Early March 2023 start. Albergue and other accommodation options.

[bakedbeans]

I'm researching some Caminos starting in March. The Camino Madrid looks great. I've done the Via de la Plata and Frances before.

What would accommodation options look like from early March on the Madrid? How often would I likely be able to find an albergue assuming standard length stages? How often would I need to get private rooms?

 

[handzondeck2]

Try this link https://www.rayyrosa.com/camino-de-madrid and www.gronze.com

 

[bakedbeans]

Thanks. Totally forgotten about gronze.

Looks like a quite a lot of albergues. Some closed now but I guess some of those open by March. Loads of other accommodation options anyway.

 

[trecile]

Gronze usually lists the opening dates of albergues.

 

[timr]

I'm researching some Caminos starting in March. The Camino Madrid looks great. I've done the Via de la Plata and Frances before.

What would accommodation options look like from early March on the Madrid? How often would I likely be able to find an albergue assuming standard length stages? How often would I need to get private rooms?

One advantage of the CdM is that you are never going to be in a bed race! It is likely to be just you.

As mentioned above: Try this link https://www.rayyrosa.com/camino-de-madrid and www.gronze.com

Ray and Rosa live on the CdM - I stayed with them when I walked.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/a-short-walk-from-madrid.47865/post-513001

They had 'informal' accommodation then but have their own 'albergue' now.

LA ENCOMIENDA DE RAYYROSA - El Camino de Santiago de RayyRosa

Información completa de la Casa de Acogida La Encomienda de RayyRosa. Descripción, equipamiento, servicios, ubicación, fotografías, plazas, precio etc.

www.rayyrosa.com

I would imagine you will not find any more knowledgeable sources of information.

My own account will not help you I fear because I think you will need fresh post-Covid AND winter-walk information.

I hope you enjoy it. It remains one of my favourite walks.

Tim

 

[Walkingboy]

I am walking the Madrid camino sometime March/April so will watch with interest

 

[bakedbeans]

Thanks timr.

 

[chrisje]

Walked in september, very beautiful camino ! It’s better to call the albergue one day ahead. We only met 1 pilgrim till we arrived in Sahagun.

 

[Jenyat53]

I am also thinking this might be my March 2023 Camino so watching with interest.

 

[Dave]

Me too, on the March CdM plans, though at the very end of the month. Hope to run into some of you!

 

[Walkingboy]

Walked in september, very beautiful camino ! It’s better to call the albergue one day ahead. We only met 1 pilgrim till we arrived in Sahagun.

Walking this Camino in April 2023 and am checking out the availability of Albergues. Struggling to find up to date information on the one in Santa Maria la Real Nieva or any other alternatives.

 

[peregrina2000]

Struggling to find up to date information on the one in Santa Maria la Real Nieva or any other alternatives.

I know that this albergue was closed all of 2022. Give Gronze a while and maybe it will show something about the 2023 status. I do not think the lack of a re-opening was covid related, but rather seems to have something to do with the fact that the glow of the camino has disappeared for the owner/hospitalero. When I walked the Madrid (just checked and it was ten years ago, yikes!), the owner, a truck driver, took great pleasure in having converted the little house that his family used to use to house seasonal workers. Based on the gronze commentary, many have found him to be uninterested in the camino and even hostile or rude. This is not an unusual development; sadly the reality of peregrino demands and expectations is sometimes too much.

I think the best idea is to plan to stay at the roadside hotel. It’s a ways out of town, but I know people who have stayed there and said it was fine. If in the meantime the albergue reopens, you can easily switch over.

 

[David Tallan]

I know that this albergue was closed all of 2022. Give Gronze a while and maybe it will show something about the 2023 status. I do not think the lack of a re-opening was covid related, but rather seems to have something to do with the fact that the glow of the camino has disappeared for the owner/hospitalero. When I walked the Madrid (just checked and it was ten years ago, yikes!), the owner, a truck driver, took great pleasure in having converted the little house that his family used to use to house seasonal workers. Based on the gronze commentary, many have found him to be uninterested in the camino and even hostile or rude. This is not an unusual development; sadly the reality of peregrino demands and expectations is sometimes too much.

