Albergue de peregrinos O Cebreiro

[mdelag]

Hi, can anyone give me advice about the albergue in o'cebreiro (public) ?

 

[Tincatinker]

Big, busy, hot showers, no useful equipment in the kitchen. What advice were you seeking?

 

[mdelag]

If it is clean and well operated ?

 

[mdelag]

We'll be in O Cebreiro in 2 days and don't know if it is a good choise to stay in

 

[SabsP]

It is clean and yes big. But a good Xunta albergue.

 

[mspath]

It is fine! No blankets but plenty of heat in winter. Good showers but watch out for the windows in those showers. There is a direct view out/in on the passing camino. Duck down when necessary!

 

[SabsP]

It is fine! No blankets but plenty of heat in winter. Good showers but watch out for the windows in those showers. There is a direct view out/in on the passing camino. Duck down when necessary!

Oh yes now I remember! If I remember correctly one of the few open showers ( male-female separated ) on the Frances.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi, can anyone give me advice about the albergue in o'cebreiro (public) ?

Hi, I was there last May and it was full. The rest of O Cebreiro was full to.
Great view in the morning.
Wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[jsalt]

If it is clean and well operated ?

It is very clean and well operated. A good choice! There are many bunk beds in one big dorm and reasonably well-spaced. There is a big kitchen and dining area, but as Tincatinker said, no equipment, so it is difficult to cook your own meal if you do not have saucepans etc. I found the showers a bit scary as they reminded me of school. Separate ablutions for men and women, but open plan (showers with no doors), so a bit embarrassing when there is a mix of nubile young 20 year olds and 60 year old grannies. Have fun!

 

[Anniesantiago]

It is clean, but personally, feels "cold" to me.
I prefer to stop for the night before O Cebreiro, maybe at LaFaba.
Then next morning, walk to O Cebreiro for breakfast, then straight through, stopping on the other side.

 

[Icacos]

I prefer to stop for the night before O Cebreiro, maybe at LaFaba.
Then next morning, walk to O Cebreiro for breakfast, then straight through, stopping on the other side.

Good idea! We stayed in La Escuela, a private albergue in Laguna de Castilla, just a bit before O Cebreiro, in a two bed bunk room with our own bathroom. Laguna is a quiet little village. Time more or less stood still while I observed the dog hierachy in action, and stood out of the way as the cows were being herded through the village down the steep paths to their pasture.

 

[jsalt]

It is clean, but personally, feels "cold" to me.
I prefer to stop for the night before O Cebreiro, maybe at LaFaba.
Then next morning, walk to O Cebreiro for breakfast, then straight through, stopping on the other side.

Absolutely! But one has to experience the albergue in O Cebreiro to be able to make that decision. The albergue at O Cebreiro is clean and clinical and is perfect for pilgrims starting out on their camino, but, as you say, it has no character whatsoever (like most Xunta albergues). I would also choose La Faba over O Cebreiro to overnight, but when I stayed there the European pilgrims shut all the windows and shutters at night (in mid-summer) and the dorm STANK in the morning. To add insult to injury, I couldn’t open the windows when I woke up because the window sills were full of pilgrims’ clutter (which I dare not touch), and the windows opened inwards. I now stay either side of O Cebreiro AND La Faba. Jill

 

[mountaingoat999]

Take ear plugs ........can be like a zoo, being a large room. lovely views in the morning

 

[mountaingoat999]

It is fine! No blankets but plenty of heat in winter. Good showers but watch out for the windows in those showers. There is a direct view out/in on the passing camino. Duck down when necessary!

I walked passed the other side and looked left and discovered that the window was clear......however since then "I made a complaint"there is a frosted plastic on the windows now or was.
prefer stopping before then or after

 

[Icacos]

........so a bit embarrassing when there is a mix of nubile young 20 year olds and 60 year old grannies. Have fun!

