Susan's Camino De Santiago Pages
Susan's Albergue Review List
May-June 2008 Camino Frances Albergue Reviews:
Shell Ratings: 1 = Poor ... 3 = Average ... 5 = Great!- Cizor Menor
Albergue: (Name Unknown) No 1 Plaza San Migel
Price: 7 Euro
Facilities:
Private Hostel
Very Nice, Clean, Nice Gardens
Internet (1 Euro for 20 mins)
Kitchen
Friendly Hospitalera who helps with your feet
Only downside - COLD SHOWERS!
Further Notes:
Would've rated higher if there had been hot water!
Nearby:
Food Shop, Pharmacy, Inn with pilgrim meals
2 Churches - 1 locked the 2nd had very angry guard dogs keeping pilgrims away!
Medieval fountain that I was unable to find! - Puente La Reina
Albergue: The One In the Monastery
Price: 5 Euro
Facilities:
Very Nice
Kitchen, Vending Machines,
Nice Garden
Large Covered Laundry Drying Area, Clothes Dryer
Best amount of interenet access machines I saw all trip
Further Notes:
For some reason the grumpy monk who assigned us our beds put us alone in a room with a lot of very old middle aged blokes who snored very loudly. I have no idea why as there were lots of other free beds in rooms with other women in. It was a little uncomfortable for us and for all the men I think. Other than that it was a nice place so don't let that put you off!
Nearby:
Puente La Reina, very nice pretty town with lost of facilities, nice church that was open. Impressive bridge! - Ayegui, Navarra
Albergue: Sports Hall (Estella Overflow)
Price: 6 Euro
Facilities:
Beds if Early, Mattresses if not!
Huge Sports Hall could (and did) fit a LOT of people, people sleeping in the squash courts, people sleeping in rooms all over the place etc...
Communal Showers (not mixed gender thank goodness)
Internet
No Kitchen or Food
No Clothes washing facilities
Further Notes:
This is the overflow albergue for Estella I think, when we arrived in Estella it was very, very full, we had already walked an extra 8km from Lorca where we had planned to stop as Lorca was full! We were tired and hot and the extra km or so UPHILL to Ayegui was tough! I suggest arriving in either of these places early!!
We were fairly lucky to get actual beds in Ayegui, the whole place was absolutely packed with pilgrims on mattresses later on in the evening. In fact there were pilgrims still arriving very late into the night and there was still a queue even 5 minutes before the place closed for the night!
This was early May when a lot of Spanish and French take holidays - if you're lucky/rich you might be able to get private accomodation down the hill in Estella.
Nearby:
If you can be bothered to walk back down to Estella there are many shops etc.
I didn't see a lot of food facilities around, most people seemed to be picnic-ing outside the sports hall.
I believe there was a bar nearby where Zoe managed to buy cigarettes! - Villamajor De Montjardin
Albergue: Donativo Albergue (the dutch one)
Price: Donativo
Facilities:
Very Basic
Slightly dirty
About 8(ish?) beds all in one room
2 showers, 2 loos (didn't try the showers so no idea whether hot water?)
No Kitchen
Very nice free breakfast
Further Notes:
This place was very basic but friendly and donativo so you get what you pay for!
The breakfast was well worth staying a few extra minutes for!
Nearby:
Nice church that was actually open. Nice little village.
Bar that sold some foodstuffs.
The other albergue seemed to be closed down. - Los Arcos
Albergue: Albergue de La Fuente - Casa de Austria
Price: 7 Euro
Facilities:
Very Nice
On way into town, near the main square and shops
Kitchen, Internet, Washing Machine
Cold Showers if you're late
We had mattresses on the attic floor but I believe you can reserve private rooms
Further Notes:
Run by Austrians, very helpful and accomodating - they had folks sleeping in the stairwells, landings etc
Los Arcos was totally full the night we were there - people were sleeping outdoors on the grass outside the municipal albergue! The people in our albergue were very helpful and apparently tried to get some people we met later beds in a nearby house.
However this is a private albergue and I think a lot of beds were reserved. We arrived early and queued for quite a while. It was distressing whilst queuing to watch all the taxis pulling up and leaving increasing numbers of rucksacks from people already booked (and not even carrying baggage!) in front of us... If I had queued and not got a bed I might be recommending you reserve in advance!
Nearby:
Nice town, lots of food.
Mass 7pm - Torres Del Rio
Albergue: Casa Mari Albergue
Price: 6 Euro
Facilities:
Incredibly nice place
Very Clean
Kitchen, Internet
Small rooms (we had 4 beds in ours, there is a private room with two beds if you pay a premium)
Again very accomodating people, had overflow sleepers in the kitchen
Only down point - showers and loo were across the courtyard, so if it rains you've got an uncomfortable run in the middle of the night!
