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Accommodation on the VdlP: Do I need to book private?

R

rainforestgirl

Member
I'm starting on the VdlP on 29 March & not feeling very confident re the accommodation in the early stages so far.
It seems it's impossible to book the Albergue Luz del Camino in Guillena and according to GK's book, the Municipal has been closed since Covid.
Is finding a bed each night on the VdlP going to be an issue? Do I need to book private accommodation just to be sure of getting a bed?
Reassurance please.
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
According to Gronzena d my 2018 Gerald Kelly guidebook, there are two other possibilities.

These are the Albergue Luz del Camino and

Hostal Francis

Your other option would be to walk to Santiponce about 13K from Sevilla and then walk through Guillena to Castillo Blanco de Los Arroyos about 31kms

Just remember the Roman ruins at Santiponce apparently are closed on Mondays and on reduced hours Sundays. Something for you to check out fully.
 
rainforestgirl said:
It seems it's impossible to book the Albergue Luz del Camino in Guillena
Click to expand...
Gronze has contact information and says that they take reservations.

rainforestgirl said:
Is finding a bed each night on the VdlP going to be an issue? Do I need to book private accommodation just to be sure of getting a bed?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't expect it would be a problem, but there are a few places where there are small albergues (e.g. 8 beds) that can fill up. There always seemed to be somewhere else not too far away, and you will want to plan a few stages carefully to avoid long distances. You will get more comfortable with the situation and the needs, once you are on the ground. At most, I would think you might choose to book ahead a day or two. But plan your Easter week, and even the weekends, with an awareness that popular cities in Spain are, well, popular.
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
 
I book Hostel Bar Francis for my first night but I don't think you will have a problem getting a bed in Albergue Luz. In 2017 she also had rooms in another house in the town. We stayed there.
 
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By coincidence, I walked the VdlP in 2022, commencing in Seville on 29th March, like your plan.
I booked only my first night (in Santiponce) and then (usually on the same day) in some larger towns and cities. My Easter weekend was spent in Salamanca (where I booked an apartment to share with three fellow Pilgrims) and Zamora, where there was plenty of capacity in the municipal albergue.
There were a couple of places where the gossip among my fellow Pilgrims warned of bed squeezes in particular places, so I decided to walk a little further to the next place with accommodation.
The only point where my 'book same day, if at all' plan threatened to come unstuck was on the final days on the Sanabres, where my intended last stop had been booked out by a group. Instead, I arrived in Santiago at 6.00pm, having walked 45km.
My schedule did not include staying Guillena, so can't comment on that specific town, but I expect that you will not struggle too much for accommodation generally.
 
I walked the Via De La Plata in starting October of '21. I would try calling the albergue when you get into Spain. If it is true that they do not take reservations and you are a little nervous leave early and I am sure you will have no problems on the 29th. I have no idea if the VDLP sees a higher number of pilgrims during Semana Santa. But you are starting your camino just 2 days before the start of the holiday week. Be aware of that.
 
I started from Sevilla in late Sept this year. I had no problem with accomodation except around one fiesta and a couple of weekends in tourist towns - I lost track of days of the week. I probably booked ahead less than half the time. And there were always solutions when places were full.
PS. I stayed in Hostel Frances. And their bar does good food.

EDIT - Pilgrim only accomodation always had beds
 
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We plan to start from Sevilla on 28th March. I emailed Luz del Camino a few days ago but have not received a reply. We had previously booked to to stay there in March 2020 but of course had to cancel our Camino. On that occasion my emails were answered very promptly. My next step is to try via WhatsApp.
Does anyone have any other suggestions. We usually only book a day ahead if at all. Hope that philosophy works this time! We have booked 2 nights in Merida from from 5th April.
 
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