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Monte do Gozo

The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Is there something i am missing about Monte de Gozo albergue?
From what i seen of the place, the only reason to stay there is that everything in Santiago is full.
Again, i might be missing something.
 
Not only do you get the opportunity to experience a Soviet era Baltic coast Workers Holiday Camp in the warmth and comfort of Spain but you also get a short stroll into Santiago and time to lose your backpack and enjoy the Pilgrim Mass. All of which means you can be well on the way to Fisterra before the sun sets on that Pilgrim Office queue
 
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Stayed there twice when no reservations in SDC and was going to rain. Definitely a kinda bleak place, but no complaints. It was a place to shower, do laundry and a bed to sleep in. Both times I was out the door while it was still dark and the sun rising as I arrived at the cathedral. Later it was coffee, breakfast and find a room.
 
Oh, Tinker, I just about fell down laughing at your opening lines. Thanks. But I have to say that this would be the last accommodation option for me. I walked past it back in June 2017 and I was not sure if it had been moved from the Black Sea holiday resort or was a left over mine workers or highway construction accommodation site. Cheers
 
Once upon a time it was a youth hostel as well.I stayed there a couple of times when I had walked from Arzua or Ribadiso and got a cheep hotelroom alone for memberprice. Never stayed in the albergue on top of the area.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Not only do you get the opportunity to experience a Soviet era Baltic coast Workers Holiday Camp in the warmth and comfort of Spain but you also get a short stroll into Santiago and time to lose your backpack and enjoy the Pilgrim Mass. All of which means you can be well on the way to Fisterra before the sun sets on that Pilgrim Office queue

LMAO!

🤣😂🤣
 
My last stay there was 2016--and it looked like an abandoned and derelict set from a dystopian movie like "Running Man" or "Escape from New York", or 'Bladerunner". My notes from 2005 say they have 600 beds in that depressing row of Quonset huts. Only one was open with 60 beds; but they were the only albergue I stayed in that year which still had pots, pans and eating utensils.
And the most cheery news I could find was that, when it opened in 1993 as a Holiday City for the Holy Year, "The Artist Formerly known as Prince" played the opening!! (Setlist available on the internet for anyone who is a fan!! Not me).
I've always been fascinated by Monte do Gozo as an example of how top down planning fails. (Build it and they will come). Maybe that is what makes it like a Soviet Workers Holiday Camp.
 
A Camino complain and I didn't stay there but further down to the so-called hotel which gave us a bit more privacy. I paid fifty euros for two-plus sheets. We showered and took the bus to Santiago and the next day we walked to fulfill our Camino.
 
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First seen in 2001 in the company of a young German pilgrim. Her reaction "It's like the set for a disaster movie! All it needs are newspapers blowing across the plaza"
But she did need a toilet and slipped into one of the rooms that had been left open by room service: "Lovely! they have sheets on the beds!"
Stopped off in the cafe in 2016 - there were five of us in there. Myself and my friend JoJo, the other three were staff.
In the years to come, when they start making blockbuster movies about 2020, MdG would be a great place to film lockdown.
 
I stayed three times. Once when it was new, no cooking facilities at all and full of people on organised tours for the holy year. Once when I was walking with Dalie, and had just been told of my father's illness and had to get to the U.K.asap. The hospitaleros were fantastic. I have never met with greater kindness or efficiency, as they found a place for Dalie and a flight for me. The most récent stay was two years after that, to finish the Camino with Dalie. No complaints from me.
 
On my first camino (Norte) I arrived in Santiago in the evening in the rain, extremely tired, was not allowed into the cathedral with my pack and so just went to bed in my pension. So on my second camino (Primitivo) I deliberately stopped at Monte de Gozo. Coming in from the rain I found myself in the albergue in a room for only eight; the radiators were on; I was in pleasant company. And the following morning I was completely refreshed and had a pleasant short walk in the rising sun into Santiago. And obviously, as Tinkatinker said, in time for the Pilgrims’ mass. If/when I come into Santiago again that way I will stop at Monte de Gozo again. Mind you my experience was many years ago. I do not know what it is like now....
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I would like to have a bed in that "resort" the last Holy Year, the time I slept on the floor of an Army Tent due the lack of any other accomodation twenty kilometers around Santiago.
 