Hey, I don't know your age, but you'd better be up there with those '60 year old grannies.' Or I'd be telling you to show some respect for this 62 year old granny who walked the Camino to mark her 60th birthday .... and was then, and still is, the envy of her son, the father of her grandchild!!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Absolutely! But one has to experience the albergue in O Cebreiro to be able to make that decision. The albergue at O Cebreiro is clean and clinical and is perfect for pilgrims starting out on their camino, but, as you say, it has no character whatsoever (like most Xunta albergues). I would also choose La Faba over O Cebreiro to overnight, but when I stayed there the European pilgrims shut all the windows and shutters at night (in mid-summer) and the dorm STANK in the morning. To add insult to injury, I couldn’t open the windows when I woke up because the window sills were full of pilgrims’ clutter (which I dare not touch), and the windows opened inwards. I now stay either side of O Cebreiro AND La Faba. Jill

This made me lol because I can't tell you how many times I've had the "open window-closed window" discussion.
Those albergues can smell horrid by morning when they're all closed up.

On the VDLP, I had a young man insist (in the July heat) that an open window and the cool night air was "very dangerous."
??? This was curious to me.
Do people really believe this?
Or was it something his grandmother told him?
I'm not trying to be rude, just genuinely interested.
Didn't we learn, during the plague years, that fresh air is healthy?

Well, like shoes or boots, I suppose it's a matter of choice,and when I'm walking on my own and staying in albergues, I do my best to get a bed next to the window.
You know why, jsalt!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Good idea! We stayed in La Escuela, a private albergue in Laguna de Castilla, just a bit before O Cebreiro, in a two bed bunk room with our own bathroom. Laguna is a quiet little village. Time more or less stood still while I observed the dog hierachy in action, and stood out of the way as the cows were being herded through the village down the steep paths to their pasture.

I've stayed at Laguna in a dorm with about 6 to 8 beds.
It was much preferred to O Cebreiro and the food was awesome!

 

[VNwalking]

It's clean but big and 'institutional.' Other choices are on either side of O Cebreiro: in La Faba or the private albergue in Laguna de Castilla...or the albergue in Fonfria on the Triacastella side. Wonderful experiences, good food, warm welcome...and not at all "cold"...

 

[DurhamParish]

It is clean, but personally, feels "cold" to me.
I prefer to stop for the night before O Cebreiro, maybe at LaFaba.
Then next morning, walk to O Cebreiro for breakfast, then straight through, stopping on the other side.

I was disappointed that it didn't work out for us to stay in O Cebreiro. We wound up stopping at a very nice small hotel, or pension, called Casa do Ferreiro, (all the albergues were full) in Las Herrerias and walking into O Cebreiro for breakfast. It was very enjoyable.

But I still want to experience a night in O Cebreiro in the future.

 

[annakappa]

We have always stayed in the village immediately before o Cebreiro, La Laguna, basically to avoid the crowds and risk of not finding a bed at the end of our day!s walk. You can then enjoy the last climb up to O Cebreiro in the fresh early morning. The Albergue La Escuela in La Laguna is super friendly, has a great restaurant and you will have the eye boggling experience of witnessing in incredibly amount of cows being herded this way and that ( in and out of the village, so much so, that I could never understand where each group went for the night)!

 

[Icacos]

.......She had a few other idiosyncrasies (from my perspective) such as being very upset when I would sit on a cold surface (like a chair outside, without a cushion) - apparently very bad for women! Also going barefoot on cold floors was considered hazardous, even when I was comfortable.

Oh, yes, sitting on a cold surface is very bad.
Also, when growing up in the West Indies, my grandmother would get quite concerned when any of us sat with our back to the breeze, when we thought it was so refreshing.

 

[jmcarp]

We hit O Cebreiro on the day of my 70th birthday...my present was a private room at Casa Carolo , so we missed the albergue there.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

It is very clean and well operated. A good choice! There are many bunk beds in one big dorm and reasonably well-spaced. There is a big kitchen and dining area, but as Tincatinker said, no equipment, so it is difficult to cook your own meal if you do not have saucepans etc. I found the showers a bit scary as they reminded me of school. Separate ablutions for men and women, but open plan (showers with no doors), so a bit embarrassing when there is a mix of nubile young 20 year olds and 60 year old grannies. Have fun!

