Larrasoaña

[nc6000]

Hi, I've just returned home having walked the first 15 stages of the Camino Frances and decided I should open a thread regarding Larrasoaña.

We arrived there on Sunday the 22nd to find the main Albergue already full but spaces available in the overflow building across the road. The overflow building was very poorly equipped with no hot water and very limited toilet facilities.

Larrasoaña was without doubt the worst place I stayed in during my Camino. There was nowhere open in the town where we could have dinner or get a meal of any description. The only facilities available were two vending machines stocked with soft drinks, chocolate bars and premade sandwiches.

How a town listed as one of the main places to stay in by the guidebooks can have such limited facilities is beyond me and I would recommend that anyone planning to do the Camino Frances avoids Larrasoaña at all costs. Stopping in Zubiri would probably be a much better option or if you do have to stay in Larrasoaña don't expect too much.

 

[peregrina2000]

Does this mean that the pensión bar is closed? http://www.sangalo.net/web4.htm I haven´t been on this part of the Frances in years, and I remember that the owner had been making noises about retiring. He used to feed everyone who stayed in the albergue as well as those who stayed in his pensión. And he was definitely one of those Camino characters.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[tyrrek]

Ha ha! Yes, it's an experience. I was walking with a French pilgrim last year and, deep in conversation we managed to miss that slight turn off the route you have to do before crossing the bridge into the village. (It's marked by a massive yellow arrow next to the word 'Larrasoana' on a wall, but we still managed to miss it.)

We ended up lost and confused because we were still following yellow arrows but didn't realise we'd already started the next day's walk! I wouldn't have minded but my companion who had walked the previous year (and should have known better) kept saying Larrasoana was just around the next corner until I protested and we went back.

Anyway, after the significant detour we found it. It's fair to say that the albergue is basic, but the bar/restaurant round the corner was nice. I hope it's still there for Larrasoana's sake because there's not much else. I was swayed by John Brierley's guide, which made Zubiri sound very industrial and Larrasoana an oasis of tranquility. I'd rather have been able to get a packet of cigarettes, truth be told.

Buen Camino!

 

[Peronel]

I stayed one day after you. The main albergue was equally bad - cold, crowded, with damp and dirty beds. But the bar was open, and insulated us with a reasonable dinner and enough vino tinto that the albergue didn't feel quite so bad.

But I would avoid in future - definately the worst of my camino.

Peronel (pilgrim in a skirt)

 

[yogabanana]

Pergrina2000. The bar/Albergue is still open . I stayed there on May 12 th and really enjoyed it! Dinner was great and the garden relaxing. Loved my room too!!

 

[CaminoGen]

I remember last year hospitaleros telling people to make formal complaints upon arriving in Santiago against the albergue in Larrasoana so it could be upgraded. I'm so glad I decided to stay in Zubiri instead!

 

[Former member 12499]

Reading the larrasoana thread brought back some painful memories for me.

On Saturday 21st April 2012 I started walking at 7-00am from Roncesvalles with the intention of stopping off at Zubiri but just like Tyrrek i got swayed by John Brierley's guide about Zubiri being an industrial town and decided to push on to Larrasoana.

By now it had really started to rain and i was looking forward to getting to the albergue in larrasoana. Unfortunately, just like Tyrrek, i missed the large yellow sign giving directions to Larrasoana and ended up walking another 10km! By now the rain was really coming down and i was absolutely soaked (so much for waterproofs).

I finally ended up walking 37km and i arrived at 4-30 pm at Arres which is a lovely little place. i stayed at Trinidad de Arre Con.Not good on your second day out on your pilgrimage and being an inexperienced pilgrim.

i might add that i teamed up with an irish bloke for a few days and he did exactly the same as me. He saw the yellow arrow and the sign for Larrasoana but thought that the way it was written was just graffitti, so chose to ignore it and walked on to Arres.

So if you are walking to Larrasoana watch for that sign. The next day i just walked to Pamplona - that was enough for me but what a storm, i will never forget it.

So i never did find out what it was like to stay at the albergue in Larrasoana ......

Regards
Charlie

 

[Lydia Gillen]

I stayed in Larrasoana on May 11th. the albergue was OK except for the fact that there was only one toilet roll in each cubicle. There were also notices on the walls which stated that pilgrims were not to steal(take) can't remember exact wording) toilet paper and that only one would be put in each cubicle daily. Now there were two computers in the albergue. so is the world gone mad or just this hospiladera.? There was a young man being trained in by a very elegant older woman. Of course by 9..pm. there was no paper in either of the female cubicle. there were a lot of femails staying that night. Someone in authority made that decision and it is not only mad but also cruel.

The bar restaurant was open and the food was good.

 

[CarolineMathieson]

Oh Dear!

In the past, that Albergue has been both nice to stay at and horrible to stay at. It's supposed to be looked after by the Mayor who has walked the camino himself. Maybe he is no longer able to look after things like the guy at San Juan De Ortega (the garlic soup guy) who died a few years back.

