Be prepared at Rabacal hostel

[frida1]

Tuesday, September 15 rained all day. In spite I had a pleasant long walk from Alvaiazere to Rabacal. At the only lodging in Rabacal 5 pilgrims were waiting for someone to open the hostel. We waited 2 hours after calling the contact number. A woman came, opened the rooms and charged each person 15 Euros. The toilets did not flush and there was no hot water. Be prepared! The only other choice between Alvaiazere and Rabacal is to stop in Ansiao, which seemed to have at least a couple pensions.

 

[mountaingoat999]

Tuesday, September 15 rained all day. In spite I had a pleasant long walk from Alvaiazere to Rabacal. At the only lodging in Rabacal 5 pilgrims were waiting for someone to open the hostel. We waited 2 hours after calling the contact number. A woman came, opened the rooms and charged each person 15 Euros. The toilets did not flush and there was no hot water. Be prepared! The only other choice between Alvaiazere and Rabacal is to stop in Ansiao, which seemed to have at least a couple pensions.

improvise. fill bucket or clothes washing bowl to empty down toilet. there should be a mop bucket some where.
cold water will not do you any harm its summer...

Buen Camino

 

[grayland]

Don....I am confused.
Why do you see the OP as an old post? It appears that is was posted today.
What am I missing?

 

[frida1]

Of course we were able to flush with water, etc. just letting people know what to expect.

 

[jsalt]

Tuesday, September 15 rained all day. In spite I had a pleasant long walk from Alvaiazere to Rabacal. At the only lodging in Rabacal 5 pilgrims were waiting for someone to open the hostel. We waited 2 hours after calling the contact number. A woman came, opened the rooms and charged each person 15 Euros. The toilets did not flush and there was no hot water. Be prepared! The only other choice between Alvaiazere and Rabacal is to stop in Ansiao, which seemed to have at least a couple pensions.

Hi Frida, thank you for your post. It is nice to know what to expect from the only place to stay! I also had to wait a couple of hours before anyone arrived to open up. But then I was very happy, as a solo peregrina, to be given a room all to myself for the 15 euros. Hopefully the water problems are just a once off, and will be fixed soon. Bom caminho. Jill

 

[MichaelSG]

Good luck following the trail tomorrow. It was a tough one last year. I hope the markings have improved but keep an eye out for signs to Zambujal after Rabacal, even if you don't see arrows.

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

A

improvise. fill bucket or clothes washing bowl to empty down toilet. there should be a mop bucket some where.
cold water will not do you any harm its summer...

Buen Camino

after the warm weather past two weeks it was cold near Santo Domingo de Calzada today

 

[frida1]

Yes, arriving in the pouring rain and wind probably colored my perspective. I did enjoy the private space. The facility itself isn't bad and I wonder if they just lack enough custom to maintain it. No problems following the trail to Coimbra, though. I haven't seen another pilgrim since Rabacal.

 

[Camembert]

Yes, arriving in the pouring rain and wind probably colored my perspective. I did enjoy the private space. The facility itself isn't bad and I wonder if they just lack enough custom to maintain it. No problems following the trail to Coimbra, though. I haven't seen another pilgrim since Rabacal.

Rabaçal and the direct environs are famous for their cheese.
Did you order some typical cheese in the bar some 50 meters back at the right side close to the roundabout you came from ?
You can have your breakfast there too.
Bom caminho

 

[peregrina2000]

Yes, arriving in the pouring rain and wind probably colored my perspective. I did enjoy the private space. The facility itself isn't bad and I wonder if they just lack enough custom to maintain it. No problems following the trail to Coimbra, though. I haven't seen another pilgrim since Rabacal.

I´m wondering if the lovely little museum and the villa excavations nearby are still open. The museum was very interesting, mostly of things excavated out at the villa. One thing I remember in particular were the petrified seafood remains, which showed that the inhabitants of the villa had good food brought in from the coast! When I was there, the guy working in the museum took me out to the villa and gave me a nice little tour. It would be a shame if it were closed. Bom caminho, Laurie

 

[jsalt]

I´m wondering if the lovely little museum and the villa excavations nearby are still open.

Hi, the museum was open in July last year, but there is a charge to go in, about E2.50 I think. There were about 20 pilgrims in town when I was there, and I think I was the only one who paid and looked around. I asked about visiting the excavations, but it wasn’t possible at that time. I walked out to them, but you cannot get close, or see anything at all because of a fence all around. Jill

 

[amorfati1]

Tuesday, September 15 rained all day. In spite I had a pleasant long walk from Alvaiazere to Rabacal. At the only lodging in Rabacal 5 pilgrims were waiting for someone to open the hostel. We waited 2 hours after calling the contact number. A woman came, opened the rooms and charged each person 15 Euros. The toilets did not flush and there was no hot water. Be prepared! The only other choice between Alvaiazere and Rabacal is to stop in Ansiao, which seemed to have at least a couple pensions.