Hi, why do you think it's ambarrassing when there is a mix? ?
Wish you well, Peter.

 

[Dutch]

Just my opinion, but i think its a smelly place. Dont much care for this albergue.
Really dont like the bathrooms.

 

[mspath]

During fog, sleet and snow of past winter storms those few pilgrims sheltered there thought that the O Cebreiro municipal albergue was just great! In particular the heating was outstanding, hot water plentiful and we could stay for more than one night as long as the storm continued. What more was needed?

 

[Dutch]

Hahaha i guess in that situation i would aldo like it alot more than in summer

 

[jennie]

Hi, can anyone give me advice about the albergue in o cebreiro (public) ?

hi, i was there last year about this time ,yes its busy but was fine had a good sleep,the showers are a bit off putting but its part of the journey in my opinion to see and experience all sorts it helps you to be grateful for the little things in life like a shower door ,plenty of hot water and the room was nice and warm ,and great views and a pretty place to wander around in the evening.sit and relax in one of the bars have something to eat and make new friends.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I've stayed there a couple of times and if the weather is nice nothing beats the sunset in May. The nightlife can be fun too.

I too was a bit surprised by the showers, and even a more bit so when one time an older woman, who I would guess was 60+, happened to be confused by the arrangement and wandered into the male side to bathe. I was the only one in there, and continued to wash and rinse and then hustled out of there.

She wasn't off put one bit by my presence, which I am absolutely positive must have been due to her diminishing eyesight and/or European attitude. At least that is what I told myself.

 

[Liina]

Hi!
O Cebreiro was one of my favorite places - I think it was the highest place I walked thru (I began in Ponferrada) and that's the reason I love mountains and I'm so thankful that I stayed there a night - I got to take a shower and go up to the hill where the cross is, just sat there alone for a while and enjoyed the view with no hurry. In the evening I went to mass and had a lovely dinner. And morning view was perfect!
It was my first albergue where so many people slept in one room but as it turned out by then I was used to the fact that almost every albergue is a little bit different, the showers and bed quality differs etc. The important part is that you have a place to stay. So I did not mind that the showers were opened and I had to wait for a while to wash my clothes, and when done, I had to be creative on how to dry them because the line was full - but do take safety pins with you, it was the first place where I was thankful I had them with me because it was windy and many clothes falled down. And I slept like a baby because the day before was uphill in very sunny and hot summerday and I was so tired - or maybe it was thanks to earplugs, can't say, I slept
But - I do agree that there's no soul in there. It is just a place to wash and sleep, nothing else. Nothing rural in that.
There is a hotel also, one couple I know stayed there and they were very pleased.

 

[mdelag]

Hi, we made it to O Cebreiro last monday...great place, amazing views....felt like I could touch heaven with my hands. Thanks for all the advice, we found a room in a little hotel. Love EL CAMINO !!!! Great experience !!!

 

[mountaingoat999]

Hi, why do you think it's ambarrassing when there is a mix? ?
Wish you well, Peter.

Peter
I stopped off in Pedrouzo normally I miss that stage and carry on walking, however I was looking for a room and ended up in this nice new albergue (sleeping and shower section downstairs).. . perfect place for me ..immaculate.. you can hire soft towels and there is good spacing between bunks...well away from the road.....I thought to myself no one is showering..I entered the shower area...for males.......one very nice open shower tray for about 10 people... so I take my time and enjoy the luxury of this enormous shower tray...the camino is fast changing.....month by month..

 

[Icacos]

.....one very nice open shower tray for about 10 people.....

Just out of curiosity .... In a very nice open shower tray for about 10 people .... and, as in "take one's valuables to the shower"..... where does one put one's valuables, to ensure their safety, when in such an open space??

 

[mountaingoat999]

Just out of curiosity .... In a very nice open shower tray for about 10 people .... and, as in "take one's valuables to the shower"..... where does one put one's valuables, to ensure their safety, when in such an open space??

