Gite Beilari or Orisson

[Jenny McGuigan]

Hola Peregrinos,
Camino numero dos starting 8 May and cannot wait! I have a reservation at Gite Beilari and a spot available for me at Orisson. Schedule-wise, I prefer not to stay at both, as I'm keeping a rather tight schedule to make it to Santiago by a certain date. Question, if you've enjoyed both, would you recommend Beilari or Orisson. I understand them both to be quite memorable (spirit of the Camino), so I know it's a tough choice. Any experiences/thoughts if you stayed at both? Thank you in advance for your guidance! Jenny McGuigan

 

[trecile]

What time are you arriving in St Jean? If you will be there early enough to walk to Orisson and arrive in time for dinner that would be my choice.

 

[Jenny McGuigan]

Thanks for your reply, Trecile. I'll take the first train from Bayonne, so will arrive to SJPP early morning. I appreciate your feedback.

What time are you arriving in St Jean? If you will be there early enough to walk to Orisson and arrive in time for dinner that would be my choice.

 

[C clearly]

Both are great places, providing the setting for a memorable start to anyone's Camino, so you can't go wrong. I would make the choice on the basis of other factors such as logistics and schedule.

 

[trecile]

Thanks for your reply, Trecile. I'll take the first train from Bayonne, so will arrive to SJPP early morning. I appreciate your feedback.

Since you will be on the early train you can definitely make it to Orisson. It's only about 5 miles/8km - but perhaps the steepest on the entire Camino Francés! You will need to have a reservation there, which you can make through their website or email at refuge.orisson@wanadoo.fr . They are known for taking a long time to get back to you - I waited about 2 weeks for a response this year. And you may miss their response because it comes from a different email address with a PayPal invoice. Look for a message from Sarl Apathia.

Refuge Orisson

Refuge Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle - Le Refuge Orisson accueille les pèlerins, en pèlerinage vers St-Jacques-de-Compostelle. Reposez-vous dans ce refuge avec restaurant sur le Chemin de Compostelle, dans le Pays Basque.

refuge-orisson.com

 

[AlexanderAZ]

I’m walking again in late Sept this year and already have reservations at both places. If I were to have to choose between them I would choose Orrison because I’m a big believer of the philosophy “Start the Camino like a young person (fast) and you’ll finish like an old person (slow), versus start the Camino like an old person and you’ll finish like a young person.” (I say this as someone who in 3rd week did a 46k day). Plus, the view from Orisson with a cold beer and feet propped up on the deck listening to herds wearing bells is pretty awesome.

 

[Niels]

Hola Peregrinos,
Camino numero dos starting 8 May and cannot wait! I have a reservation at Gite Beilari and a spot available for me at Orisson. Schedule-wise, I prefer not to stay at both, as I'm keeping a rather tight schedule to make it to Santiago by a certain date. Question, if you've enjoyed both, would you recommend Beilari or Orisson. I understand them both to be quite memorable (spirit of the Camino), so I know it's a tough choice. Any experiences/thoughts if you stayed at both? Thank you in advance for your guidance! Jenny McGuigan

First of all, I wouldn't recommend a tight schedule on the Camino. Take your time. That's what the Camino's about. I met an Italien pilgrim last summer, who had been walking for a week and just hadn't been able to locate the Camino spirit. He asked me, what I'd done to find it. My advice was that for a start, he should try to walk less than 40 km each day and smell the flowers around him. With that in mind, my choice of the two definitely would be Beilari. If you like mutual dining, great cooking and social relationships.

 

[trecile]

With that in mind, my choice of the two definitely would be Beilari. If you like mutual dining, great cooking and social relationships.

That also describes Orisson.

 

[josephmcclain]

I would say experience both and try to make up your time in little increments later on in less crucial stages. There is nothing like the Beilari experience and Orisson definitely is fun. I ended up taking more time than I had planned and pumped up against flight dates back to Mexico. Finally, just make the decision that the experience of not being rushed and being totally present was worth the rebooking fee and all those complications. One never knows what the Camino holds for you out there

 

[trecile]

There is nothing like the Beilari experience

I think that depends a lot on the other pilgrims that are there with you. My stay at Beilari was fine, but not exceptional. But my first time at Orisson was magical.

 

[Niels]

I think that depends a lot on the other pilgrims that are there with you. My stay at Beilari was fine, but not exceptional. But my first time at Orisson was magical.

For me, it was the other way around. The food at Orisson was rather medicore, and there was no interaction from the host.

 

[josephmcclain]

I think that depends a lot on the other pilgrims that are there with you. My stay at Beilari was fine, but not exceptional. But my first time at Orisson was magical.
[/QUOT
Best to do both!

