• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Help contacting Samos Monastery

Delynda Drury

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
My husband and I will be enjoying the Camino de Santiago (French Way) next May 2016.
Help! My husband and I are planning to experience the Camino from Saint Jean Piet de Port to Santiago de Compostela March 2016. We have made all our reservations except one. We have desperately been trying to contact The Samos Monastery for a year now. We have seen online they do have room for pilgrims and this would be an amazing blessing to stay in this monastery.
We have tried to contact them in every possible but with no response. Does anyone have any idea or advice how we would go about making these reservations to make this journey complete?
Thank you for your helpful advice.
Buen Camino
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Samos Monastery has an albergue for all pilgrims which has 90 beds, is extremely basic as well as frigid in winter and as Doug says "you just turn up". The monastery also offers a far more comfortable hospederia. For this which may be only for men see more info here. The monastery email address is info@abadiadesamos.com.
 
Last edited:
... We have made all our reservations except one. We have desperately been trying to contact The Samos Monastery for a year now. We have seen online they do have room for pilgrims and this would be an amazing blessing to stay in this monastery.
We have tried to contact them in every possible but with no response. Does anyone have any idea or advice how we would go about making these reservations to make this journey complete? ...

Have you written to them in Spanish or in English? As others have pointed out, their albergue doesn't accept reservations, but it is spacious and on a variant, so there shouldn't be a problem to get a bunk bed. Their hospederia does accept reservations, but I think you should contact/call them in Spanish, if you haven't already done so.

All reservations done a year ahead? You are not leaving much space there for spontaneity and the little gifts of the Camino.

Buen Camino, SY
 
Help! My husband and I are planning to experience the Camino from Saint Jean Piet de Port to Santiago de Compostela March 2016. We have made all our reservations except one. We have desperately been trying to contact The Samos Monastery for a year now. We have seen online they do have room for pilgrims and this would be an amazing blessing to stay in this monastery.
We have tried to contact them in every possible but with no response. Does anyone have any idea or advice how we would go about making these reservations to make this journey complete?
Thank you for your helpful advice.
Buen Camino
Hello Delynda.
The dorm in the monastry Samos is a huge room with 80 Bunks.
See here:

http://6e46e65d65.website/Etappen/25_Triacastela-Sarria.html#Samos

Buen Camino
Jochen
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Oh Somos monastery....., it's beautiful, and the pension on the corner across from the albergue has the best food, and yes if it's cold outside its going to be at least 20 degrees colder inside :) I froze my... that night.

Zzotte
 
Pourquoi? My lips are zipped but please understand there are very few reasons for reservations in March;). You need to be spontaneous because you will never know what mother nature throws at you at that time of year unless you are relying on public transport.
 
As a fellow pilgrim who walked the Frances last March I can say from experience that spontaneity in March can be dicey. We ended up walking 7 km's further than we wanted to just to find an albergue that was open (It wasn't even actually open. We darn near begged her to let us stay!). I know 7 kilometers isn't much but what if she had said "no"? We would've had to walk further.
Plus, if you're like me, I LOVED planning our Camino. It was great fun walking through areas that I'd researched, meeting albergue owners that I had corresponded with months earlier to see if they were open, and showing my wife the little gifts on the Camino that we probably would've walked by without some research.
So go ahead Delynda, plan away!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Samos Monastery has an albergue for all pilgrims which has 90 beds, is extremely basic as well as frigid in winter and as Doug says "you just turn up". The monastery also offers a far more comfortable hospederia. For this which may be only for men see more info here. The monastery email address is info@abadiadesamos.com.
When we did the tour of the monastery I (with very limited Spanish) received the impression that any accommodation INSIDE the monastery was only for men. In fact the entrance to the albergue section is on the opposite side of the monastery to the entrance used by the monks/brothers. I was there in mid-Sept and is not overly warm even at mid-day, so yes I would expect the albergue section to be more than a little chille!!!
 