I take my passport in a aqua pac and my wallet is waterproof

the two places mentioned are the only ones I am aware of..other times you hang your shorts/trousers behind the door

 

[Icacos]

I take my passport in a aqua pac and my wallet is waterproof

the two places mentioned are the only ones I am aware of..other times you hang your shorts/trousers behind the door

Yes, thanks, @mountaingoat99, I know you can hang your stuff behind the door ... if there is a door. But what happens in a big open room, such as described in O Cebreiro, where there are no doors? Are there shelves up near the shower heads where people can put their stuff, or does one just leave it in the floor? If the latter, then one has to have a waterproof bag.

 

[mountaingoat999]

Yes, thanks, @mountaingoat99, I know you can hang your stuff behind the door ... if there is a door. But what happens in a big open room, such as described in O Cebreiro, where there are no doors? Are there shelves up near the shower heads where people can put their stuff, or does one just leave it in the floor? If the latter, then one has to have a waterproof bag.

I only stayed at O Cebreiro twice in the past not 2014 /2015 I prefer to go on or stop before......I know I checked the showers out before hand and just left my stuff on a bench/ table near the window and took my aqua pack in the shower ....if i remember rightly the cubicles were just that " open fronted ".people standing very close to there threshold so they could keep an eye on there clothes by the table while they washed.
the second place I mentioned called REM hostal there are hooks a good way in front of the shower tray on the wall with hooks ,so not a problem there...also they have lockers in REM......

 

[anniethenurse]

I love this albergue. Just like @mspath I have been there in a snow storm with all my gear wet. It is warm, hot shower, nice sleep - what more does a tired pilgrim need.
Been there 3 times in different weather conditions - always liked it.

 

[jsalt]

What a shame the OP didn’t stay here, having started the whole discussion. Missed out on a great camino institution and experience

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

I take my passport in a aqua pac and my wallet is waterproof

the two places mentioned are the only ones I am aware of..other times you hang your shorts/trousers behind the door

Hi, I did it the same way. Works great, no problems wath so ever.
Wish you well, Peter.

 

[Al the optimist]

Some of the bunks are next to each other.This maybe OK if you know the person you are "sharing" a "double bed" arrangement with but a bit off putting otherwise.

 

[mspath]

Some of the bunks are next to each other.This maybe OK if you know the person you are "sharing" a "double bed" arrangement with but a bit off putting otherwise.

Try not to take a bunk set side by side with another unless you truly know your bunk-mate; if you are sleeping next to a total stranger do at least introduce yourself! Generally it all works out as everyone sleeps in their own allotted space like peas in a pod. Nevertheless a few unhappy times I have had to find another bunk in the middle of the night due to a consistently overactive neighboring pilgrim who forgot where he was (and that I was old enough to be his grandmother) as he zealously thrashed into 'my' bunk space. Although memorable these were not restful moments.

Here are a few additional tips re choosing a bunk gleaned from more than 450 cumulative nights spent in pilgrim albergues over the past 10 years. Since I'm old a bottom bunk is a most convenient and in this internet age it is handy to have an electric socket close by. In cold weather never choose a bunk placed against an exterior wall since old walls are often uninsulated and thus frigid. All night heating is not the norm hence make a cozy 'sandwich' for sleeping by folding a blanket in half the long way, place your sleeping bag on top of the bottom half and pull the top half over all. If there are no blankets put your poncho beneath the bag to block the cold air from rising.

 

[Saint Mike II]

We have always stayed in the village immediately before o'Cebreiro, La Laguna, basically to avoid the crowds. The Albergue La Escuela in La Laguna is super friendly, has a great restaurant and you will have the eye boggling experience of witnessing in incredibly amount of cows being herded this way and that ( in and out of the village, so much so, that I could never understand where each group went for the night)!

Hi Anna, small question, can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike? Say even walking it? The Albergue at LA Escuela sound number one. But Brierly does not show any roads, only the walking track. Any advice greatly appreciated. I am now in Ponferrada so have a day or two to decide. Cheers Mike

 

[Saint Mike II]

Peter
I stopped off in Pedrouzo normally I miss that stage and carry on walking, however I was looking for a room and ended up in this nice new albergue (sleeping and shower section downstairs).. . perfect place for me ..immaculate.. you can hire soft towels and there is good spacing between bunks...well away from the road.

