Accommodation that offers hosted dinners ?

[Jensjaunt]

Hoping to hear from recent travellers of the Portuguese coastal, senda literal and spiritual variant where you stayed that the Albergue or Pensions had a communal evening meal you could purchase that you enjoyed. When I walked the Camino Francis the atmosphere the host created over dinner made it a warm and friendly way to interact w fellow pilgrims and the host. Often the cooked local dishes - I still dream of the seafood paella offered by the Albergue in El Ganzo! Can you share town and accommodation name? This will help me as I plan stage lengths and where to have rest days! Jen from

 

[naplesdon]

Everyone will be recommending Casa Fernanda.

 

[trecile]

Everyone will be recommending Casa Fernanda.

Except that it's on the Central route, not the Coastal.

 

[mckrowdy]

We had a nice stay and communal meal at the donativo Herbon Convent (or monastery?) Albergue, a 3km detour from Padron.

 

[naplesdon]

Except that it's on the Central route, not the Coastal.

My bad!

 

[lt56ny]

Hoping to hear from recent travellers of the Portuguese coastal, senda literal and spiritual variant where you stayed that the Albergue or Pensions had a communal evening meal you could purchase that you enjoyed. When I walked the Camino Francis the atmosphere the host created over dinner made it a warm and friendly way to interact w fellow pilgrims and the host. Often the cooked local dishes - I still dream of the seafood paella offered by the Albergue in El Ganzo! Can you share town and accommodation name? This will help me as I plan stage lengths and where to have rest days! Jen from

Go to Gronze.com. They have listings of almost all the albergues and when you click on the link of a specific albergue it will list whether or not they offer communal dinners. I walked that route last November and I did not stay in any albergue that had communal dinners. Donativos are your best bet. But because I didn't stay in a communal dinner albergue it doesn't mean there aren't any.

 

[bprohs]

Hoping to hear from recent travellers of the Portuguese coastal, senda literal and spiritual variant where you stayed that the Albergue or Pensions had a communal evening meal you could purchase that you enjoyed. When I walked the Camino Francis the atmosphere the host created over dinner made it a warm and friendly way to interact w fellow pilgrims and the host. Often the cooked local dishes - I still dream of the seafood paella offered by the Albergue in El Ganzo! Can you share town and accommodation name? This will help me as I plan stage lengths and where to have rest days! Jen from

When are you walking the Coastal? We are going in September and I’m also very interested in, not only the communal meals, but favorite Albergue’s along those same routes as well.

 

[Jensjaunt]

Go to Gronze.com. They have listings of almost all the albergues and when you click on the link of a specific albergue it will list whether or not they offer communal dinners. I walked that route last November and I did not stay in any albergue that had communal dinners. Donativos are your best bet. But because I didn't stay in a communal dinner albergue it doesn't mean there aren't any.

Many thanks I was not aware of that feature! How helpful. J

 

[Jensjaunt]

When are you walking the Coastal? We are going in September and I’m also very interested in, not only the communal meals, but favorite Albergue’s along those same routes as well.

Looking to walk from Porto in late April, early May - so getting excited and into planning!

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Jen, my experience walking this last February was that the kinds of communal dinners you can find on the Frances are not a feature of this camino. But it was February and it's possible other options will open up as the season get's busier.
FWIW, in my view if the communal meal is something you value (as I do) then you have to work a little harder on this route to put it together yourself. The one truly lovely communal meal we managed was in the albergue in Caminha. Apart from being a nice albergue anyway, it has a full clean modern kitchen and utensils, just like you'd find at home - except more. And a big table in the kitchen that you can get at least ten around. There's a supermarket and other shops about 200m away so it's easy to source your meal's ingredients, plus drinks etc. I guess it was slightly easier in Feb because we had got to know everyone by name who was walking on the path by then. We of course invited the two outliers (from our 'group') in the albergue and I think they very much enjoyed the evening too.
The next evening many of the Caminha crew (who hadn't turned right to walk inland up the Minho) and some others took up residence in the Albergue de Estrela in Viladesuso. Options to cook were thin: a kitchen, but with only a microwave, and a Repsol gas station across the road selling basic provisions.. so we all went to the one bar restaurant open, also on the main road, where they gave us a big table and it ended up being very much like a communal dinner.
We did something similar in Caldas de Reis where the hospitalera told us the best traditional Galician restaurant in town was about to close as the old couple running it were retiring. That was enough information to sell it to all our acquaintances (basically everyone) staying at the albergue and we all ate together around one long table, ages 13-70, which was rather nice.
We managed quite a few other looser arrangements too, so by the end of the journey I felt I'd managed to achieve my full quota of excellent communal meals, even if they often strayed from the standard template... but it does take some planning, canniness and, ideally, recruiting a couple of partners-in-crime to help you organise.. good luck!