As everybody says, that bar at the end of town is an oasis! I love that place and what a good atmosphere there was there and good food. The owner was quite a character, but there have been some years where he was away when I visited and the bar was closed.

 

[sharon w]

Don´t stay in Larrasaona. Walk on to Akaretta and luxuriate in a rural hostal. It was used in the filming of ¨The Way¨and has excellent facilities and a beautiful outlook. It is 500m past Larrasaona.
Sharon

 

[fraluchi]

Don´t stay in Larrasaona.

This message has been on various Forums for many years.
Last year (September 2011), being a hotel consultant (retired) I decided to go and have a look myself. (albergue municipal)
The physical and operational deficiencies obviously originate at the Consejo.
The facilities are not of a quality to write home about, but with a bit of organization and supervision the town's "powers that be" could improve upon their reputation.
But since poor management is (still?) apparently a "sine qua non", pilgrims would indeed be advised to stay away from Larrasoaña's albergue municipal.
Until further notice :mrgreen:

 

[Thornley]

We had possibly the best night on our Camino in 07 in Larrasona.
Thats 5 years ago and the reason for that was a couple of Italian guys cooked spaghetti for all.
We were all thankful and shouted them a red , as requested.
The outside kitchen's floor was eventually covered in sauce /spaghetti that was on a little " tooo "long.
Nobody cared and a wonderful night was had.
Why did Gino cook??
Nothing available in the village to eat.
The worst toilets/showers on the Camino in temporary facilities left us asking....anyone for a drink?.
The Mayor run the albergue and owned the other closed shops "we were told".
They sold us bread wrapped in glad wrap and bottles of wine.
**The last 5 years to everyone who asked us advice on where to stay we said the following........
AVOID LARRASONA
It's only after many camino that you realise """who gives"""

 

[Larazet]

Had breakfast this very morning after leaving Zubiri at 0700 hrs, at the most amazing little place in Larrasoaña. Tiny cafe in the village called Casa Elita. She makes the best bread and we had an excellent 5 Euro breakfast, in fact the table was already laid for us! She also stocks food for a picnic lunch to have before you walk the final five plus hours to Pamplona (in the rain and MUD).

Karin

 

[Lauderhill]

My husband and I began El Camino in SJPP on 29 April and arrived in Santiago on 2 June. I have to agree with some of the other pilgrim postings about Larrasoana - by far the worst place along El Camino. We stayed in Pension El Camino Casa Sangalo - 9 pilgrims sharing one bathroom at 90E with very thin breakfast and dinner - although we were told we'd have a private bath when we made reservations.

 

[frasert]

+1 for Zubri

 

[Sheffield James]

I completed the Camino Frances in May this year and Larrasoana will haunt me for a long time. I walked on from Zubiri believing that Larrasoana would be the larger staging post of the two towns, but when I got there in the late afternoon the whole town was completo. It was suggested to me that there is a hotel just beyond the town - the one described earlier as being a location for The Way? - but I could not find it and so continued walking until I could go no further. to cut a long story short, I ended up sleeping in a picnic area somewhere between Larrasoana and Pamplona. Thankfully, there was a tiled roof above my concrete bench and a water fountain too, which kept me dry and hydrated through an otherwise miserably cold and wet night.
My advice to anyone who is not a quick walker is to try to secure a bed in Zubiri rather than risk missing out 6kms further on.

 

[John Holland]

Contrary to most posts on this forum, I had a fantastic time in Larrasoana. Sure, the municipal hostel was full when we (four of us) arrived. But we found bunks in a private house without any problem. The lovely owner wanted some help with getting his TV functioning which we tried to do unsuccessfully. But not to worry, for our efforts he provided us with a bottle of some sort of Spanish liquor and the keys to the place while he went off visiting and told us to make ourselves at home.

That night we went over for a late dinner to Casa Elita only to find it full of pilgrims and all the food gone. Not to worry, lovely Elita kindly asked us to wait a few minutes and she would cook a special meal for us. And what a meal we had.

Next morning she produced an excellent breakfast for us and we continued on our way having thoroughly enjoyed Larrasoana.

 

[OTH86]

Yes, Casa Elita is a nice place with a delightful owner! I didn't stay overnight in Larrasoana, but stopped for breakfast. Elita not only provided a very good one, but provided wonderful conversation during my hour-long rest stop! Her small grocery store is pretty handy as well!

 

[Phillypilgrim]

Don't forget the new Parochial albergue in Zabaldika run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. It opened April 2013 and includes dinner, breakfast, a small Mass and an intimate "circle time" with the Nuns after dinner. It is located AFTER Larrasoana, 7 miles before Pamplona. I know it requires some reconfiguring of stops in the first few days on the trail, but it is worth it!

 

[rickster]

Don't forget the new Parochial albergue in Zabaldika run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. It opened April 2013 and includes dinner, breakfast, a small Mass and an intimate "circle time" with the Nuns after dinner. It is located AFTER Larrasoana, 7 miles before Pamplona. I know it requires some reconfiguring of stops in the first few days on the trail, but it is worth it!