Sorry to query, but "where" is Pedrouzo, I can't find it in Brierly's maps. Might just be my old eyes. Cheers Mike

 

[Icacos]

Hi Anna, small question, can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike? Say even walking it? The Albergue at LA Escuela sound number one. But Brierly does not show any roads, only the walking track. Any advice greatly appreciated. I am now in Ponferrada so have a day or two to decide. Cheers Mike

I know you didn't ask me, Mike ... but I shared a taxi from Villafranca del Bierzo with a fellow-tendinitis sufferer and was dropped off immediately in front of La Escuela albergue. I don't know what the walking trail is like, but the drive up that mountain seemed to me to be interminable, but absolutely beautiful. I am with you in spirit! Buen Camino.

 

[jsalt]

can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike?

Hi Mike, I expect you’ll get some good info from the cyclists, but I remember walking by one very exhausted lady who was pushing her bike up the path to O’Cebreiro. (She laughed and said she didn’t need any help when we asked.) It is a rough, and sometimes steep path, more suitable for walkers. Horses use it too, so watch where you put your feet! Jill

 

[C clearly]

Sorry to query, but "where" is Pedrouzo, I can't find it in Brierly's maps. Might just be my old eyes. Cheers Mike

Look at the very top of map 32 - "O Pedrouzo".

 

[mountaingoat999]

Sorry to query, but "where" is Pedrouzo, I can't find it in Brierly's maps. Might just be my old eyes. Cheers Mike

sent pm before noticing C clearly had already explained where location is in guide book.....O Pedrouzo is marked as ARCA -O-PINO in some guide books..20 km before Santiago

 

[mountaingoat999]

Hi, I did it the same way. Works great, no problems wath so ever.
Wish you well, Peter.

Also Peter those without a aqua pac. a "S" hook works well for hanging wash bag -shorts/trousers where there is no door ....place everything in a plastic bag and onto hook on the side wall.

 

[Dutch]

Try not to take a bunk set side by side with another unless you truly know your bunk-mate; if you are sleeping next to a total stranger do at least introduce yourself! Generally it all works out as everyone sleeps in their own allotted space like peas in a pod. Nevertheless a few unhappy times I have had to find another bunk in the middle of the night .

This may work in winter when not so busy, but (my experiende) in busy summer season the dividing of the beds is done by the hospitalero and they are not always able or willing to follow your bed-partner wishes.

Also in high season it is not always possible to switch to another bed in the middle of the night. Full=full

 

[annakappa]

Hi Anna, small question, can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike? Say even walking it? The Albergue at LA Escuela sound number one. But Brierly does not show any roads, only the walking track. Any advice greatly appreciated. I am now in Ponferrada so have a day or two to decide. Cheers Mike

Mike, you arrive in La Laguna on a mule path. The road must be very near, because, when we have stayed there ( 3 times), the 4 village children left each day on the school bus. Maybe it's a few hundred meters away!
After La Laguna, the Camino continues on the same mule path, so would be better to get back on the road again with your bike.

 

[Icacos]

Mike, you arrive in La Laguna on a mule path. The road must be very near, because, when we have stayed there ( 3 times), the 4 village children left each day on the school bus. Maybe it's a few hundred meters away!
After La Laguna, the Camino continues on the same mule path, so would be better to get back on the road again with your bike.

As I recall, the mule path joins the road (which I had driven on) mere meters before albergue La Escuela. I wish I had known of the mule path continuing on after Laguna. As it was we walked on the road where the day before I had taken this picture.

 

[mspath]

Hi Anna, small question, can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike? Say even walking it? The Albergue at LA Escuela sound number one. But Brierly does not show any roads, only the walking track. Any advice greatly appreciated. I am now in Ponferrada so have a day or two to decide. Cheers Mike

Mike,

Check what you, others and I wrote last year re biking up to O Cebreiro in this earlier Forum thread.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/biking-la-faba-and-o-cebreiro.28544/

Good luck and Buen Camino!