Samos Monastery has an albergue for all pilgrims which has 90 beds, is extremely basic as well as frigid in winter and as Doug says "you just turn up". The monastery also offers a far more comfortable hospederia. For this which may be only for men see more info here. The monastery email address is info@abadiadesamos.com.
Thank you for your reply. We have tried the both in Spanish and English and have even sent two separate letters via USPS. I will attempt to email them again using the email you provided.
Thank you again
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Oh Somos monastery....., it's beautiful, and the pension on the corner across from the albergue has the best food, and yes if it's cold outside its going to be at least 20 degrees colder inside :) I froze my... that night.

Zzotte
I like how you pointed out the qualities I hadn't heard before. It does look cold as far as being spacious and bare and I am hoping for nothing but the bare necessities as a reflection of my journey to free myself from burdens along this journey. But cold as in temperature .... I hadn't given that any thought. Ahhhhhh another factor in my decision.
Thank you I like your honesty
 
As a fellow pilgrim who walked the Frances last March I can say from experience that spontaneity in March can be dicey. We ended up walking 7 km's further than we wanted to just to find an albergue that was open (It wasn't even actually open. We darn near begged her to let us stay!). I know 7 kilometers isn't much but what if she had said "no"? We would've had to walk further.
Plus, if you're like me, I LOVED planning our Camino. It was great fun walking through areas that I'd researched, meeting albergue owners that I had corresponded with months earlier to see if they were open, and showing my wife the little gifts on the Camino that we probably would've walked by without some research.
So go ahead Delynda, plan away!

Perfect! Thank you for your support. I do understand the majority opinion of
spontaneity and although we do plan reservations ahead, we are never too rigid to allow it to ruin our experience. We have traveled a great deal and as you stated, part of the joy of traveling is the preparation leading up to it. We too see the value in educating ourselves so as not to miss anything along the way and if something new should arise we are more than thrilled to discover it.
I truly believe this will be a spiritual growth for both of us and planning or not planning will not thwart that outcome.
Thank you again for your supportive response.
 
When we did the tour of the monastery I (with very limited Spanish) received the impression that any accommodation INSIDE the monastery was only for men. In fact the entrance to the albergue section is on the opposite side of the monastery to the entrance used by the monks/brothers. I was there in mid-Sept and is not overly warm even at mid-day, so yes I would expect the albergue section to be more than a little chille!!!
Now that's interstimg and I could very well see that. I'll look into it further with that information. I hadn't even considered only makes allowed but that makes sense.
Thank you
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
They have 90 beds and I doubt they'll be full. I would suggest calling once you are in Spain.
+34 982 54 60 46
Thank you. I am guessing calling them will be my last chance before arriving.
 
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
The tour of Samos was great. Neat art. Neat murals. The environment of the sleeping quarters was, as others have reported, a little cold. (October 2005, May 2009). What other people have not said is that it was for me also a little on the dirty side. That is on the dirty side of the typical alburgue experience.

Now its been some years so maybe its changed. They were struggling with hot water when I was there last, but so were 50% of the other alburgues back then, not such a worry on my most recent visit along the Frances.

I would definitely make the tour, but stay somewhere else if I found my way there again. In my experience monks are high on expectations, but lack adequate delivery, as far as personal comforts are concerned.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Delynda - when I arrived in Samos I went up to what I thought was both the entrance to the Albergue AND the monastery. However just as I arrived a man opened the door - he was English and was the current hospiterio. He just said that they did not open until around 1.00 PM (the guide book mentions a group of petrol pumps where you can also get the key - these are about 15/20 metres from the door). As I said the monastery tourist door was about 250 metres, following the road into town, around the other side. The art work and murals are definitely worth the 75 minutes the tour takes. But if you were going to be there in early Spring then maybe the other albergue listed or the hotel might be a better option. I was on my bike/cycle and I think it took me about 30-45 minutes from Triacastela, its about 10 km walking so roughly about 90 mins walking, which means if you stayed in Triacastela and left early you could do the monastery tour and then push on to (say) Perros/Aguiada. The turn-off was about 2.3 km west of Samos and the walk back across the alternative route was about 3-4 km through very quiet and picturesque countryside. It will be your last day of peace and quiet before you meet the 5 fold increase in tourist pilgrims starting from Sarria. Hope you have a really "Buen Camino". :):D
 
Delynda,

To help you plan/choose where to stay here is the Samos monastery's own website http://www.abadiadesamos.com/index.php Click on each section including that of the hospederia for further info.

