Hi all.
Most folks walking the Plata this year will have finished or be pretty close to doing so (congratulations on your journey!). Jirit has asked me to take on the 2015 update for this excellent 10 page resource. If you have any comments about albergues and other accommodations on the VdlP please let me know either on this string or with a PM.
Comments about new albergues/accommodations (there were quite a few this year) and of course updates about existing accommodations would be helpful. If available, it would be great if you could include a few details about each accommodations, eg., location, address, phone number, # beds, price, features, etc. Comments about whether or not you liked the accommodation and why would also be helpful. Personally, I found some great places to stay this year. I recently read someone's comment that they just completed some 50+ days along the Plata, so you can imagine how much information they may have available to share on this subject!
If you wish to review the 2014 version of the document it is available in the Resources section close to the top of Most Downloaded.
I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone so that we can continue to update and improve this resource for those who will follow us next year. I will likely cut off additions in early December and have this available for download in early January before I depart at the end of that month on my next journey.
Thanks everyone.
Hi, High Endeavours, Thanks for keeping this document up to date. I haven't been on the VDLP lately, but when I walked the Levante in 2013, we went from Zamora to Santiago on the Sanabrés, so I do have a couple of things to suggest from that part. I will try to dig up names and phones of some of the places I´ve mentioned. Buen camino, Laurie
Riego del Camino -- store will open at any reasonable hour. There is no sign on the door, because the owners had been robbed twice.
Granja de Moreruela -- short walk from albergue to monastery, well worth a visit if you have time. Maybe 4 km round trip.
Camanzara de la Tera -- one km off Camino about 8 kms after Santa Mata de Tera. Good one star hotel, very reasonable.
Lubian -- rooms also available in Bar Casa Javi, 980 624 068. AVE construction may mean that the rooms are filled with workers, but worth a call if the albergue is full.
In Lubian, a one km walk up from the bar takes you to a "wolf catcher" from several hundred years ago -- it´s a circular enclosure, and as the plaque describes, a lamb was put in the middle for bait. The wolf was able to jump over the wall to get in, but because of the angle of the wall, it couldn´t jump out. A great way to spend an hour or two.
Vilavella, Hotel Spa Vilavella is in town (hostal is further from Camino on the highway coming into town). Special rates for pilgrims if you want to enjoy a spa day. We had a very good breakfast there, and it looked like it would be a fun break to lounge around in water, get massages, etc. I don´t remember the exact rate for pilgrims but I remember thinking it wasn´t outrageous.
Xunqueira de Ambia -- The bar-restaurant on the right side of the road on the way from the albergue into the village center is by far the best place to eat in town. Run by two women who lost their factory jobs several years ago, they have a very welcoming place and good home cooked food. Will serve a meal at any time.
Castro Dozon -- the albergue isn´t small, it has two big rooms with probably 40 or 50 beds. I agree that it is slightly dirty.
And here are a few more places I´ve added to the Invierno guide, which merges with the Sanabrés in Laxe (sorry, I´ve just cut and pasted, you already have info on a lot of these places, but there are a few new things, like the new albergue in Bandeira:
A Laxe 6 km
Albergue de Peregrinos
Hostal Ramos; San Isidro, 24. Tel: 986 580 217
Hotel Spa Oca Katiuska; Outeiro, 52 (this is a four star hotel)
Hostal O Porto; Camilo JosCela, 12.
At the albergue in Laxe, the Camiño de Inverno joins the Via de la Plata. From here the Camino is well marked and well trodden to Santiago! The following towns and distances will give you all you need to plan your remaining days. The most obvious stages are from A Laxe to the albergue in Outeiro (33 km) and from there to Santiago (16 km, allowing for plenty of time to get to the pilgrims’ mass).
Silleda (9.5 km)
Albergues and private accommodation. All services.
On the main street of Silleda, the Bar Toxa offers an occasional pulpo and Ribeira Sacra wine special when you see the pulpo-boiler set up outside the front door. Inexpensive rooms are available upstairs. The farmacia here is known to double its prices for foreign pilgrims.
7km Bandeira
In-town albergue opened in 2013. Pictures and descriptions on the web:
http://www.santiagoturismo.com/aloxamentos-santiagoturismo/albergue-de-a-bandeira
Hostal Conde Rey, 986 585 333
Hostal Victorino, 986 585 330
Good food and warm company at Bar Arume. Sandwich vegetal recommended.
13km Ponte Ulla
Día grocery store on the way out of town; stock up if you are going up to the albergue in Outeiro, because there aren’t many options. Excellent panadería and bakery in town right on the Camino, in the block or two after you cross the river.
Bar Ríos. Immediately across the bridge on your right. Tel.: 981 512 305. Restaurant and rooms available. Room prices seem to vary by season, from 10-15-20 €, based on what other pilgrims have reported. Food reported to be quite good. Menú del día 12€, with additional charge for wine after the first glass.
Pensión O Cruceiro da Ulla; 981 512 665;
info@ocruceiro.es. Located across the street from the Día grocery store. Newly constructed, pretty charmless, but good service and good prices.
Hostal Churrasco de Juanito; 981 512 619. Located on the Camino, soon after crossing the river. (30€ room, 14€ menú overpriced and not great) (Pilgrim walking in October 2014 reported getting a room for 15€ and a meal for 8€, so walking off-season appears to have its financial benefits).
4.2km Outeiro
Albergue de Vedra, municipal. Very well maintained. Hospitalera provides meals onsite, pretty expensive in terms of price/quality.
Beautiful pilgrim fountain.
About a ten minute walk downhill from the albergue is the beautifully restored rural hotel, Pazo dos Galegos.
http://www.pazodegalegos.com/en/index.html Family estate still producing wine, comfortable and cozy with lots of creature comforts. Contact for special pilgrim prices. This would be a very nice splurge!
6km Lestedo
Fine casa rural: Casa de Casal; Tel: 981 503 227;
http://www.casadecasal.com/
Good lunch specials at Restaurante Via de la Plata along the carretera.