I think the best idea is to plan to stay at the roadside hotel. It’s a ways out of town, but I know people who have stayed there and said it was fine. If in the meantime the albergue reopens, you can easily switch over.

According to a comment on the Ray and Rosa guide, dated April 2022, when they phoned the number for the albergue they were told it had been closed two years and the thinking was that it would not reopen ("Me dicen por teléfono que desde hace dos años ya no funciona y que no lo piensan reabrir"). They list Hostal Avanto and Hostel Meson Real* in the vicinity. Gronze lists the former but not the latter.

 

[mla1]

I am planning to start walking from Madrid right after Easter in April. It seems like the albergues in Santa Maria and Coco are still closed. It also seems like Peñaflor de Hornija is now closed temporarily - although someone posted a comment about it on Gronze after a visit in November. I wrote to the email for Peñaflor that appears on Gronze but it bounced back. The albergue seems to be the only option there. Another 9 km would take you to Castromonte for a 36 km day.

But after Peñaflor, according to Gronze, all the albergues seem to be open.

The amigos website [https://demadridalcamino.com/camino-de-madrid/] and Gronze have different information. Would one assume Gronze is more up to date?

 

[Dave]

Walking this Camino in April 2023 and am checking out the availability of Albergues. Struggling to find up to date information on the one in Santa Maria la Real Nieva or any other alternatives.

FYI - I emailed Santa Maria's ayuntamiento and they've informed me that their albergue is permanently closed. Bummer.

 

[mla1]

FYI - I emailed Santa Maria's ayuntamiento and they've informed me that their albergue is permanently closed. Bummer.

Oh boy that is a bummer! So the hostal on the road outside Santa Maria will be the only option -- which sounds fine if there is room! Or - option B - stopping at Añe - which still seems to be open. Someone posted on Gronze a couple of weeks ago.

Or option C - taking a really short day after Segovia and staying at Los Huertos.

Hmmmm.

 

[Dave]

Oh boy that is a bummer! So the hostal on the road outside Santa Maria will be the only option -- which sounds fine if there is room! Or - option B - stopping at Añe - which still seems to be open. Someone posted on Gronze a couple of weeks ago.

Or option C - taking a really short day after Segovia and staying at Los Huertos.

Hmmmm.

There's also an airbnb in Santa Maria that seems to draw in some walkers.

 

[peregrino_tom]

It also seems like Peñaflor de Hornija is now closed temporarily - although someone posted a comment about it on Gronze after a visit in November. I wrote to the email for Peñaflor that appears on Gronze but it bounced back.

Looks like mine was the last comment!
The albergue was in good condition so I doubt it is closed for renovations. Maybe the young woman with the keys etc is temporarily away...?
The amazing thing about this town is Bar Hornija - super nice and friendly and preserved in the old style. It has a charismatic bar manager/(owner?) who is a dead-ringer for a young Lou Reed. I see the bar has contact numbers on the web and is also on Facebook - might be worth dropping them a line of enquiry to see if they know when the albergue is re-opening or whether they know of somewhere else to stay in the town - it's a small friendly place.

We stayed at Ane last October. The phone number was meant to be in the door but had disappeared. A helpful young guy from the Ayuntamiento made some calls and sorted us out. The friendly couple (originally from Bulgaria) providing the key and managing it run the bar next door. The bar stayed empty so the business model felt a bit precarious. The idea seems to be that they provide food/meals for the pilgrims as there's no shop in the village. We bought some drinks from them but had also hauled provisions from Segovia for cooking in the very useable kitchen - so I made an extra donativo and that seemed to suit all parties.
The pic and location of the albergue on Gronze are out of date. That albergue building is closed and both the albergue (an unmarked door) and the bar are on Calle Thomas LLorente on the left side of the Ayuntamiento

 

[timr]

Looks like mine was the last comment!
The albergue was in good condition so I doubt it is closed for renovations. Maybe the young woman with the keys etc is temporarily away...?
The amazing thing about this town is Bar Hornija - super nice and friendly and preserved in the old style. It has a charismatic bar manager/(owner?) who is a dead-ringer for a young Lou Reed. I see the bar has contact numbers on the web and is also on Facebook - might be worth dropping them a line of enquiry to see if they know when the albergue is re-opening or whether they know of somewhere else to stay in the town - it's a small friendly place.