MM

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola, MM. Thanks for the link. I did recall an earlier post but could not find it. Mike

 

[DurhamParish]

Try not to take a bunk set side by side with another unless you truly know your bunk-mate; if you are sleeping next to a total stranger do at least introduce yourself!

I remember the times I was in one of these side-by-side bunk double beds. It seemed that invariably the other person, my bed-mate, was a woman. I laid there, curled up, scared to death, thinking that "if my wife could see me right now she'd kill me". I didn't introduce myself, I tried to be as inconspicuous as I could. I was afraid that introducing myself might be seen as some kind of an unwanted "come on".

 

[Icacos]

I remember the times I was in one of these side-by-side bunk double beds. It seemed that invariably the other person, my bed-mate, was a woman. I laid there, curled up, scared to death, thinking that "if my wife could see me right now she'd kill me". I didn't introduce myself, I tried to be as inconspicuous as I could. I was afraid that introducing myself might be seen as some kind of an unwanted "come on".

I'm sitting here having a good giggle over this. The one time I was in a similar position, like you @DurhamParish, I did the same as you. In fact, not only did I make myself as inconspicuous as possible, but I afforded my bed-mate (in my case a young man) the same opportunity.

 

[MTtoCamino]

I'm sitting here having a good giggle over this. The one time I was in a similar position, like you @DurhamParish, I did the same as you. In fact, not only did I make myself as inconspicuous as possible, but I afforded my bed-mate (in my case a young man) the same opportunity.

In Burgos @ the municipal it was Easter & they were strict that we take as assigned, same situation but the woman was with her husband so I simply told the husband to swap with me. As the wife was horrified once she realized they had given her & I the top double bunk. Sometimes I think these things may be a prank. But in any case communication usually can fix uncomfortable situations. Even if you have to simply point when there is a language barrier.

 

[Al the optimist]

I remember a similar situation somewhere (but cannot remember where) a couple of years ago where a Dutch lady announced with glee that she would get to sleep with her husband for the first time! She then leapt onto her bunk and gave him whatt appeared to be an unwanted hug. Maybe he only wanted a quite sleep? They were not exactly in the first flush of youth and by his reaction not in the first flush of marriage either!

 

[mspath]

2004 in Viana mid October the municipal albergue was VERY crowded; all the bunks in those then famous triple tiers (since replaced with standard two tiers ) were taken. Luckily I had found one bunk on the bottom. The dorm resembled movie scenes of a tightly packed WWII troop ship! Since some young amorous pilgrim couples were “très sportif" those upper bunks kept swaying back and forth throughout the night; the troops had arrived.

MM

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola all, especially Anna & MM (Mspath). I made it to La Escuela, via tar sealed road. Still a tough climb. This is a great Albergue, really recommend it.
As for tomorrow still no real information, will ask around. Still it can hardly be tougher than track half a day east of Burgos! Five days to Santiago! Thanks to all!
Buen Camino. Mike

 

[mspath]

Mike,
Follow the single path which passes in front of the albergue uphill and through the fatmyard/village. At a marker the walkers camino bears to the left along the edge of the mountain. The wider biking path continues straight. Both arrive at O Cebreiro but not together. Hope that the weather is clear so you can enjoy those sweeping panoramic views!

MM

 

[Saint Mike II]

Thanks. That was exactly what I did. The tar sealed road is not marked, but was an easy ride/walk. Now in Triacastela, an easy day and now only 135 km to Santiago on Sunday. Buen Camino

 

[mspath]

Glad to learn that all is going well! Are you off to Samos in the morning? If so the hotel/restaurante A Veiga has a great home-cooked menu del dia. Ultreia!

MM

 

[ClaireJJ]

Hi, can anyone give me advice about the albergue in o'cebreiro (public) ?

The large, modern Albergue there was my least favorite (one over-taxed staff person, wifi difficulties, open showers, lotsa snorers) on the entire Camino, but that said, I had an experience there with a pilgrim from Korea that was heartwarming and that I remember often. I'm thinking that the next time I walk the Camino Frances, I will stay at one of the private accommodations there. They look lovely and a nice reward after the big climb.