If you decide to stop in a small hotel this is a nice place on the west side of the village
http://HotelaVeiga.com/
Their daily menu is a great bargain both copious and inexpensive.

Happy planning and Buen camino!

MM
 
Last edited:
We were in Samos last year and I think the monastery would be the last place I would want to stay. There is a petrol service station almost just outside the door. Most pilgrims we spoke to wished they had stayed somewhere else. We stayed in a hotel just across the road. Samos is not to be missed, most pilgrims wont walk the extra km to get there. It is a very special place.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
No toilets or any other services on the way from Triacastela to Samos! Unfriendly signs about not "going" in villages en route! Lovely view of the monastery as you come down into Samos - very few pilgrims en route, though. Hotel A Veiga is a good place to stay.
 
I stayed in Samos albergue earlier this month and did not find it Particularly cold for November. The monastic albergue is a donativos and provides blankets for pilgrims. One of the monks washed the floor, but otherwise there was no supervision and pilgrims just wrote what they wanted in the sign-in book. Late in the evening, some pilgrims decided that they wanted lower bunks, and they removed the tape which was blocking off a large part of the albergue in order to get them. That night, there was no other albergue open in the village and so I ate at the hotel, which may not have been an option for all the pilgrims. I waa able to tour the monastery and worship with the monks, which is why I was there. I was not impressed with the behaviour of some pilgrims.
 
Delynda, traveling in March I guess would be like traveling in say November? You should be prepared for some cold days with that said, what I have learned since that time is that proper clothing its important, the secret is to stay warm its easy to pill layers but its very difficult to get warm from very cold so a 15 degree sleeping quilt, a smartwool bottom and top baselayer, socks and if still cold a woolly hat and you will be toastie as a bun in the oven :) I have hiked and slept under the stars in 30 degree temperature I'm very comfortable with this setup, don't let the possibility of a cold night discourage you from making the extra 7 km, take the tour when the hospitalero offers, and you be rewarded surprising sense of inner peace :)
about the hospitalero, he was a little tough, very strict with the rules so be kind and respectful and he will turn around fast ( a few kind words in spanish always helps) :)

Buen Camino

Zzotte
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I stayed in Samos albergue earlier this month and did not find it Particularly cold for November. The monastic albergue is a donativos and provides blankets for pilgrims. One of the monks washed the floor, but otherwise there was no supervision and pilgrims just wrote what they wanted in the sign-in book. Late in the evening, some pilgrims decided that they wanted lower bunks, and they removed the tape which was blocking off a large part of the albergue in order to get them. That night, there was no other albergue open in the village and so I ate at the hotel, which may not have been an option for all the pilgrims. I waa able to tour the monastery and worship with the monks, which is why I was there. I was not impressed with the behaviour of some pilgrims.

El Camino de Santiago its a religious pilgrimage don't matter how anyone looks at, it has been my experience how terrible the behavior and disrespect of pilgrims specially towards the Churches I guess I was naive.

Zzotte
 
I still regret not taking the alternative route to Samos realizing now what I missed…..next time?
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Delynda - when I arrived in Samos I went up to what I thought was both the entrance to the Albergue AND the monastery. However just as I arrived a man opened the door - he was English and was the current hospiterio. He just said that they did not open until around 1.00 PM (the guide book mentions a group of petrol pumps where you can also get the key - these are about 15/20 metres from the door). As I said the monastery tourist door was about 250 metres, following the road into town, around the other side. The art work and murals are definitely worth the 75 minutes the tour takes. But if you were going to be there in early Spring then maybe the other albergue listed or the hotel might be a better option. I was on my bike/cycle and I think it took me about 30-45 minutes from Triacastela, its about 10 km walking so roughly about 90 mins walking, which means if you stayed in Triacastela and left early you could do the monastery tour and then push on to (say) Perros/Aguiada. The turn-off was about 2.3 km west of Samos and the walk back across the alternative route was about 3-4 km through very quiet and picturesque countryside. It will be your last day of peace and quiet before you meet the 5 fold increase in tourist pilgrims starting from Sarria. Hope you have a really "Buen Camino". :):D
I intended to visit (very late) September 2015, but last minute change of plan. However, later that day someone in our group told me that he'd been speaking to someone who went through Samos that day to discover that the monastery was closed because "it was Friday"!!! Now this didn't make a lot of sense to me (given knowledge from another Camino 2011) but I accepted it. However Saint Mike's explanation makes sense... Just closed until 1pm. As I mentioned, it was info via another person, so I couldn't ask more about it. But I thought I'd mention it here in case others knew that it is in fact closed certain days. Thanks
 
