 12,303 between 12 and 18, 34,608 between 18 and 30, 28,670 between 30 and 40, 25,483 between 40 and 50, 24,989 between 50 and 60, and over 18,552 60.
As to the motive for the pilgrims made the Camino de Santiago, 62,188 of the respondents replied that due to religious and exclusively for religious and 132,491 others, while 13,386, ie 9.18%, said the religion had nothing to do to hit the trail.
More than half (79,007) of the Compostela pilgrims who applied in 2009 were Spanish and foreign representation was Germany's largest with 14,789 pilgrims, followed by Italy with 10,341, France 7459, Portugal in 4854 and 2540 U.S. .
The path he has followed most of the pilgrims is the French Way, namely 113,001 people, followed by the Portuguese Way with 11,956, the 9183 North Road, the Via de la Plata with 6,254, with 3388 the Primitive Way, the Way English in 1793, and the remaining paths counted 302.

[Covey]

Very interesting numbers!

In July/August 2009 many albergues reported that the numbers were down on 2008, so it would be interesting to see if some of the increase came from greater numbers doing the Sarria to Santiago stage.

In July/August 2009 there appeared to be more women than men walking, but the vast majority of cyclists were men, although looking around the albergue in the evening is hardly a scientific count!

I have often wondered what percentage who start out along the trails do not finish through injury etc?

[Sil]

Hi Covey,
There has been some speculation that the numbers in Galicia appeared to have dropped after the ruling that no pilgrims could sleep on the floors was introduced.
In 2002 when I walked the camino many albergues had pilgrims sleeping in the living rooms and passages. When I was hospitalero at Corcubion it was drilled into us that we could not, under any circumstances, allow even one extra pilgrim to sleep on the premises. Something to do with usuage and insurance and fire departments etc. It was awful turning pilgrims away when there was almost half an acre of floor space and another acre in the park outside! I'm not sure where the excess pilgrims sleep when they are turned away? Perhaps in small hotels or inns?
The Pilgrim's Office estimate (by various means) that only 1 in 5 pilgrims on the roads earn the Compostela. If they expect 250 000 pilgrims to earn a Compostela next year, that means that there could be 1.25million people walking the caminos next year!!

[Covey]

The only people praying for 1.25m pilgrims on the trails this year will be the bar owners!!

I did Sarria to Santiago in 2005 and St Jean to Santiago in 2006 & 07 and St Jean to Finesterre in 08 & 09 (a glutton for punishment!!). In 06-07 I started in September and in 08-09 started in August and have never had to sleep on a floor, but then I always stop at around 2pm and find a bed.

Over the years I have met an increasing number of "pilgrims" who are walking just part of the way with no intention of ending up in Santiago.

I always think that Santiago is a bit of an anti-climax for many pilgrims. You spend weeks slogging over the hills and far away towards your goal, but having reached Santiago one moment you are a pilgrim, and after the Pilgrim Mass, a tourist!

[Sil]

I just adore Santiago old town!!
I love the crowds - the youth groups, church groups, choirs and tourists. I love the buskers with their dogs dressed as perro-grinos, musicians playing guitars, violins, accordians and bag pipes. I love the painted mime artists, the jugglers, the Tunas in their medieval garb. I love the beggars and priests, nuns and painted ladies.
I love the pilgrims of all ages and descriptions, tap-tapping their walking sticks on the grey flagstones down the twisting alleys with overhanging buildings, crowding around the squares and fountains.
I love sitting in the Obradoiro square looking up at the grand, old, yellow lichen-crusted facade of the cathedral.
If you close your eyes for a moment you could be sitting there in the 15th century. I don't think a medieval pilgrim, transported there from the past, would feel too out of place in Santiago today!
I am a tough old atheist who never cries but I get all choked up every time I attend the pilgrims' mass in the cathedral!

[luciad]

I sort of stumbled upon this site and am very interested in doing the pilgrimage. I just know know where to start.

Also are there groups that go every once in a while or do people just go whenever. Do I need to make reservations or is it open to the public?

[Sil]

I'm not surprised your'e bewildered - there is so much stuff on the Internet that it would take a year to negotiate through it all!
Yes, there groups that go every once in a while with various tour groups but most people just go whenever they have time and money. All you need is a good pair of shoes or boots, a lightweight backpack, 2 changes of clothing, toiletries and medicines and off you go!
You can do any of the 15 or so routes in Spain (there are about 8 in France) - you can start where you like, walk as far as you like.
To stay in the sponsored pilgrim shelters (dormitories) you must have a little fold out 'pilgrims passport' which you get at the first place you start from - or from the St James Assoc in your home country and to earn a certificate of completion (its a copy of a 14thC document in Latin) you have to walk the last 100km to Santiago.

Here are a few links to get you on your way.