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They have made over part of the old albergue into an upmarket albergue (benvidomontedogozo.com) which looks really nice, has some private rooms available, gives you access to the facilities on-site including the swimming pools. It looks like it might well be worth checking it out.
 
Is there something i am missing about Monte de Gozo albergue?
From what i seen of the place, the only reason to stay there is that everything in Santiago is full.
Again, i might be missing something.
I stayed there at the Polish run albergue on my CF in 2017 so as NOT to walk into Santiago late in the day and meet throngs of bus pilgrims who were congregated at Monte de Gozo. My walking companion and I enjoyed a simple hardy meal at the albergue kitchen, slept well then walked into a sleeping Santiago the next morning at sunrise. A beautiful very spiritual experience.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I had not heard of this albergue prior to my first camino in 2015, so when I stumbled onto the property as I walked into Santiago I was quite confused. It seemed a totally deserted, defunct property in late May, there were dead leaves piled up in every corner of the buildings and it had a very eerie, dreary look of "days gone by".
@alhartman described it well imo...
"My last stay there was 2016--and it looked like an abandoned and derelict set from a dystopian movie like "Running Man" or "Escape from New York", or 'Bladerunner".

I'm happy to hear it has been renovated!
 
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Not only do you get the opportunity to experience a Soviet era Baltic coast Workers Holiday Camp in the warmth and comfort of Spain but you also get a short stroll into Santiago and time to lose your backpack and enjoy the Pilgrim Mass. All of which means you can be well on the way to Fisterra before the sun sets on that Pilgrim Office queue
As a man who strikes me as one of the great Camino historians and sages is my memory that bad or wasn’t there a time back about 10 years ago that warned against staying there because there were a lot of thefts and I may really be spreading salacious rumors of some assaults? I also kind of sorta remember that the Brierley guide made mention of that also. I have walked by the albergue 4 times and never ever thought of staying there. But I never walked in peak season so there were never worries of where to stay although the budget Parador and my favorite Pilgrim room San Marin Pinerio is getting more and more crowded. In early December 2019 I called about 3 days out of Santiago thinking it would be easy to get a Pilgrim room and they were booked. It was almost 3 weeks before Christmas.
 
I had not heard of this albergue prior to my first camino in 2015, so when I stumbled onto the property as I walked into Santiago I was quite confused. It seemed a totally deserted, defunct property in late May, there were dead leaves piled up in every corner of the buildings and it had a very eerie, dreary look of "days gone by".
@alhartman described it well imo...
"My last stay there was 2016--and it looked like an abandoned and derelict set from a dystopian movie like "Running Man" or "Escape from New York", or 'Bladerunner".

I'm happy to hear it has been renovated!
I agree I have never seen anyone on the grounds the 4 times I walked by.
 
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As a man who strikes me as one of the great Camino historians and sages is my memory that bad or wasn’t there a time back about 10 years ago that warned against staying there because there were a lot of thefts and I may really be spreading salacious rumors of some assaults? I also kind of sorta remember that the Brierley guide made mention of that also. I have walked by the albergue 4 times and never ever thought of staying there. But I never walked in peak season so there were never worries of where to stay although the budget Parador and my favorite Pilgrim room San Marin Pinerio is getting more and more crowded. In early December 2019 I called about 3 days out of Santiago thinking it would be easy to get a Pilgrim room and they were booked. It was almost 3 weeks before Christmas.
The 2011 Brierley, the earliest I have, makes no mention of trouble or strife. I’ve not searched the Forum for comment from those times. In 2012 I found the place as tranquil as any ghost town
 
When I stayed there towards the end of June 2013 the albergue was clean and warm(! important in the cold wet weather!) and well managed with no rumours about any problems. Of course being such a huge setup with no tourists about, shops were closed and the main restaurant as well. But a cafeteria was open for meals at meal time and the cafe/bar (important also for wifi connection) continuously open with a fair (?) number of clients. So the place did not seem deserted at all. Being situated on a slope with the camino path above and well away from this slope passing pilgrims would not see it at all. And, having heard bad rumours about it, even if they bothered to have a quick look, they would have seen a vast empty space which did not come across as very inviting. Unless they had had a long day in the rain.....
 
