My favorite albergues on the Camino del Norte

[NadineK]

This forum was such an amazing resource for me as I planned for both of my Caminos (Frances and del Norte/Primitivo). In particular, I got such great advice on albergue recommendations for the Norte and Primitivo, and I thought I would try to give some of that back! I kept a blog while on my Camino, and continue to write here and there; my latest post was on favorite del Norte albergues, and I thought it might give some useful tips for those of you in the planning stages!

Here's the blog link: https://singlestepcamino.wordpress.com/2016/01/24/my-favorite-albergues-on-the-camino-del-norte/

And in case you don't want to sort through the entire blog post, here are my top 5:

1. Albergue St Martin (just before Orio): the most AMAZING views!
2. Albergue Eskerika (10km past Gernika): so calm and peaceful
3. Guemes (La Cabana del Abuelo Peuto... much has been written about this one!)
4. Albergue La Santa Cruz (just outside of Santander): amazing hospitality, superb communal meal.
5. Albergue Aves de Paso (in Pendueles): another place with amazing hospitality and communal meals, hospitalero does your laundry!!

Buen Camino, fellow pilgrims!

 

[jpflavin1]

This forum was such an amazing resource for me as I planned for both of my Caminos (Frances and del Norte/Primitivo). In particular, I got such great advice on albergue recommendations for the Norte and Primitivo, and I thought I would try to give some of that back! I kept a blog while on my Camino, and continue to write here and there; my latest post was on favorite del Norte albergues, and I thought it might give some useful tips for those of you in the planning stages!

Here's the blog link: https://singlestepcamino.wordpress.com/2016/01/24/my-favorite-albergues-on-the-camino-del-norte/

And in case you don't want to sort through the entire blog post, here are my top 5:

1. Albergue St Martin (just before Orio): the most AMAZING views!
2. Albergue Eskerika (10km past Gernika): so calm and peaceful
3. Guemes (La Cabana del Abuelo Peuto... much has been written about this one!)
4. Albergue La Santa Cruz (just outside of Santander): amazing hospitality, superb communal meal.
5. Albergue Aves de Paso (in Pendueles): another place with amazing hospitality and communal meals, hospitalero does your laundry!!

Buen Camino, fellow pilgrims!

Nadine:

I stayed in 4 of 5 you mentioned here and they were all very nice.

1. St. Martin was great for me. I also opted for the home cooked dinner (10 euro's).

2. Did not stay here.

3. Guemes is also a special place. That said, it is off the Camino a little bit and some folks do not like the history lesson.

4. Santa Cruz de Bezana is another great stop and Nieves cooks a great meal. Spent an enjoyable night and there is a bar across the street. Nieves also usually shares a short cut and warns about the train bridge crossing. We walked across the bridge.

5. Pendueles another communal stop with a home cooked meal and breakfast.

Casa Belen is another great stop in Cuerres. Manfred and his wife are very welcoming.

Hotel Carlos I is also a good stop in Villaviciosa prior to the split where you decide to continue on the Norte or jump to the Primitivo.

This thread brings back some good memories. Maybe I will go back in 2017.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[NadineK]

Nadine:

I stayed in 4 of 5 you mentioned here and they were all very nice.

1. St. Martin was great for me. I also opted for the home cooked dinner (10 euro's).

2. Did not stay here.

3. Guemes is also a special place. That said, it is off the Camino a little bit and some folks do not like the history lesson.

4. Santa Cruz de Bezana is another great stop and Nieves cooks a great meal. Spent an enjoyable night and there is a bar across the street. Nieves also usually shares a short cut and warns about the train bridge crossing. We walked across the bridge.

5. Pendueles another communal stop with a home cooked meal and breakfast.

Casa Belen is another great stop in Cuerres. Manfred and his wife are very welcoming.

Hotel Carlos I is also a good stop in Villaviciosa prior to the split where you decide to continue on the Norte or jump to the Primitivo.

This thread brings back some good memories. Maybe I will go back in 2017.

Ultreya,
Joe

Joe, you may have been someone on this forum who gave me some of these recommendations in the first place!! I wanted to stop at Casa Belen, but when I passed by it was just too early in the day and I wanted to keep walking. But I stopped in for a few minutes and the place looked really beautiful and special. If I walk the Norte again, it will be a definite stop!

 

[Kelly Catlow]

Does anyone have recommendations for the second half of the Norte?

 

[SallyToms]

Does anyone have recommendations for the second half of the Norte?

Apena in Vilela
Municipal in Gontan
O’Abrigo in Miraz
Municipal in Baamonde
Only in Gontan were there other pilgrims as it was early November.
Hope this helps.

