A summer heatwave in the Tarn department of southwestern France has disrupted pilgrim traffic on a Santiago de Compostela trail connecting Conques to Toulouse.
While accommodation hosts in Gaillac reported a sharp drop in walkers during July and August, neighbouring Rabastens recorded a surge in pilgrim numbers as hikers modified their routes to cope with extreme temperatures.
The Way of St. James, also known as the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage, comprises a network of historic walking routes leading to the shrine of Saint James in northwestern Spain. The scenic Tarn variant links Conques, a major medieval stopping point on the Via Podiensis footpath, to Toulouse on the Via Tolosana trail, guiding walkers through the Gaillac wine region and medieval fortified towns known as bastides.
Despite its role connecting two major pilgrimage routes, the section has struggled with low visibility, recording between 100 and 200 walkers during 2022. Didier Fénin, the president of the Saint-Jacques en Gaillacois association, said that attendance appeared to have fallen during the recent hot weather, describing the decline as unfortunate because the route had begun to gain momentum.
Efforts to promote the Gaillac route
Local authorities and volunteer groups have launched several initiatives in recent years to attract more walkers to the area, including improving trail markings, establishing dedicated stopping points, and promoting local heritage. Gaillac earned the official Stopover Town label from the Compostela Paths in France organization, recognizing municipalities that provide specialized reception services and guidance for long-distance hikers.
However, extreme temperatures during July and August halted that momentum for local businesses. Anne Capelle, who operates the Accueil Randonneurs bed and breakfast in the Hortalisse district of Gaillac, said she hosted only six pilgrims during the two-month summer period, compared to her usual average of more than 20 visitors.
Capelle noted that very few accommodation options in Gaillac are dedicated exclusively to pilgrims, adding that several guests who stayed at her property abandoned walking due to the weather and took train transport to Rabastens instead. She said that while it was difficult to calculate the exact impact on her turnover, she had inevitably suffered financial losses, though she hoped to make up for the drop next year.
Contrasting results in Rabastens
A few kilometres downstream along the Tarn river, hostellers in the historic pilgrim stop of Rabastens experienced the opposite trend. Géraldine Rivière, who manages the Le Grenier de Rolland gîte, said her establishment saw higher numbers of walkers than in previous years and noted that business had been strong throughout the season.
Rivière reported only two booking cancellations across the summer, with just one directly caused by the heatwave. She said that pilgrims were adapting their travel habits by setting off at dawn to avoid peak afternoon temperatures and turning to local public transport when necessary to shorten difficult stages.
Transport options ease heatwave pressure
The presence of established rail and road networks alongside the Tarn river has provided a safety net for hikers facing severe weather. Rivière said the accessibility of local transport was a key advantage of the Tarn trail, enabling exhausted pilgrims to travel between stages without abandoning their journey entirely.