I intended to visit (very late) September 2015, but last minute change of plan. However, later that day someone in our group told me that he'd been speaking to someone who went through Samos that day to discover that the monastery was closed because "it was Friday"!!! Now this didn't make a lot of sense to me (given knowledge from another Camino 2011) but I accepted it. However Saint Mike's explanation makes sense... Just closed until 1pm. As I mentioned, it was info via another person, so I couldn't ask more about it. But I thought I'd mention it here in case others knew that it is in fact closed certain days. Thanks
Glennys - sorry - that was the albergue that was not scheduled to open until 1.00pm. If the monastery was closed on a Friday it may have been a religious feast/festival day or a day that the monks had set aside as a retreat. Its unfortunate that you did not get to see the monastery it is well worth the time (and the E3.00 - at least I think that was the fee). Cheers
 
Glennys - sorry - that was the albergue that was not scheduled to open until 1.00pm. If the monastery was closed on a Friday it may have been a religious feast/festival day or a day that the monks had set aside as a retreat. Its unfortunate that you did not get to see the monastery it is well worth the time (and the E3.00 - at least I think that was the fee). Cheers
Thanks Saint Mike II. That probably is the reason. Given that I have the Camino 'in my blood', I will return and will keep that info in mind.
It's one good thing about going back, you get more out of each Camino.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
... Unfriendly signs about not "going" in villages en route! ...

With the amount of pilgrims on the last 100km, I would call these signs 'desperate' not unfriendly. Just try to see (and smell) it for a moment from the perspective of the people living alongside the Camino. Buen Camino, SY
 
"With the amount of pilgrims on the last 100km, I would call these signs 'desperate' not unfriendly. Just try to see (and smell) it for a moment from the perspective of the people living alongside the Camino."

Yes, I understand what you are saying, but there was absolutely nothing open between Triacestela and Samos, no bars or cafés. In a 3-hour walk, it becomes a necessity to "go" somewhere!
 
I have long characterized the walk to Samos as like Middle Earth on a good day and it is one of the best stretches I have walked in Galicia.

However, I would not be surprised if replies were very slow from the monastery and I would not be surprised if they did not respond at all. Some years ago I discovered that many French and Spanish enterprises do not treat e-mail in the same manner as North Americans (for here Canadians share US practice). Having not heard from hotels about reservations, I would send them a second or third email before I got a response: one French innkeeper wrote back to tell me to stop sending email, as they had received the first one, thank you very much. A confirmation did not seem to have entered his mind. When I got to Toulouse, I mentioned this and he seemed perplexed at my question.

Perhaps the monks at Samos may have felt that, since the information was on the web, and since albergues don't take reservations, they need not worry about it. Perhaps they may feel that, since March 2016 is so far off, there is no urgency to it. Perhaps they might think that, given that there are not many pilgrims at that time of year, you should not worry about it.

If, when you arrive there, they have no rooms at the hospederia for couples or women (frequently the case in monasteries for men) and if the albergue looks a bit too cold, all is not lost. I have stayed at the Hotel Victoria and while I am not as down on it as others, the Veiga might be just fine, as well as the Pension Rural Domus Itineris, a bit before the monastery. A casa rural, Casa de Diaz, is 4km beyond Samos, and a 5euro taxi ride if you wish to head back in for services.