We stayed at Ane last October. The phone number was meant to be in the door but had disappeared. A helpful young guy from the Ayuntamiento made some calls and sorted us out. The friendly couple (originally from Bulgaria) providing the key and managing it run the bar next door. The bar stayed empty so the business model felt a bit precarious. The idea seems to be that they provide food/meals for the pilgrims as there's no shop in the village. We bought some drinks from them but had also hauled provisions from Segovia for cooking in the very useable kitchen - so I made an extra donativo and that seemed to suit all parties.
The pic and location of the albergue on Gronze are out of date. That albergue building is closed and both the albergue (an unmarked door) and the bar are on Calle Thomas LLorente on the left side of the Ayuntamiento

Interested to hear of that development. I arrived in Añe with five others (very much against the run of play, as we say) in 2017 to find that the old and very simple, not to say shabby albergue was available, but the bar only open at weekends and no shop of any kind. We were kind of on our uppers for provisions, but shared what we had!! See here.

 

[mla1]

Looks like mine was the last comment!

That's helpful!

The albergue was in good condition so I doubt it is closed for renovations. Maybe the young woman with the keys etc is temporarily away...?
The amazing thing about this town is Bar Hornija - super nice and friendly and preserved in the old style. It has a charismatic bar manager/(owner?) who is a dead-ringer for a young Lou Reed. I see the bar has contact numbers on the web and is also on Facebook - might be worth dropping them a line of enquiry to see if they know when the albergue is re-opening or whether they know of somewhere else to stay in the town - it's a small friendly place.

Okay - I will try to get in touch with them! That albergue looks great, and it would be a shame not to get to hang out in a good bar! Fingers crossed!

We stayed at Ane last October. The phone number was meant to be in the door but had disappeared. A helpful young guy from the Ayuntamiento made some calls and sorted us out. The friendly couple (originally from Bulgaria) providing the key and managing it run the bar next door. The bar stayed empty so the business model felt a bit precarious. The idea seems to be that they provide food/meals for the pilgrims as there's no shop in the village. We bought some drinks from them but had also hauled provisions from Segovia for cooking in the very useable kitchen - so I made an extra donativo and that seemed to suit all parties.
The pic and location of the albergue on Gronze are out of date. That albergue building is closed and both the albergue (an unmarked door) and the bar are on Calle Thomas LLorente on the left side of the Ayuntamiento

Google maps and mapy.cz both show the bar. But they also both show the albergue near a sports field - so it is good to know it has moved! And maybe I will try to message the bar owners from Segovia to see whether I need to carry food!

Thanks!

 

[Dave]

I just heard back from the ayuntamiento in Peñaflor. The albergue there remains closed as well. No indication of a reopening.

 

[mla1]

I just heard back from the ayuntamiento in Peñaflor. The albergue there remains closed as well. No indication of a reopening.

I was just logging in here to write the same message. They are looking for someone to run it...
Fingers crossed that they find someone!

 

[Jenyat53]

We stayed at Añe last night. We contacted Bar Añe to arrange the stay.
The lovely Vicki and her mother Paulina cooked us a fabulous 3 course meal complete with red wine and water. The fairly rudimentary, but very clean place two doors down, which has replaced the previous albergue, has two rooms with double beds, a third double out in the living area with a TV, effective chip heater and dining table. The kitchen and bathroom were serviceable though we didn’t cook there.
Pauline’s Bulgarian tomato sauce was fantastic

 

[mla1]

We stayed at Añe last night. We contacted Bar Añe to arrange the stay.
The lovely Vicki and her mother Paulina cooked us a fabulous 3 course meal complete with red wine and water. The fairly rudimentary, but very clean place two doors down, which has replaced the previous albergue, has two rooms with double beds, a third double out in the living area with a TV, effective chip heater and dining table. The kitchen and bathroom were serviceable though we didn’t cook there.
Pauline’s Bulgarian tomato sauce was fantastic

This is excellent news!!! Thanks for posting!

 

[JWB]

Good news! Today the Penaflor ayuntamiento mailed me and confirmed the albergue is open now. Gronze also indicates the albergue is open.