Monastery of San Xulián de Samos

[rabtacoma]

What is you experience touring the monastery (English is our first and only fluent language)? Do you believe Is it worth the 6-7K detour? Were you able to explore the monastery independently?
Our camino will be from Leon to Santiago beginning in mid-October. We have 15 days to walk this time and prefer to walk around 20 K a day (so the detour does make for one 28K day). I realize that everyone's experience is different but I appreciate hearing yours. Thank you

 

[LesR]

My experience (Oct 2018) was that detour was worth it - but then I had time up my sleeve.

I too am a mono-lingual (English) so I got very little of the commentary, but it was still an interesting tour of parts of the monastery. Exploring the Monastery independently was not an option, and the tour showed restricted parts only.

The walk was easy and I did Tricastella to Sarria in the one day very easily....

Would I do it that way again? - probably not... I woudl rather go to the market and eat my fill of pulpo if I had the time to spare The monastery wasn't that great an attraction that draw me back, but I am glad I have seen it. Took the shorter route in CF 2017

 

[caminoagogo]

Hi @rabtacoma, I definitely recommend going to Samos. It was one of the highlights of my Camino. The walk in and out of Samos is lovely and the monastery is really special. If you've got the time, go for it. You can read about my experience on my blog at:

Day 25 - O’Cebreiro to Samos

Well, I didn’t expect to end up in the village of Samos today but here we are! My original plan this morning was to have a relatively cruis...

tinyurl.com

I also talk about it a little bit with Dan Mullins on the My Camino podcast (about 15:21) at: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode/329033

Buen Camino

 

[Bonita]

I also loved the walk in and out of Samos. The Monastery was worth it to me.

 

[naplesdon]

The tour of the interior is not self guided.

 

[Lifeisgood]

Hello! Agreeing with the comments above: The detour was worth it, the way to Samos and out was very romantic! I also did the guided tour in the monastery and I also don't understand Spanish. It was still interesting! I also recommend going to a church service which also lets you see and experience the beautiful church! Services are at 12 pm (on Sundays) and at 7.30 pm: http://www.abadiadesamos.com/seccion/116/Porteria-y-Visitas.html

Walked from Triacastela to Samos last year fall and stayed at the monastery albergue in Samos (it was a very rainy day, thus I did not want to walk on). After Samos I walked on until Portomarin which was just beautiful!

 

[mspath]

In Samos a pleasant restaurant/hotel with a great menu de dia is A Veiga at the western side of the village. I have always eaten there but have never stayed there. The monastery which will be cool in summer and frigid even in autumn is at the eastern side of the village as you enter on the camino.

One reason to spend the night in the Samos monastery is to attend evening vespers. Pilgrims are escorted by a monk through the dark monastery to the chapel service. Painted after the 1951 library fire life size images line the corridor walls. In the dim light the mix of living and painted figures including Benedictines all wearing black robes is usually most surreal!

Samos 10/11/2004..Camino 1

Enjoy!

 

[alhartman]

IMO a do-not-miss stop!! I believe that some tours are given in English or German depending on demand. Ask. The trail between Renche-Samos is a truly magical walk for me--something out of the middle-ages or MiddleEarth.
I even love the monastery albergue--probably a bit crude and unheated for many, but again a place I 'felt' the pilgrim magic.
If you are short on time, take a cab from Samos to Sarria to shave about 16km. They stop right outside the albergue door as I recall.

 

[Tincatinker]

I was not aware that the Camino through Samos was a detour, I thought it was the historic route . I had always thought that the alternative route was a short-cut for those who weren’t bothered by history or culture but just wanted to get to Santiago by the shortest route

 

[Mark McCarthy]

If you are staying overnight in Samos, the evensong is meant to be quite nice. The tours are OK but not brilliant and you have to wait for the tour times. Apparently the monastery was a favourite of the dictator Franco and has even an alleged link to help fleeing Nazis escape to South America. The Franco link appears true but the link to fleeing Nazis I suspect is a tall tail. Personally I prefer the route by San Xil and love the donativo oasis at Montan.

 

[Pelegrin]

I read on Internet that the Monastery of Samos was founded in the 6th century during the Swabian Kingdom of Galicia by St Martin Dumiense who was born in Panonia (now Hungary and Croatia) and is known as the Apostle of the Swabians.

