Most Favourite and Least Favourite

[Chignecto]

I am planning to walk the Camino Frances in May and June next year starting at SJPDP. I am interested knowing what were your five favourite and five least favourite alberques/refugios and why that you experienced. Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I tried, but I can not just list only five. MOST of the alburgues were very nice, and it changed from one year to the next.

Keep in mind that every two weeks in many alburgues the hospitaleros change, and their personality can make a HUGE difference between and wonderful or horrible experience. So my advice is to take your chances and make up your own list :

San Anton - Gorgeous ruins and a sweet hospitalera named Marina made this a lovely stay

Hermita de San Nicholas - Again, a beautiful church, with special treatment and a great family style dinner.

Guacelmo (at Rabanal) - Disappointment that the Benedictines were gone was greatly helped by the spontaneous Mass in the backyard and a friendly "tea" with the hospitaleros!

Vilar de Mazarife - El Refugio de Jesus. I LOVED this place. We slept out on an open balcony under the stars; there was pilgrim art all over the walls and a swimming pool! Nice!

Casa Mari at Torres del Rio I loved the hospitalera/owner. The terrace was lovely. A nice little kitchen.

Paderborn in Pamplona Clean, friendly, quiet, and convenient.

The parish hostel at Hospital de Orbigo at calle Alvarez Vega, 32 A gentle hospitalera named Frida put lights and fruit in the courtyard, and played quiet music, making this a very restful place

The parochial at Viana You sleep on mats on the floor, but they made up for that with a tour of the rectory by the local priest and a special Pilgrim's Mass, as well as a family style dinner

Aterpea at Ciraqui Clean, quiet, and a great meal

The tiny Municipal at Uterga (2 beds!) Not so clean, but just sweet. I loved this little place.

Morgade There is a restaurant here, and the place is beautiful. I loved it.

Parroquia at Azofra Small, but clean and very friendly

Manjarin You just have to experience it.. it's a legend. Don't be put off by the looks...

Portomarin, the new alburgue to the left as you enter town. This was very clean with a GREAT kitchen and a huge screen television.

Espinoza del Camino - Pepe's alburgue was GREAT! Interesting house with interesting collections. He made us a great Paella!

Sarria - Don Alvaro's - They have a wonderful open firepit and serve interesting late night drinks! Fun, clean place!

LIGONDE - Fuente de Peregrino. A private hostel with 10 spaces. Very nice, fun hospitalera. No kitchen, but food is a short 1.3 k up the road.

and of course,
The Peaceable Kingdom Rebecca and Paddy were very helpful and it was fun to rest a few days at their lovely home.

I think I'll do a blog on these, and post photos if you want to check them out.

My LEAST favorite were the following. But remember, this could change simply with the change of a hospitalero

Zubiri - the Municipal there was filthy, the showers were gross, and it's where I got my one and only bedbug bite!

SARRIA - the Xunta hostel - ACK! This place was dirty, hot, stuffy and horrid.

HORNILLOS - this place was filthy when I stayed there, and people were eaten alive with bedbugs. but it's worth stopping to visit the church.

Cacabelos - Parroquia - Ok.. so it's different. But the people there were VERY unfriendly, and I won't stay there again.

Mato-Casanova - this alburgue was clean and the people were nice, but they have heated floors and I almost roasted to death!

That's about it. I waffle back and forth with some that were great one year, and horrid the next.
I think you just have to take your chances!
Have fun!

 

[FatmaG]

I agree with Anniesantiago - it depends on so much different things, also the people, pilgrims, you meet - or the locals...


I absolutely loved the Hermita de San Nicolas (after Castrojeriz) - for everything

Also : Refuge d'Orisson (the last one in France just some kms before the border) : friendlyness of the people, great food and first dinner taken together with all the present pilgrims

El Refugio de Jesus (Vilar de Mazarife) - it was my best pilgrim's night spent as Annie outside (and after a night with discovering Queimada - galician drink)

Leon - the hostal run by benedictines : because of the evening prayers with the nuns

Foncebadon : albergue "Domus Dei" - in the old church building. We had a lovely dinner together.


The only one which was really aweful to me : the albergue belonging to the bar in Alto do Poio (between O'Cebreiro and Fonfria). A HORRIBLE place (wet, cold, dirty), beside that food was expensive and not very good.

 

[lulusmom]

This is a great question and two very helpful responses. Although I plan to mostly try to stay in hotels (I'm a pretty bad sleeper on the best occasions) it will be useful to know where to feel most comfortable not doing the hotel thing. Thanks so much.
cheers,
kari