 

[Harland2019]

I stayed at Venta Celta O Cebreiro in 2019, a good room with a shower. The food in the evening was very good seated beside the wood fire. O Cebreiro was a highlight for me for its location compared to the other stops although Calzadilla de la Cueza, although totally different, was another favourite. I didn't stop at Orisson but I am sure that this would probably have been the best for the combined views and the comradery that pilgrims feel there.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

The large, modern Albergue there was my least favorite (one over-taxed staff person, wifi difficulties, open showers, lotsa snorers) on the entire Camino,

That was my opinion, too. For such a beautiful little village, I was quite surprised by that main albergue and it's condition. After hearing complaints upon arrival by other pilgrims regarding the shower facilities, I decided not to venture downstairs to check them out. It was one of the two showers I decided to give a miss on the whole Camino.

 

[trecile]

The large, modern Albergue there was my least favorite (one over-taxed staff person, wifi difficulties, open showers, lotsa snorers) on the entire Camino.... I'm thinking that the next time I walk the Camino Frances, I will stay at one of the private accommodations there. They look lovely and a nice reward after the big climb.

I felt pretty much the same on my 2016 Camino. It's one of two albergues that I won't stay in again.
On my second stay in O Cebreiro I stayed in a private room above a bar.

 

[SabsP]

That was my opinion, too. For such a beautiful little village, I was quite surprised by that main albergue and it's condition. After hearing complaints upon arrival by other pilgrims regarding the shower facilities, I decided not to venture downstairs to check them out. It was one of the two showers I decided to give a miss on the whole Camino.

Actually it was not that bad imho. At least there were clean matrasses and sheets. Unlike the grotty municipal in Villadangos del Paramo for example. But I was there in the beginning of May 2011 and it was not fully booked.
The same sex showers did not have much privacy , true, but everything was very clean.

Ha, I remember a bar in O Cebreiro where the " pay " computer didn 't function at all , so we were able to use it for free...

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Early May 2017.
Our sheets were not clean. My daughter-in-laws bed at the muni looked like it had semen on it...I kid you not.
We were told by others that the showers were dirty and cold, although I did not check for myself.
That said, I was still happy to have a warm bed and a pillow for the night.

 

[trecile]

Early May 2017.
Our sheets were not clean. My daughter-in-laws bed at the muni looked like it had semen on it...I kid you not.
We were told by others that the showers were dirty and cold, although I did not check for myself.
That said, I was still happy to have a warm bed and a pillow for the night.

At O Cebreiro? I don't remember any sheets being provided.
I thought that the place was clean enough, but the building felt cold to me, not temperature-wise (though it could have been warmer), but cold and impersonal.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

At O Cebreiro? I don't remember any sheets being provided.
I thought that the place was clean enough, but the building felt cold to me, not temperature-wise (though it could have been warmer), but cold and impersonal.

Sorry, not sheets per say. They were the fabric coverings on the mattresses...blue cotton if I recall, naturally not washed very often. We were on the top floor.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Actually it was not that bad imho. At least there were clean matrasses and sheets. Unlike the grotty municipal in Villadangos del Paramo for example. But I was there in the beginning of May 2011 and it was not fully booked.
The same sex showers did not have much privacy , true, but everything was very clean.

Ha, I remember a bar in O Cebreiro where the " pay " computer didn 't function at all , so we were able to use it for free...

2019 - It was a large, impersonal and crowded Albergue but I had no problems with the shower. The only issue was the Spanish family who were starting their Camino there who got up at some ungodly hour, using an audible alarm and made lots of noise and wore their head torches, thereby shining them everywhere including in my face .

 

[Anhalter]

The showers seem to be solar powered. If the hot water is out, it might take some time to get warm again.
Unfortunately i did not know this prior to my cold shower. To make matters worse, i had a cold at the time and some rather rude spaniards in our room that made a call to another albergue, in the middle of the room at close to ten in "spanish volume" when i was just falling asleept. Maybe they been nice guys in another setting... i could have killed.
Not that any of that is a fault of the albergue. If been to more luxurious ones, but to worse as well.