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We stayed there in late Oct 2019. It was pouring rain which really only made it bleaker. I think there were 20 of us in that whole place. I opted to stay there because I wanted to walk into Santiago early in the morning - it worked out great. We had NO wait to get our Compostela, checked into out hotel, met up with Camino friends ... The room was very clean and spacious, quite warm on a cold damp evening, we had our own bathroom, there was a laundromat and place to eat for cheap! Worked very well for us.
 
I hope to walk my first camino this year (cancelled 2020) I am thinking of staying at the Xunta hostel 2kms from Monte do Goza at San Lazaro. It is possible to stay there for 3 nights which would give me time to explore Santiago. Has anyone done this?
 
I hope to walk my first camino this year (cancelled 2020) I am thinking of staying at the Xunta hostel 2kms from Monte do Goza at San Lazaro. It is possible to stay there for 3 nights which would give me time to explore Santiago. Has anyone done this?
In general the Xunta and other municipal albergues only allow one night stay, but according to Gronze, the first night is 10 Euros and 7 Euros for following nights, with a maximum of three nights.

 
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Having walked past it three times now, it always leaves me a sense of foreboding when I look at it :oops:

It brings back memories of my Army 'Boot Camp' days, though our accommodations in those times looked a lot more inviting...:rolleyes:

Sadly I would have to say it would be my 'last resort' ........
 
In general the Xunta and other municipal albergues only allow one night stay, but according to Gronze, the first night is 10 Euros and 7 Euros for following nights, with a maximum of three nights.

Thanks for the link Trecile it gives more information than my guide book. Have you stayed there?
 
Actually when you look at the website, it doesn't look that bad close up.
The buildings appear to be made from stone, whereas from a distance it has that concrete 'labour camp' look. Not helped of course by the block design and layout of the buildings themselves.
.
 
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Thanks for the link Trecile it gives more information than my guide book. Have you stayed there?
No I haven't. My favorite place to stay is in a Pilgrim room at San Martín Pinario. You need to call or email them to get the pilgrim room/rate.

 
No I haven't. My favorite place to stay is in a Pilgrim room at San Martín Pinario. You need to call or email them to get the pilgrim room/rate.

Thanks I will keep the link for nearer the time. I hope I will be able to go in September if not it will be 2022
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Oh, Tinker, I just about fell down laughing at your opening lines. Thanks. But I have to say that this would be the last accommodation option for me. I walked past it back in June 2017 and I was not sure if it had been moved from the Black Sea holiday resort or was a left over mine workers or highway construction accommodation site. Cheers
I would never stay there
 
I have stayed there twice, both times because I was a day ahead of my reservation at San Martin Pinario and ready to stop for the night. Neither time was there any food available there, although there were cooking utensils and facilities, but no restaurant or shop. On the second occasion, the receptionist on the desk offered to go out to purchase some food for us, to save us from a long walk in the November dark (closer shops and restaurants were closed for the season). She returned with all the food requested by that night's pilgrims, and refused to accept any payment for it. In four seasons of long pilgrim walks, I never met another local as generous and self-effacing as she. I know what I think of the albergue at Monte de Gozo. May I, and you, find another like it when we are in need.
 