To read about the history, the different routes, how to get there, when to go and to buy guides and books on line.
www.csj.org.uk

To plan your trip, with a print out of daily mileage, sunrise and sunset, the profile and topography of the route:
http://www.godesalco.com/plan *

To work out your budget:
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/web/es/calculadora/

A Spanish site with lots of info in Spanish and English
www.mundicamino.com

French chemins: www.chemindecompostelle.com - Le site qui regroupe les conseils et les services sur le Chemin de saint Jacques de Compostelle, GR65, GR 65, via podiensis, camino francs, camino aragons, chemin du plerin, chemin des plerins

To read pilgrims? diaries:
www.caminolinks.org.uk

Forums and Groups: Pilgrim Chat sites:
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Santiagobis (About 1 300 members)
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/groups/Saintjames (about 170 members)
http://www.pilgrimage-to-santiago.com/ (Click on ?FORUM? ? over 1 000 members)
gocamino-subscribe@oakapple.com

Camino Associations (English sites):
South Africa: CSJ of SA: Confraternity of Saint James of South Africa
American Pilgrims on the Camino: http://www.americanpilgrims.com/
Canada: The Canadian Company of Pilgrims: http://www.santiago.ca/
England: Confraternity of St James: www.csj.org.uk
Ireland: The Irish Society of the Friends of St James: Irish Society of the Friends of St.James Introduction

* How to use the http://www.godesalco.com/plan website to plan your daily schedule:

Once connected to the site click on English
Click on the route you are doing ? Camino de Santiago for the Camino Frances
Click on the circle to the left of the town where you are starting, eg: Roncesvalles
Scroll down to the town where you will finish, Santiago, and click on the right circle.
You can write your name in the space provided, then click on SEND THIS FORM

In the new page, the mileage between each village and town will be displayed. Click on each place where you would like to stay. If you are planning on walking 20km per day, click on the town closest to the 20km distance displayed to the left of the town. Eg: Roncesvalles is ticked. Click on Zubiri ? 21,8km will be displayed.
Then click on Pamplona and 20,5km will be displayed.
Continue choosing your overnight stops until you have reached Santiago.
Enter the dates of your pilgrimage in the space provided.
Click on SEND THIS FORM
The next window will offer you different documents to download with your daily schedule, profile of the route etc.

Good luck!!

[Covey]

The great joy of the Camino in Spain is that there is a chain of "official" hostels and an increasing number of private hostels so along the Camino Frances, it is rare to find a town or village without a hostel (Albergue) where you can stay the night.

For ?3-5 you get a bunk bed and they have showers etc and most have space to hang out washing to dry.

You normally cannot book the official albergues so it is first come, first served and they mostly open at 2pm. Unless very sick with a doctors note, you cannot stay more than one night in an albergue and you need to produce your Pilgrim Passport to get it stamped and get a bed.

You normally eat in a local bar and most do a "Pilgrim Menu" for around ?9-11, or you cook for yourself depending on what facilities the albergue has. Some are much better than others

You can start your Camino anywhere along the route, on any day you choose. You walk as little or as far as you want in a day. You can walk alone or with like minded souls if you want to.

It is your Camino, and you walk it your way.

Enjoy

[Covey]

Sil.

Found some stats on the St Jean web site which said that 2009 saw 35,000 pilgrims passing through the Pilgrim Office between March and November. The number for 2008 was 33,500.

I assume that this was the rough(ish) number of pilgrim passports issued, on top of which one has to estimate the number starting at SJPDP who obtained their passports from their national associations, and of course those walking from other start points in Europe.

Even so, it suggests that some 60%+ start inside Spain somewhere along the routes.

Would love to know the percentage of those starting in St Jean who stood in front of the Cathedral in Santiago.

[Sil]

A full summary of the all the stats from 2006 to 2009 can be found on the pilgrim office website at: www.archicompostela.org
Click on the coloured shell in the centre that says Peregrinos:
When the window opens to a new page, click on the Spanish Flag (the English site doesn't have the up-to-date info yet).
Then click on Estad?sticas
Then click on 2? Datos Estad?sticos de 2006 a 2009.

Those that started in St Jean:

Saint Jean Pied de Port

2006

10875

2007

14040

2008

15763

2009

15826

[Covey]

50% of those starting in St Jean, actually end up in Santiago. !!

[Sil]

Many Europeans walk the camino in stages, fitting it into their fornight's holiday.
Some people don't bother with the Compostela so they will not be counted at the pilgrims' office.
It has been estimated that those receiving the Compostela represent only 1-in-5 of the people walking on the camino. This is estmated using bed occupancy, registration of pilgrims and so forth.
Over 1million pilgrims are expected to walk parts of the camino next year!

[Covey]

If there are going to be 1m pilgrims on the Camino's this year, I would advise that they all go in July/August.

I can assure readers that this has nothing to do with the fact that I am starting from St Jean on the 4th Sept!!

[Ren-ren]

The calculator mentioned above has moved to:
Calculadora | Gu?a del Camino de Santiago | CONSUMER EROSKI
and it's in Spanish, just in case you were wondering.