Further Notes:
Zoe claims she was bitten by a bed bug here
Nearby:
Beautiful little town. Lovely old church you could pay to have a look in.
Can't recall the shop situation but a bread van came whilst we were there. - Logrono
Albergue: The Big Main Albergue
Price: 3 Euro
Facilities:
Huge, intensely crowded, hundred people or so on each floor in big rooms
All very nice and clean
Free Internet
Kitchen
Nice Courtyard
Washing Facilities
Hot Water
Only 2 female toliets for a LOT of women!
Further Notes:
Nice enough for 3 euros and lots of facilities but not sure I'd recommend it for people who don't like sharing closely with huge volumes of people.
Nearby:
Central Logrono, all facilities.
- Ventosa
Albergue: San Satorino
Price: 7 Euro
Facilities:
Very Nice Place
Kitchen
Washing Facilities
Only down point - No Internet (but there MAY have been - I didn't ask)
Further Notes:
One of the nicer albergues! Made an effort to put us in a women only room which was nice!
Nearby:
Nice enough village, no shops that I could find but the odd selling van came through with groceries etc if you can catch it.
Think there was maybe a bar on the other side of the village...
Church locked but quite nice from the outside. - Azofra
Albergue: Municipal Albuergue
Price: 6 Euro
Facilities:
LOVELY TWO BED ROOMS - very cosy if there's two of you, slightly strange if you don't know your roommate, they made an effort not to mix genders.
There were loads of extra mattresses lying around so we actually had 3 people in our room as a friend joined us!
Unisex bathrooms (with cubicles but a bit uncomfortable if you're english!)
Internet
Kitchen
Washing Facilites
Further Notes:
Overflow beds in nearby church/school
Nearby:
Shops in town, Church with another small albergue - Santa Domingo de Calzada
Albergue: Albergue de Peregrinos (Main one)
Price: Donativo
Facilities:
Donativo
Pretty Horrible place!
Very cramped
No Internet
Washing Facilities
Beds if you're early (first 50 or so) - Mattresses crammed into available floorspace downstairs if you're late.
Further Notes:
I don't think I would've stayed there if I'd seen inside first!
Nearby:
Very nice cathedral with hens in. Very pretty town.
Incredibly fancy looking parador that mum would've stayed in if she'd been there! - Beldorado
Albergue: A->Santiago Albergue & Bar
Price: 5 Euro
Facilities:
Quite Nice
Very Good Internet
Bar & Food
Washer/Dryer 3E
Kitchen
(Possibly private rooms available?)
On the way into town which is always a bonus!
Further Notes:
We were planning to stop at Villamajor Del Rio but on arriving and peering through the windows it didn't look very nice at all so we walked on to Beldorado.
Nearby:
Not sure, it was very wet and pouring with rain and I didn't make the journey into Beldorado itself.
I believe there is a pilgrim mass that was recommended to me. The church in Beldorado has an impressive belltower with lots of storks nests on it - photo opportunity? - Villafranca Montes De Orca
Albergue: Assoc?
Price: 5 Euro
Facilities:
OK
Basic Kitchen Facilities
No Internet
Overflow mattresses for latecomers
Further Notes:
One of the few albergues that was left open so you can let yourself in, get a bed and settle down before someone arrives to take your money later in the evening.
I think this a much nicer system (common in the municipal gites in France) rather than queuing outside for hours as is common in Spain!
Nearby:
Food shop inside the bar in the town
Don't miss the giant shell font inside the church
- Atapuerca
Albergue: 'El Peregrino' (new one in huts)
Price: 7 Euro
Facilities:
Very nice small rooms very clean
Unisex showers (with curtains) of questionable temperature
Plug Socket by every bed (no fighting for sockets what a luxury!!)
Kitchen
No Internet (see nearby notes)
Further Notes:
If you're one of those people like me with multtple items (camera,ipod,phone etc) to power charge then this is THE stop on the camino for you - every bed with its own power socket!
Also makes quite a nice stop for walking into Burgos the next day.
Nearby:
Free Internet in the nearby archaelogy visitor centre
Nice view of the surrounding landscape from the church
- Burgos
Albergue: Santa Catalina (by the Cathedral)
Price: Donativo
Facilities:
Donativo
Very nice & cosy
18 beds 2 toilets 2 showers
No Kitchen
Internet
Washing Machines
Further Notes:
Lovely place if you can get in - note we got up VERY early and walked VERY fast on the fast but unpleasant route through industrial Burgos to get a bed! We also had to stand our ground in a very angry queue of people arguing over whether they were in the first 18 there in the morning! They are also quite strict about not taking people who have cheated and come in on the bus so don't try it!