There ARE/WERE places to stop between Alvaiazere and rabacal.
A nice pensione / restaurants who rents out very clean rooms..and for pilgrims with a special rate that includes a yummy and plentiful meal as well. Thirty euro as i recall.
And then, between ansaio and rabacal, in alvorge...there is a bar in mid-village with a very friendly owner, who also has the key to a small local albergue.

Sorry you had a spot of trouble there in rabacal.
When we came to town in May 2014, the woman came promptly after being called from the cafe bonito...
As i recall, there is no full-time staff at all...
I was very grateful to have a place to stay at all.
And if one stays at that li'l albergues, or casa turistico..the entrance to museum was free. At least as i remember.
Hope you had/ have a good journey onwards.
There is also good info posted on this forum on the camino portuguese section on Accommodation, etc.
Bom caminho!

 

[Amigos caminando]

I stayed at Rabacal, Casa de Turismo in May this year. I had walked some of the day with another lady from Germany. We did happily wait for it to be opened. The lady who opened it was very rude and impatient. She shouted at us in Portuguese which I did not understand. The German lady I arrived with did understand and could speak Portuguese and interpreted that she wanted to be paid for everyone who was going to stay immediately. She had no change and wanted us to pay for each other so she would not have to come back with change. The rooms were nice with private bathrooms. The bar across the road had friendly staff and the cafe/ bar on the corner of the village also had nice owner and staff. Yes, the cheese was lovely. There was a new albergue Igrega in Alvorge not long before Rabacal. We met people who were staying there, they said it was nice. There was a good cafe/ bar on the corner in Alvorge with a very friendly owner who was proud of the village.

 

[JoanneK]

We're in Rabacal now . Did wait for it to be opened but no bother. Toilets do flush! museum open and €1:10 for pilgrims. Interesting 7min video on the Roman ruins. Can't visit the ruins -they are closed.

 

[peregrina2000]

We're in Rabacal now . Did wait for it to be opened but no bother. Toilets do flush! museum open and €1:10 for pilgrims. Interesting 7min video on the Roman ruins. Can't visit the ruins -they are closed.

"Like" is really not the proper sentiment, since I'm so sorry to learn that the ruins are closed, no doubt victim of the budget cuts. The young man who took me out years ago explained that the excavations were a labor of love of the community. They all pitched in to help the archaeologists (not sure how that worked!), but that the town was very protective of and proud of the ruins. I hope they will reopen after the economic crisis passes.

 

[jsalt]

There was a new albergue Igrega in Alvorge not long before Rabacal. We met people who were staying there, they said it was nice. There was a good cafe/ bar on the corner in Alvorge with a very friendly owner who was proud of the village.

Gosh, yes, I remember now, stopping at the café in Alvorge, and chatting with the owner, who said they were starting a new albergue. Fantastic! I shall definitely have to stop there next time, and split the long day to Coimbra in two, by staying in Condeixa-a-Nova. Or is there anywhere else to stay now, between Rabacal and Coimbra? It’s a really long 30 km day otherwise. Jill

 

[Camembert]

Gosh, yes, I remember now, stopping at the café in Alvorge, and chatting with the owner, who said they were starting a new albergue. Fantastic! I shall definitely have to stop there next time, and split the long day to Coimbra in two, by staying in Condeixa-a-Nova. Or is there anywhere else to stay now, between Rabacal and Coimbra? It’s a really long 30 km day otherwise. Jill

Yes. In Cernache is a new albergue but in 2013 we slept at the campus of the highschool . In the Brierley guide you'll find the phone mumber. It is opened during weekdays. You have to phone in advance that you are coming .you sleep in a house with bunkbeds, showers . Outside the campus gate is a bar restaurant for a meal and breakfast
Take care that you are in before 21hrs and out before 8 hrs the next morning due to they close the gate and after 8hrs all the sudents come in. They don't charge you any money and they have a nice stamp on the credential.

 

[anniethenurse]

The albergue in Cernache is great with two rooms with bunk beds and a kitchen. I stayed there in May/ June 2015.

I liked Racabal also - a whole room with a bath room to myself for €15.

 

[StevethePlanner]

I walked from Alvaiazere to Alvorge, then Alvorge to Cernache. Both days about equal in distance. A brand new albergue in Alvorge. As you come through the small 'business section', get the albergue key from the café, otherwise, you'll need to backtrack a little to get it.