Albergues with meals

[trailroamer]

Are you obligated to have the meal at an albergue if they provide one? What if your albergue doesn't provide a meal can you get a meal at another?

 

[Scott Sweeney]

No. Many of the albergue's have kitchens or cook areas available for use because they don't offer meals. We cook for ourselves as often as we could because of eating late meals. There generally is pilgrim menus available at other places.

 

[Tincatinker]

One of the wonderful lessons that the Camino may offer is that you are not obligated to any action. That said, some of the camino's loveliest Albergues offer communal meals, contributory meals or the opportunity to share. Generally, and I emphasise generally, Albergues that offer communal meals, shared kitchens or just the opportunity to eat and share with fellow pilgrims are where I will choose to stay whenever the opportunity arises.

That said your question is a difficult one to which to give a definitive answer. In the major cities and towns that we encounter along the Caminos there are multiple opportunities for sleeping and dining. In some of the more remote Pueblos there will be little choice or no choice at all.

I guess that the answer to your question is "it depends". It depends on where you are, what alternatives, if any, are available and, ultimately, whether you are hungry.

 

[Bajaracer]

Are you obligated to have the meal at an albergue if they provide one? What if your albergue doesn't provide a meal can you get a meal at another?

You're not obligated to have dinner at the albergue you're staying at, usually they'll ask if you'll be having dinner.
If you want to have dinner at another albergue, just ask them and if they say yes, let them know want to have dinner and reserve your meal.

 

[november_moon]

Reserving your meal is important if you do want to eat at an albergue since they need to know how many people to cook for and some may have limited space for diners.

 

[Thengel1]

Are you obligated to have the meal at an albergue if they provide one? What if your albergue doesn't provide a meal can you get a meal at another?

Generally you are not obligated to each at your albergue if they offer a meal. In some cases though, you may have not many options (San Bol comes to mind). Also, the L'Espirit du Chemin in SJPDP, strongly discourages anyone from booking who doesn't plan to eat there (or at least it used to a year ago.)

 

[Felipe]

I've never seen dinner as part of the lodging "package" in Spain -in France it can be.
A few private albergues offer it, but it is just an option. The "Cuatro Cantones" in Belorado is especial, because you pay as much you like; it is "donativo".
You have to consider that in some isolated villages there are not many options -notably, some between Burgos and León.
Where there is a kitchen, a shared cooking and dinner is quite customary, organized by the hospitalero or a pilgrim with cooking abilities. You can participate or not.
Good cooking!

 

[Al the optimist]

Generally you are not obligated to each at your albergue if they offer a meal. In some cases though, you may have not many options (San Bol comes to mind). Also, the L'Espirit du Chemin in SJPDP, strongly discourages anyone from booking who doesn't plan to eat there (or at least it used to a year ago.)

The new hosts Joxelu and Jakline who now run Beilari (used to be L'Espirit du Chemin) have the same outlook. I found that when I ate there this year the experience was as good as before. They love pilgrims and are very friendly and hospitable.

 

[jmcarp]

Our experience on the CF last fall was that none of the municipal albergues provide meals. Some of the private and association albergues do serve meals, especially those in the small villages where there are few, if any, other dining options. If they didn't serve meals, they usually had kitchen facilities for do-it-yourselfers (please clean up afterwards). For those albergues that did serve meals, we were always asked when we checked in if we would be eating at the albergue. We would pay whatever the charge was when we paid for our bed. Some were donativos, and otherwise the cost of the meal was approximately the same as the menu de peregrinos at a local bar/café. While the typical pilgrims' menu at a bar/café were usually pretty good, we always found the "home cooking" at the albergues to be excellent, and always a departure from the more-or-less standard choices on the typical outside pilgrims' menu. Dining in at the albergues also provides an excellent opportunity to get to know those with whom you'll be sharing the next few hours.

 

[petitewalker]

The new hosts Joxelu and Jakline who now run Beilari (used to be L'Espirit du Chemin) have the same outlook. I found that when I ate there this year the experience was as good as before. They love pilgrims and are very friendly and hospitable.

I'll be there on the 10th and 11th of September. Can't wait.