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hebron is a lovely spot to stay. Unfortunately they do not open until 4 pm

 

[Lleslie]

O Lagar de Jesus in Escravitude - about 5k after Padron - had an excellent vegetarian communal dinner when we stayed there last June.

 

[MilenaS]

Bom Caminha - a lovely communal meal and a wonderful garden.

Bom Caminha - Boutique Hostel in Caminha

Welcome to Bom Caminha, a boutique hostel in Caminha, PT. Experience comfort and style at our unique property in the heart of Caminha.

www.bomcaminha.com

 

[Jensjaunt]

Tom thank you for your reply! Good to know that it can still be possible where there are shared kitchens just maybe requires some one to initiate ! I can make a mean pasta dish and like to cook… so will see! Thx again 3 weeks till I leave getting excited - Jen from Canada

 

[Jensjaunt]

Bom Caminha - a lovely communal meal and a wonderful garden.

Bom Caminha - Boutique Hostel in Caminha

Welcome to Bom Caminha, a boutique hostel in Caminha, PT. Experience comfort and style at our unique property in the heart of Caminha.

www.bomcaminha.com

Thank you I will try to stay!

 

[Jensjaunt]

O Lagar de Jesus in Escravitude - about 5k after Padron - had an excellent vegetarian communal dinner when we stayed there last June.

Leslie - thank you I will explore! Jen from

 

[Jensjaunt]

Hebron is a lovely spot to stay. Unfortunately they do not open until 4 pm

Thanks Lydia I will need to get the map out to check where this is? Not sure I have seen it but am still getting familiar with the towns you go thru! - appreciate the info! Jen from

 

[Jensjaunt]

Hi Jen, my experience walking this last February was that the kinds of communal dinners you can find on the Frances are not a feature of this camino. But it was February and it's possible other options will open up as the season get's busier.
FWIW, in my view if the communal meal is something you value (as I do) then you have to work a little harder on this route to put it together yourself. The one truly lovely communal meal we managed was in the albergue in Caminha. Apart from being a nice albergue anyway, it has a full clean modern kitchen and utensils, just like you'd find at home - except more. And a big table in the kitchen that you can get at least ten around. There's a supermarket and other shops about 200m away so it's easy to source your meal's ingredients, plus drinks etc. I guess it was slightly easier in Feb because we had got to know everyone by name who was walking on the path by then. We of course invited the two outliers (from our 'group') in the albergue and I think they very much enjoyed the evening too.
The next evening many of the Caminha crew (who hadn't turned right to walk inland up the Minho) and some others took up residence in the Albergue de Estrela in Viladesuso. Options to cook were thin: a kitchen, but with only a microwave, and a Repsol gas station across the road selling basic provisions.. so we all went to the one bar restaurant open, also on the main road, where they gave us a big table and it ended up being very much like a communal dinner.
We did something similar in Caldas de Reis where the hospitalera told us the best traditional Galician restaurant in town was about to close as the old couple running it were retiring. That was enough information to sell it to all our acquaintances (basically everyone) staying at the albergue and we all ate together around one long table, ages 13-70, which was rather nice.
We managed quite a few other looser arrangements too, so by the end of the journey I felt I'd managed to achieve my full quota of excellent communal meals, even if they often strayed from the standard template... but it does take some planning, canniness and, ideally, recruiting a couple of partners-in-crime to help you organise.. good luck!

Thanks Tom - for the great info! I tried to link my reply but something did not work! So hope this works! I can cook a mean pasta and some great jambalaya if opportunity presents! Bon camino! Jen from