 

[JimM]

What is you experience touring the monastery (English is our first and only fluent language)? Do you believe Is it worth the 6-7K detour? Were you able to explore the monastery independently?
Our camino will be from Leon to Santiago beginning in mid-October. We have 15 days to walk this time and prefer to walk around 20 K a day (so the detour does make for one 28K day). I realize that everyone's experience is different but I appreciate hearing yours. Thank you

I’ve actually been to Samos twice. The first time I passed through on my way to Sarria. Another pilgrim and myself did not want to wait for the tour so the monk let us do a quick self-guided tour. He told us which areas we were not allowed to enter. So it is possible to explore the monastery independently, but I communicated with the monk in Spanish. My second time in Samos I stayed in the albergue attached to the monastery which is a very simple place. But the best part was being there for the evening mass with Gregorian Chants. Buen Camino!

 

[Canche]

What is you experience touring the monastery (English is our first and only fluent language)? Do you believe Is it worth the 6-7K detour? Were you able to explore the monastery independently?
Our camino will be from Leon to Santiago beginning in mid-October. We have 15 days to walk this time and prefer to walk around 20 K a day (so the detour does make for one 28K day). I realize that everyone's experience is different but I appreciate hearing yours. Thank you

I recommend that detour however I got hopelessly lost. However, you can call the 112 number and they will guide you. I "think" 112 is the emergency number like 911 in the US

 

[Portia1]

I loved the evening service and chant. The walk to Samos was lovely. The only challenge was the next morning when I encountered arrows pointing right and left. Went right but later I learned I should have gone left. The right arrow was the cyclist way and all on pavement.

 

[ginniek]

I read on Internet that the Monastery of Samos was founded in the 6th century during the Swabian Kingdom of Galicia by St Martin Dumiense who was born in Panonia (now Hungary and Croatia) and is known as the Apostle of the Swabians.

Interesting--one of my maternal grandparents was Hungarian and the other Croatian (but grew up in France).

 

[Pelegrin]

Interesting--one of my maternal grandparents was Hungarian and the other Croatian (but grew up in France).

The current Croatians have more to do with the old Panonians than the current Hungarians that arrived in that area in 10th century.
Anyway these things show us that Europe is much more interconnected in History that most of us think.

 

[Bala]

I loved the evening service and chant. The walk to Samos was lovely. The only challenge was the next morning when I encountered arrows pointing right and left. Went right but later I learned I should have gone left. The right arrow was the cyclist way and all on pavement.

@Portia1 and @JimM how long ago where you there? I was there May 2018 and was told by the hospitalero it was no longer possible for pilgrims to attend. His English wasn't much better than my Spanish and, since I had been advised in advance that this was the case by several people on different Facebook groups, I didn't press for further details. I'd already spent 2 nights in Santo Domingo de Silos, 3 at Monesterio Monte Irache, as well as vespers and morning prayer at various other churches along the way, so I wasn't terribly disappointed. But it saddened me to think something so special and long-standing on the Camino is no longer an option for pilgrims.

I did take the tour and attend mass, though, and highly recommend both. I also loved the albergue, specifically because it is so basic. It is an experience of what many albergues/refugios were not all that long ago. I felt connected to 1,000 years of pilgrimage by staying there.

But back to my question about vespers. I'd like to think that it was just a temporary thing, or maybe as "pilgrim season" got into full swing attendance would be allowed again. So if anyone has current information, I'd love to hear it.

 

[JimM]

@Portia1 and @JimM how long ago where you there? I was there May 2018 and was told by the hospitalero it was no longer possible for pilgrims to attend. His English wasn't much better than my Spanish and, since I had been advised in advance that this was the case by several people on different Facebook groups, I didn't press for further details. I'd already spent 2 nights in Santo Domingo de Silos, 3 at Monesterio Monte Irache, as well as vespers and morning prayer at various other churches along the way, so I wasn't terribly disappointed. But it saddened me to think something so special and long-standing on the Camino is no longer an option for pilgrims.

I did take the tour and attend mass, though, and highly recommend both. I also loved the albergue, specifically because it is so basic. It is an experience of what many albergues/refugios were not all that long ago. I felt connected to 1,000 years of pilgrimage by staying there.

But back to my question about vespers. I'd like to think that it was just a temporary thing, or maybe as "pilgrim season" got into full swing attendance would be allowed again. So if anyone has current information, I'd love to hear it.

Hi Bala,
I was in Samos in the fall of 2015. So my info is old.

 

[Bala]

Hi Bala,
I was in Samos in the fall of 2015. So my info is old.

Thanks. I first set foot on the Camino in 2015 and I saw many changes when I returned after three years. But I'd still like to think this isn't one of them.....

 

[Portia1]

I was there 2009.

 

[Tim Greig]

I went to Samos rather than the direct route. Personally I didn't think the monastery was worthwhile. There was no English tour; the 1950s artwork, in my opinion, was poor. I didn't spend the night which might have been good. I wonder how many people visit Samos, my guess is not so many. If you're short of time my advice would be to take the direct route. Plenty of other monasteries along the way.