The Winter Way celebrates ten years of official recognition with data that looks to the future: it has already exceeded the number of pilgrims registered throughout 2025. The balance sheet released on November 7 in A Rúa places the provisional figure for 2026 at 2,923 people, 14% more than in the same period of the previous year.
The figures were presented by the director of Tourism of Galicia, Xosé Manuel Merelles, at the Avenida Cultural Center, during the days dedicated to the anniversary of the route. The information has been collected by La Región, Diario de Galicia and other media that have followed the meeting.
For those preparing their next pilgrimage, the information invites them to discover an itinerary that connects Bierzo with the interior of Galicia and whose growth also requires paying attention to reception, services and security.
Winter Road: what the new figures say
The balance presented in A Rúa includes 287 pilgrims in 2016, the year of its officialization, and 2,758 during 2025. The 2,923 counted so far in 2026 already exceed that last annual record.
It is important to distinguish the comparisons: the 14% increase corresponds to the same period of both years. It is not the difference between this year's provisional data and the previous total, nor does it yet represent a statistical closure of 2026.
Another of the indicators disseminated during the day is the origin of the walkers: 39% of those registered this year come from other countries. The route thus has a relevant international presence in this balance.
The meeting continues the program of commemoration of ten years of officialdom which we already reported on RTV Camino de Santiago.
Associations and municipalities behind the route
The conferences have also served to recognize the work of the entities that have recovered and disseminated the itinerary. The chronicle of La Región places the president of the Galician Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago, Javier Gómez Vila, at the opening, and includes the participation of representatives of the Jacobean movement.
Among them are Asunción Arias, from the Valdeorras association, and Daniel Antelo, president of Peregrinus Dezae. The program included a table about the route and a visit to Fontei and the Santo André chapel, in A Rúa.
This link between territory and reception also appears in initiatives such as the credential and the wine linked to the Winter Trail. They are different ways of making the route and its relationship with the places it passes through known.
An alternative through the Sil and Miño valleys
The General Directorate of Traffic explains the origin of the itinerary as an alternative to avoid the ascent to O Cebreiro during the harshest winter season. From Ponferrada, the route heads towards Valdeorras and continues through the south of Lugo and the lands of Deza.
Las Médulas, the Sil and Miño valleys and the surroundings of Mount Faro are part of its geography. This succession of landscapes helps to understand why it is advisable to study the profile of each day before deciding where to finish it.
The name of the Camino should not be interpreted as a guarantee of easy conditions. Our recommendation for these dates is to adapt the distance to the hours of light, check the weather forecast and directly confirm the planned accommodations.
Growing requires taking care of the pilgrim's experience
Merelles placed among the challenges the improvement of services and a greater projection of the route, with Xacobeo 2027 as a horizon. This commitment does not allow works to be considered completed or new accommodation places to be announced without specific confirmation.
Safety also deserves attention when preparing the stages. The DGT portal dedicated to the Winter Road identifies points and sections with shared circulation, including sectors in Quiroga and Rodeiro. Consulting this information helps you anticipate where to exercise caution.
As a practical recommendation, it is advisable to have the destination accommodation and the necessary services located, and have a margin to modify the day if conditions make it advisable. Choosing a route requires more than just comparing your statistics.
The growth of the Winter Road opens opportunities for the towns; Taking care of those who travel through it will allow this progress to continue.
Cover photo: feelSacra · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Walkers in Monte Faro, archive photograph from May 2026, resized and converted to WebP.
Sources: The Region, chronicle of the days of A Rúa; Diario de Galicia, balance of pilgrims; DGT, Winter Road information.
Images: Photo: Estevoaei · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Image resized and converted to WebP | Photo: Athena Atterdag · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Image resized and converted to WebP.