 

[David Tallan]

As we revive this old thread....

I stayed in O Cebreiro twice. The first time, there was no albergue. I was happy to have a place to lay my sleeping bag down by the fireplace in the inn. The second time was in 2016 and we stayed at the large Xunta albergue. The ambiance was certainly more modern, and we noticed, as was fairly common in Xunta albergues according to various posts in these forums, that the kitchen lacked anything to cook or eat with. Much more disturbing, to my teenage son, was the lack of privacy in the showers, which were not configured in individual stalls but rather in gender-segregated group shower areas (like I remember from high school gym classes). He wasn't ready for that at all, and we afterwards tried to avoid Xunta albergues afterwards. But the view from the albergue was wonderful, and I was delighted to see the growth in accommodations options in O Cebreiro since my previous visit.

 

[ClaireJJ]

As we revive this old thread....

I stayed in O Cebreiro twice. The first time, there was no albergue. I was happy to have a place to lay my sleeping bag down by the fireplace in the inn. The second time was in 2016 and we stayed at the large Xunta albergue. The ambiance was certainly more modern, and we noticed, as was fairly common in Xunta albergues according to various posts in these forums, that the kitchen lacked anything to cook or eat with. Much more disturbing, to my teenage son, was the lack of privacy in the showers, which were not configured in individual stalls but rather in gender-segregated group shower areas (like I remember from high school gym classes). He wasn't ready for that at all, and we afterwards tried to avoid Xunta albergues afterwards. But the view from the albergue was wonderful, and I was delighted to see the growth in accommodations options in O Cebreiro since my previous visit.

Those showers certainly did make an impression! I remember I took one look and decided it wouldn't be my day to shower. On the bright side, imagine how much water is saved there if 20-30-40% of pilgrims decide to forego showers.

 

[Derek Booth]

The one thing I remember about this albergue was that, after arriving there I discovered that my rucksack had not been delivered there.
I had paid for it to be transported but the albergue would not accept it. I found the bag in a nearby cafe but the O Cebreiro staff were less than helpful in helping me find it. It cannot have been an isolated case (no pun intended.)
This also applied to the albergue St Nicolas de Flue at Ponferrada.. (In that case, the rucksack was left at the cafe on the other side of the main road)

 

[peregrina2000]

The one thing I remember about this albergue was that, after arriving there I discovered that my rucksack had not been delivered there.

That’s a good heads up for those who have their packs transported. My understanding is that some/many(?) municipal albergues will not accept transported packs. You would think that the transport companies would alert you to that fact, but it sounds like you got no warning. I remember arriving once in O Cebreiro and seeing a huge pile of backpacks on the ground in front of the church, and I think they must have been left there by Jacotrans or whoever did the delivery.

 

[trecile]

There's no apostrophe in O Cebreiro

 

[peregrina2000]

There's no apostrophe in O Cebreiro

@trecile gets the gold star — I went back and corrected all the many misspellings, mine included, mainly because of the impact that wrong spellings could have for searching.

I can’t resist pointing out, though, that aside from @trecile, @mspath and @VNwalking also used the correct apostrophe-less rendition. That’s the group we should all aspire to be in!

 

[Tincatinker]

That’s a good heads up for those who have their packs transported. My understanding is that some/many(?) municipal albergues will not accept transported packs. You would think that the transport companies would alert you to that fact, but it sounds like you got no warning.

The explanation for refusal, as I’ve heard it more than once, is that employees and volunteers cannot/ will not accept responsibility for transported luggage when they are supposed to be “off-duty”. I would think the transporters are well aware of this but why let reality impose on a perfectly reasonable proposition.

 

[rappahannock_rev]

The one thing I remember about this albergue was that, after arriving there I discovered that my rucksack had not been delivered there.
I had paid for it to be transported but the albergue would not accept it. I found the bag in a nearby cafe

I'd been planning to give my aging back a day off, and have my rucksack transported up the mountain to O Cebreiro, in September. But -- if the Albergue will not take delivery, would that be wise? The thought of showing up and not finding it waiting for me is troublesome.