I must admit that, while I enjoyed the tour and the frescoes are quite striking, I did not enjoy the service I attended--- I am a big fan of vespers, but with only four monks (such was my experience) in the huge abbey church, I cannot say that I would write home to mother about it. However, this is very subjective and experiences will vary.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Help! My husband and I are planning to experience the Camino from Saint Jean Piet de Port to Santiago de Compostela March 2016. We have made all our reservations except one. We have desperately been trying to contact The Samos Monastery for a year now. We have seen online they do have room for pilgrims and this would be an amazing blessing to stay in this monastery.
We have tried to contact them in every possible but with no response. Does anyone have any idea or advice how we would go about making these reservations to make this journey complete?
Thank you for your helpful advice.
Buen Camino
I stayed at the Samos Monestario on April 30. 2015. The dormitory was less than half full. Yes, it was cold since the afternoon temperature was 13 C (56 F). But it wasn't as cold as camping. However, the bathroom had two large (looked like 100 gallons each) water heaters which relieved any worry about a cold shower. Nevertheless, I didn't overuse the hot water. The wash basins have only cold water, so if your husband needs hot water to shave after his shower, he can go back into the shower, bend forward, and wet has face by holding the hand-held shower nozzle upward on his face. I did this successfully. Also, I used one of the blankets provided. You could probably use two blankets by borrowing an extra one from an open bed. Good luck on your pilgrimage!
 
"With the amount of pilgrims on the last 100km, I would call these signs 'desperate' not unfriendly. Just try to see (and smell) it for a moment from the perspective of the people living alongside the Camino."

Yes, I understand what you are saying, but there was absolutely nothing open between Triacestela and Samos, no bars or cafés. In a 3-hour walk, it becomes a necessity to "go" somewhere!

It becomes mind over matter just do it :)

Zzotte
 
I accidentally took the road to Samos a few weeks ago and I am glad that I did. It was one of the loveliest days of my camino.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Perhaps the monks at Samos may have felt that, since the information was on the web, and since albergues don't take reservations, they need not worry about it. Perhaps they may feel that, since March 2016 is so far off, there is no urgency to it. Perhaps they might think that, given that there are not many pilgrims at that time of year, you should not worry about it.

And given that there are so few resident monks, perhaps they have much too much to do to have the time to answer everyone's 'urgent' questions--which in reality are not so urgent. In this case (at least given my experience of being there during Easter week last year), I do think you can rest your heart...what I have bolded above was certainly the case then.
 
Help! My husband and I are planning to experience the Camino from Saint Jean Piet de Port to Santiago de Compostela March 2016. We have made all our reservations except one. We have desperately been trying to contact The Samos Monastery for a year now. We have seen online they do have room for pilgrims and this would be an amazing blessing to stay in this monastery.
We have tried to contact them in every possible but with no response. Does anyone have any idea or advice how we would go about making these reservations to make this journey complete?
Thank you for your helpful advice.
Buen Camino
And given that there are so few resident monks, perhaps they have much too much to do to have the time to answer everyone's 'urgent' questions--which in reality are not so urgent. In this case (at least given my experience of being there during Easter week last year), I do think you can rest your heart...what I have bolded above was certainly the case then.
I
Help! My husband and I are planning to experience the Camino from Saint Jean Piet de Port to Santiago de Compostela March 2016. We have made all our reservations except one. We have desperately been trying to contact The Samos Monastery for a year now. We have seen online they do have room for pilgrims and this would be an amazing blessing to stay in this monastery.
We have tried to contact them in every possible but with no response. Does anyone have any idea or advice how we would go about making these reservations to make this journey complete?
Thank you for your helpful advice.
Buen Camino
 
I visited the monastery in October - beautifully restored after a devastating fire a few decades ago. Hard to believe this thriving place of religious life is down to less than a dozen monks. You will have no difficulty finding a room.
After walking the Camino this Fall, I can't imagine booking every night ahead of time - too many variables. I would urge you to rethink these bookings since you might only make many by resorting to a taxi to get to your destination.
Hope you are packing a light and warm down sleeping bag!
Buen Camino
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms

Most read last week in this forum

When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...
Hi! I’m a first time pilgrim. Is it possible to take a taxi from Astorga to Foncebadon? Thanks, Felicia
Greetings all! So I'm a "proper planning prevents poor performance", kinda guy. I was able to make a loose schedule for my Camino Frances last year that worked extremely well, and allowed me to...
HI all, I will be starting my walk on March 31, taking the Valcarlos Route, and am having trouble getting in touch with the albergue in Valcarlos (tried email and what's app - no luck!). Does...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Similar threads

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top