 

[Corinne Lombardi]

If you haven’t been to SJPDP, it is a lovely town with lots of walking to shake out the legs. After visiting the pilgrim office for condition info and stopping at the outdoor shop for trekking pole lessons, you may need to get lunch, climb up to the old fort and see the bridges at night. Beilari is fun, food is ok, and Joseph is great.
Sjpdp seems to be rushed out of in order to start the Camino. I see it as the first day of the Camino and worth staying a night there.
Orisson is also worth a night. You will not find many places more relaxing and gorgeous than Orisson, with it’s hawks flying above, looking down the mountains from the deck, hearing the cow bells, smelling the freshness of the air and enjoying the camraderie of fellow pilgrims smart enough not to walk to Roncevalles the first day. By the way, we finished the CF with the pilgrim family we made at Orisson.
I say, stay at both. If you have to make up time, choose to do so after you have at least 100 miles under your belt, or turn layover days into a layover 1/2 days.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Jenny McGuigan]

I’m walking again in late Sept this year and already have reservations at both places. If I were to have to choose between them I would choose Orrison because I’m a big believer of the philosophy “Start the Camino like a young person (fast) and you’ll finish like an old person (slow), versus start the Camino like an old person and you’ll finish like a young person.” Plus, the view from Orisson with a cold beer and feet propped up on the deck listening to herds wearing bells is pretty awesome.

I"m going to go with Orisson. You're right, the views, cold beer, watching herds with packs and herds with bells. I just pressed submit on my Orisson paypal invoice. Thanks for the nudge...I feel good about the choice. I'll visit Beilari next time. Thank you

 

[Jenny McGuigan]

If you haven’t been to SJPDP, it is a lovely town with lots of walking to shake out the legs. After visiting the pilgrim office for condition info and stopping at the outdoor shop for trekking pole lessons, you may need to get lunch, climb up to the old fort and see the bridges at night. Beilari is fun, food is ok, and Joseph is great.
Sjpdp seems to be rushed out of in order to start the Camino. I see it as the first day of the Camino and worth staying a night there.
Orisson is also worth a night. You will not find many places more relaxing and gorgeous than Orisson, with it’s hawks flying above, looking down the mountains from the deck, hearing the cow bells, smelling the freshness of the air and enjoying the camraderie of fellow pilgrims smart enough not to walk to Roncevalles the first day. By the way, we finished the CF with the pilgrim family we made at Orisson.
I say, stay at both. If you have to make up time, choose to do so after you have at least 100 miles under your belt, or turn layover days into a layover 1/2 days.
Just my 2 cents.

Such a good points! Thank you so much for your suggestion. xo

 

[Jenny McGuigan]

Good point, Joesph.

 

[trecile]

I"m going to go with Orisson. You're right, the views, cold beer, watching herds with packs and herds with bells. I just pressed submit on my Orisson paypal invoice. Thanks for the nudge...I feel good about the choice. I'll visit Beilari next time. Thank you

 

[lt56ny]

I have not stayed in Orisson but stayed at Bellari and I had a really nice experience. Met a man there in 2014 and we are still friends and may walk together next year. I didn't read all the posts but if you do not want to be rushed, relax and enjoy SJPP. Feel the excitement of first time Pilgrims and enjoy the town. Don't know if you have walked the Camino before. If you are in good shape you can stay in St.Jean and walk all the way to Roncesvalles the next day. It is a tough day to get there but a memorable one too. It is also good to stay in St Jean so you can go to the pilgrim office get info you may need and if you need to shop for supplies or you forgot something you can get it without rushing. If the 28K and the big hill is a lot for you then stay in Orisson the next night. Buen Camino

 

[DebR]

Thanks for your reply, Trecile. I'll take the first train from Bayonne, so will arrive to SJPP early morning. I appreciate your feedback.

I did this last September: 7:40(ish) morning train from Bayonne to SJPP, straight to the Pilgrim Office, a quick croissant (the baker apologised because he thought it was too hot and fresh, LOL) and up the hill. I was at Orisson by about 1:15pm.
Would I do it again? Yes, but a bit differently.

• It was a hot day and I didn’t have quite enough water, even though I stopped at the vending machine at Kayola to stock up.
• I’d done all this pretty much straight off a 24 hour flight from Australia; next time I’d take a night in Paris to re-synch myself.
• I had a bouncing headache because I was waiting to stock up on the good ibrufen in Pamplona...next time I’d carry a small contingency stash for that first few days.

Still, it was worth it for that relaxing cerveza on the deck at Orisson, making new friends...

 

[Pipmahoe]

Hola Peregrinos,
Camino numero dos starting 8 May and cannot wait! I have a reservation at Gite Beilari and a spot available for me at Orisson. Schedule-wise, I prefer not to stay at both, as I'm keeping a rather tight schedule to make it to Santiago by a certain date. Question, if you've enjoyed both, would you recommend Beilari or Orisson. I understand them both to be quite memorable (spirit of the Camino), so I know it's a tough choice. Any experiences/thoughts if you stayed at both? Thank you in advance for your guidance! Jenny McGuigan

Hi Jenny,
My son and I did the Camino Frances in June 2018. This was our first experience of walking a pilgrimage and the Beilari was our first experience of staying in an Albergue. Although that first night at the Beilari felt a bit strange, I might discribe it as being thrown in at the deep end of pilgrim life! It really set us up for a great pilgrimage. We met many lovely people here, unbeknown to us on that night that we would meet most of them again, frequently, on our journey, friendships and bonds were made with those people that we met at the Beilari. I would certainly recommend this Albergue as the host goes out of his way to make pilgrims relax and get to know one another. Bon Camino