Once you're in though its very nice and handy for Burgos, which is why it gets a 4 shell rating despite having no kitchen. Zoe stayed in bed all day there and apparently they had a little guitar singsong going or something!
We walked past the other albergue in the park the next morning and were very glad we weren't there!
Nearby:
Central Burgos all facilities
Near to Beautiful Cathedral and the river - Rabe De La Calzada
[DIDN'T EVEN RATE ONE SHELL!]
Albergue: Ospital->French Lady's Place by the church
Price: 20 Euro
Facilities:
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND YOU STAY HERE -
STOP IN THE PREVIOUS (1km) VILLAGE OR WALK ON TO HORNILLOS!
20 euro for a bed (in one very cramped room of 8) your clothes hung in a black bag from a meat hook (only allowed to take out your sleeping bag - this is checked and enforced at regular intervals) and a very small meal (tiny in fact) meat stock soup, bread and a slice of cheese.
Further Notes:
I WAS RECOVERING FOR A WEEK!
Nearby:
Nothing, no shops, no bars, no food, no other albergues, no escape.
Lovely chapel with a porch on the way out of town where you can shelter from albergue experiences! - Hornillos Del Camino
Albergue: Municipal Albergue
Price: 5 Euro
Facilities:
OK, bit dirty generally
Showers and beds very dirty
Overflow Mattresses in nearby hall for latecomers
Kitchen fairly good
No Internet
Further Notes:
Dirtiest Bed I had to sleep on all trip, luckily I was so ill I didn't care!
Nearby:
Bar Opposite
Shop on way into town with groceries and Sello
Very friendly locals - Hontanas
Albergue: El Puntido
Price: 5 Euro
Facilities:
Nice Rooms
Not many toilets / showers
All Very Clean
No Kitchen but does meals
Internet if you can get on it
Washing Facilities
Further Notes:
Fairly pleasant albergue but the village was fairly boring
Nearby:
No shop in village
Not much in the village to be honest!! - Itero De La Vega
Albergue: Itero something- Private-In the centre of town
Price: 5 Euro
Facilities:
Bedrooms nice
Private Rooms possible
Bathrooms a bit dirty
Yard at the back
Might be possible to use the hotel kitchen
Internet
Further Notes:
Wish I could remember the name of this place as it was probably worth walking further into town for. It was the one in the middle of the three?
There was an albergue on the way into town that looked very crowded. There was also a municipal albergue on the other side of town that we didn't get to.
Nearby:
Shop in village, fruit can arrived later in the evening
Nice village generally, friendly locals - Villalcazar De Sirga
Albergue: Municipal Albergue
Price: Donativo
Facilities:
Donativo
OK
Strange communal toilet arrangement!!?!
Hot Water 1 Euro
Possibly a kitchen? There is a kitchen provided but you are not allowed to cook in it!?! :s
No Internet
Further Notes:
Bit of an odd place (why provide a kitchen you can't use? - why have two toilets and one sink in the bathroom?) but perfectly pleasant for a donativo albergue!
The village was very nice, the church not to be missed!
Nearby:
Very Impressive Church!!
Bars and Grocery Shops
I sat in the main square painting the church and soon attracted a large crowd of interested and chatty locals keen to give their opinion on art! - Carrion De Los Condes
Albergue: Santa Maria Albergue
Price: 5 Euro
Facilities:
Ok
Bit Cramped but Very clean
COLD showers
Internet
The nuns do your laundry!!
Further Notes:
The nuns run a strange pilgrim service in the evening. I say strange because it was in German and Spanish and I didn't understand a word but everyone else in the room started crying!! Very odd experience watching everyone crying for unknown reasons!
Also worth knowing if you give the nuns your laundry they wash and dry it for you and return it all nice and folded! Wish I'd known this!!
Nearby:
Interesting town with several churches
Lots of shops and restaurants etc
Downside is you have to listen to/make a lot of 'carry on' jokes... - Calzadilla De La Cueza
Albergue: One on the way in with the swimming pool
Price: 6 Euro
Facilities:
Quite Nice
Run by friendly brazilian guy
Swimming pool in back yard
Laundry
Bathrooms unisex and a bit dirty
Internet - but broken when we were there!
Further Notes:
Nice if you fancy a swim!
Nearby:
No shops but a Fruit Van came in the evening
Bar - Sahagun
Albergue: Vittoris Albergue
Price: 7 Euro
Facilities:
Very Nice
Friendly owners
Fantastic architecture
Great Hot showers
Kitchen
No Washing Facilities
FREE internet!