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Not only do you get the opportunity to experience a Soviet era Baltic coast Workers Holiday Camp in the warmth and comfort of Spain but you also get a short stroll into Santiago and time to lose your backpack and enjoy the Pilgrim Mass. All of which means you can be well on the way to Fisterra before the sun sets on that Pilgrim Office queue
Is there a chapel there to attend mass/confession?
 
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I have stayed there twice. There is a chapel there and I have been in it. I have no information, however, what services they may be offering at this time. As it is a Holy Year and they have done work to open up more housing for pilgrims, it is possible that more services than in recent years may be offered in the chapel. You could inquire when you make your booking, or wait to ask about that on arrrival. Buen camino.
 
I stayed there on my first Camino in Sept. 2013, and it was kinda eerie to be there in one of the buildings but have empty ones all around us. I remember that it had really good laundry facilities, though, and loved being able to wash everything in a real washer. There was a really nice Episcopal priest from England there who gave me a laminated prayer card that I still have on my fridge.

My second Camino (June-July 2016), I decided to stay in O Pedrouzo, and ended up in a really big Albergue that was so stinking hot that I couldn't get to sleep--it was the one closest to the scallop shell Church, and I don't recommend it! Around midnight, I gave up, got all my stuff, and ended up walking at night to Santiago, although I remember taking a brief nap in a bus station at one point. It was beautiful to walk into Santiago as the sun came up. Maybe not the smartest thing I've ever done, but what my mother doesn't know won't hurt me!!!

Ruth
 
Is there a chapel there to attend mass/confession?
There is a small Polish albergue on the Monte do Gozo estate dedicated to Saint Pope John-Paul II. I think they have daily mass and I would imagine their priests would be able to hear confession in English. Their website closed down during the pandemic but I have a phone number and an email address you could try. +34 9 8159 7222 and ceperegrinacion@alfaexpress.net .
 
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There is a small Polish albergue on the Monte do Gozo estate dedicated to Saint Pope John-Paul II. I think they have daily mass and I would imagine their priests would be able to hear confession in English. Their website closed down during the pandemic but I have a phone number and an email address you could try. +34 9 8159 7222 and ceperegrinacion@alfaexpress.net .
Wow, awesome,tku
 
My last stay there was 2016--and it looked like an abandoned and derelict set from a dystopian movie like "Running Man" or "Escape from New York", or 'Bladerunner". My notes from 2005 say they have 600 beds in that depressing row of Quonset huts. Only one was open with 60 beds; but they were the only albergue I stayed in that year which still had pots, pans and eating utensils.
And the most cheery news I could find was that, when it opened in 1993 as a Holiday City for the Holy Year, "The Artist Formerly known as Prince" played the opening!! (Setlist available on the internet for anyone who is a fan!! Not me).
I've always been fascinated by Monte do Gozo as an example of how top down planning fails. (Build it and they will come). Maybe that is what makes it like a Soviet Workers Holiday Camp.
It was derelict in 2004 too, when I saw Bob Dylan and The Coors playing for the Holy Year.
And it didn't look much better last week.

Don't get me wrong, they have done quite a lot to dress the place up. It is simply a very poor design which will never look good nor be easy to maintain. Empty stores, SWHC architecture, and a completely asinine layout (pilgrims enter on one end, where they are not greeted in any way whatsoever while tourists arrive at the other where there is a proper office).
 
As a man who strikes me as one of the great Camino historians and sages is my memory that bad or wasn’t there a time back about 10 years ago that warned against staying there because there were a lot of thefts and I may really be spreading salacious rumors of some assaults? I also kind of sorta remember that the Brierley guide made mention of that also. I have walked by the albergue 4 times and never ever thought of staying there. But I never walked in peak season so there were never worries of where to stay although the budget Parador and my favorite Pilgrim room San Marin Pinerio is getting more and more crowded. In early December 2019 I called about 3 days out of Santiago thinking it would be easy to get a Pilgrim room and they were booked. It was almost 3 weeks before Christmas.
I don't remember these reports from Monte de Gozo, but I can attest personally that this was a problem at the Seminario Menor in Santiago.
 
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