Lots of beds in a huge warehouse type building filled with unusual antiques!
Very good biking facilities, bike washing area etc
Further Notes:
Can't really fault this place. (Free internet goes straight to my heart!)
It is worth knowing that it seemed to be more bike orientated than walkers. There were lots of cyclists and good facilities for washing/storing bikes etc
I think Tommy the donkey also stayed here/nearby but I might be wrong!
Slightly off the main route through the town but well signed (yellow arrows)
We had trouble finding the route out of town the next day though!
Nearby:
Sahagun, big town lots of facilities - El Burgo Ranero
Albergue: Municipal??
Price: Donativo
Facilities:
Donativo
Quite Nice
Lukewarm showers
Kitchen
Washing Facilities
Internet
Cosy and friendly
Space outside for your donkey...
Further Notes:
Recommended - Incredibly nice for a donativo, would've rated higher with hotter showers!
Forget the name I'm afraid but you can't miss it - it's in the centre of town with grass outside.
Nearby:
Not much, frogs, pond, locked church
Food Shop
Pharmacy (closed the whole time we were there) - Leon
Albergue: Municipal? The big main one anyway
Price: Donativo
Facilities:
Donativo
Nice Hot Showers
Wash & Dry Service
No Kitchen but a room with a sink and a kettle
No Internet
Snacks and postcards on sale
Womens Only Domitories
Further Notes:
Huge and busy, filled with enthusiastic folks starting at Leon who turned up early to queue for beds and hadn't done any walking...
Nearby:
Central Leon - all facilities - Villar De Mazarife
Albergue: Refuge De Jesus
Price: 5 Euro
Facilities:
GREAT PLACE
TWO Kitchens (one had people sleeping in in the morning)
Overflow mattresses
Internet
Boat in the Garden
They let you paint on the walls!!!!
Further Notes:
The walls of this albergue are covered in graffetti left by previous pilgrims. Very interesting if you are into that kind of thing (i.e. me!)
They even provide pens for you to draw with! I got my paints out and had a lovely time! :)
The garden is also worth staying there for!
There was another albergue on the way in (if you're not the graffetti type) but they wouldn't take self-caterers (i.e. you have to eat their evening meal to get a bed)
Nearby:
No idea, was having such a good time in the albergue I didn't leave to look outside! - Hospital De Orbigo
Albergue: Albergue San Miguel
Price: 7 Euro
Facilities:
Internet
Washing Facilites
Kitchen
Back Yard
Quite nice and clean
Lots of art on the walls
Further Notes:
There is a quiet dormitory for people who don't like too much noise!
Nearby:
Interesting town
Huge bridge
Jousting festival
Food shop
Post Office - Astorga
Albergue: Refugio San Javier
Price: 6 Euro
Facilities:
Internet
Kitchen
Washing Facilites
Lots of beds in huge attic
Quite nice, plenty of hot showers
Near Cathedral
Further Notes:
Get there early enough and you can get a bed under a skylight and fall asleep watching the stars!
Nearby:
Huge town, lots of facilities
Apparently there is a chocolate museum that I was sorry I missed!
- Rabanal
Albergue: Confraternity English Place
Price: Donativo
Facilities:
Donativo
Very, very nice
Lots of tea and coffee and biscuits
No internet (available in nearby cafe possibly?)
Kitchen
Lovely People
Nice & small and cosy
Further Notes:
Very English - Free tea and biscuits!
Also the only place I saw on the comino enforcing the rules about not taking pilgrims who have their baggage transported (two pilgrims whose backpacks arrived by taxi were refused entry)
Only 20 beds so get there quick!
Nearby:
I think there was a bar with pilgrim meals.
Church opposite has some kind of pilgrim mass with singing that is supposed to be highlight of the camino. Unfortunately it wasn't on (the singing not the mass) the night I was there!
- El Acebo
Albergue: Albergue Parroquial
Price: Donativo
Facilities:
Donativo
Kitchen
Internet
Nice Hot showers
Only one toilet
Free meal in the evening (we skipped it!)
Washing sinks a bit cold and outside looking...
Further Notes:
First stop down the mountain and fills up quickly, there were still people arriving late into the night in a terrible state after walking over the mountains unprepared!
Nearby:
Food Shop and Bar in village - Ponferrada
Albergue: Municipal? - Only albergue there anyway
Price: Donativo
Facilities:
Donativo
OK Kitchen
Quite nice 4 bed rooms
Showers a bit dirty but nicer ones at the end of the garden (past chapel)
Nice chapel with painted ceiling
No sign of internet
opened 1pm
Further Notes:
Pilgrim Service in the chapel in the evening (you can't miss it there is the loudest bell ever!)
Pilgrim themed totem pole in the garden!
Nearby:
Big town lots of facilities
Leave yourself lots of time to look around the castle! - Villafranca Del Bierzo
Albergue: Municipal Albergue
Price: 6 Euro
Facilities:
Quite Nice
First albergue on the way into town
Kitchen
Free Internet
Washing Facilities
Rooms have nice Balconies with view over town and valley
Further Notes:
Pretty nice for a municipal albergue
Bit of a hilly walk into the main part of the town
There is another albergue which is supposed to be kinda interesting, for my first night on my own after Zoe left I didn't really fancy 'interesting'!
Nearby:
Big town, very pretty, lots of facilities
- Ruitelan
Albergue: Albergue Pelina? Potala?
Price: 5 Euro
Facilities:
Possible evening meal & breakfast
Internet
No Kitchen
Siting Room
Beds in Attic
Possibly also private rooms?
Communal shower & toilet
Further Notes:
Only one shower with a flimsy curtain and the other has a clear glass door!
(all fine if you're dutch - bit exposed if you're english!)
Nearby:
Not a lot, walked back to the previous village for some entertainment but there wasn't any... - Tricastela
Albergue: Municipal Albergue
Price: 3 Euro
Facilities:
Very Nice 4 bed rooms
Very clean
Communal showers
No Internet
No Kitchen
Very nice for 3 euros
Further Notes:
Surprisingly good for 3 euros!!
Nearby:
Various shops and bars etc
Evening service in church, pilgrims welcome - Sarria
Albergue: O Durimento? 1st place on left as you go up hill
Price: 10 Euro
Facilities:
Quite Nice Beds/Rooms
Very overpriced, maybe everyone collapses in the 1st place after they've walked up all the stairs?
Internet with very difficult to use and strange keyboard
No Kitchen (Food served in restaurant)
No Washing Facilities
Bed bugs!!
Further Notes:
I would've said this was a fairly nice place but I was bitten by bed bugs here in the middle of the night which made my night somewhat unpleasant!!!!!
It's possible Sarria is generally expensive but I would've expected a bit more (clothes washing/drying facilities at least) for 10 euros!
As you get to the top of the HUGE flight of stairs in Sarria you have a decision to make - go left to the private albergues or go right to the municipal one. I heard the municipal one was not too nice but then I wouldn't recommend the place I stayed either...
Nearby:
Sarria, big town lots of facilities. - Portomarin
Albergue: Ferre-something? Albergue
Price: 8 Euro
Facilities:
Very, very nice place if a bit huge
Nice facilities
Kitchen
Internet
Hot showers
Laundry
Best view from a laundry room ever?
Further Notes:
Looked all brand new when I was there, but great facilities and very clean.
If anything they didn't make enough of the location the only place to properly see the amazing view over the water was from the laundry drying area!
Nearby:
Town, lots of shops, bars etc. - Palas Du Rei
Albergue: Municipal Albergue
Price: 3 Euro
Facilities:
Beds not too bad
Bathrooms awful - Unisex - No doors on showers
Kitchen but so basic and dirty I didn't see anyone even try to use it!
No Internet
Laundry Facilities
Further Notes:
One of the more disgusting places I stayed
I would try not to stay there if at all possible.
Nearby:
Town, lots of bars, shops etc. - Arzua
Albergue: Albergue Da Fonte
Price: 8 Euro
Facilities:
Very, very nice place on way out of town (after you've walked past everywhere else!)
Super lovely hosptialera - made me dinner and did all my laundry!!!
Internet
Kitchen
Laundry
Lovely shower!
Further Notes:
I'm guessing the 8 Euro price as I forgot to write it down and I can't actually remember...
Everyone else I knew stayed in the municipal albergue and said it was very nice but didn't have a kitchen.
I'm glad I walked all the way through to this one though as it was one of the nicest places I stayed!
Nearby:
Town, lots of facilities.
Walk through to the back of the town, the first part when you walk in is kind of ugly but once you walk a bit further in it gets quite pretty! - Monte De Gozo
Albergue: Municipal?
Price: 3 Euro
Facilities:
Huge, Vast place looks a bit like a holiday camp - in fact I think it is a holiday camp!
No Kitchen
No Internet
No Washing facilites
Nice showers and hot water though
Camping also available?
Further Notes:
You're allowed to stay for 3 nights meaning you can walk into Santiago and come back to stay the night
Nearby:
Food shop
Pilgrim Service in the church in the evening (I think?)