 

[Kelly Catlow]

Thank you!!!!

 

[trecile]

Does anyone have recommendations for the second half of the Norte?

Casa Carín in Villademoros - just past Cadavedo. Not an albergue, but a great place to stay. These are 2 bedroom holiday apartments, and they charge 15 euros per person. Don't try to book via Booking.com, because then the price is a lot higher because it's for the entire place. I suggest calling them. The owner there was super helpful to a pergrina I met who hobbled in with severe blisters. He took her to the pharmacy, then to the doctor, then back to the pharmacy. He then drove her to the closest restaurant for dinner (less than 1 km away) and told her to call him when she was ready to be picked up after dinner. Really went way above and beyond!

Apartamentos Casa Carín - Villademoros | Apartamento | Gronze.com

Información del Apartamento Apartamentos Casa Carín, en Villademoros: precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

La Rectoral in Priesca. Hospitaleras are two fantastic nuns. In the evening they will give you a tour of the Pre-Romanesque church of San Salvador de Priesca.

Albergue La Rectoral de Priesca | Albergue de Peregrinos en Priesca | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue La Rectoral de Priesca, en Priesca: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

The hospitaleras at La Rectoral recommended Casa Capión in Peon - a Casa Rural/B&B. This was like staying in Grandma's house. It's a little ways off the Camino, but they will come and pick you up if you don't want to walk there. They were also just finishing up an albergue there that looked like it would be really nice. It appears to be operational now.

Casa Capión - Capión | Casa Rural | Gronze.com

Información del Casa Rural Casa Capión, en Capión: precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

Albergue Peón | Albergue de Peregrinos en Capión | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue Peón, en Capión: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

The Municipal Albergue in Piñera - fantastic hospitaleros, relaxing patio/garden area, nice communal dinner

Albergue de peregrinos de Piñera | Albergue de Peregrinos en Piñera | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue de peregrinos de Piñera, en Piñera: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

 

[oursonpolaire]

Does anyone have recommendations for the second half of the Norte?

I stayed mainly in casas rurales, but here are a few albergues and a pension/albergue which I feel deserve a mention.

1. Habitacions Tentempé Peregrino, in Villamartin de Grande, out of Ribadeo and 2km short of Gondan. Run by a young (English-speaking) woman and her parents, there are a half-dozen rooms, and a communal dinner for 10€, with vegan and vegetarian options.
2. O Bisonte de Maariz, out of Mondenedo, run by Madrid artist Carmen. A genuine donativo, but you need to call ahead-- go to their FB page as they are not in Gronze. Vegetarian table, and an idyllic setting.
3. Albergue O Cristal, 6km out of Abadin, a private albergue with an excellent kitchen (and a small pool in summer!)

 

[Kelly Catlow]

I stayed mainly in casas rurales, but here are a few albergues and a pension/albergue which I feel deserve a mention.

1. Habitacions Tentempé Peregrino, in Villamartin de Grande, out of Ribadeo and 2km short of Gondan. Run by a young (English-speaking) woman and her parents, there are a half-dozen rooms, and a communal dinner for 10€, with vegan and vegetarian options.
2. O Bisonte de Maariz, out of Mondenedo, run by Madrid artist Carmen. A genuine donativo, but you need to call ahead-- go to their FB page as they are not in Gronze. Vegetarian table, and an idyllic setting.
3. Albergue O Cristal, 6km out of Abadin, a private albergue with an excellent kitchen (and a small pool in summer!)

Thank you so much! Its hard working out the stages to stay at all these lovely places, without stretching the kilometres too much!

 

[NadineK]

Does anyone have recommendations for the second half of the Norte?

A couple years ago I wrote a 'part two' blog post for favorite albergues on the Norte, with some additions for the second half... here it is if you think it might be helpful! https://nadinewalks.com/2017/03/15/favorite-albergues-camino-del-norte-part-two/

 

[Mr_Ross_Duncan]

A couple years ago I wrote a 'part two' blog post for favorite albergues on the Norte, with some additions for the second half... here it is if you think it might be helpful! https://nadinewalks.com/2017/03/15/favorite-albergues-camino-del-norte-part-two/

Hi Nadine, My wife and I are walking the Norte in April and would love to read your blogs, however none of the links seem to work,

 

[NadineK]

Thank you for letting me know! I'd just switched something in my blog settings yesterday and I think that might have been the problem; I've switched it back and I think the link should work now. Here it is again:

My favorite albergues on the Camino del Norte, Part Two - Nadine Walks

About a year ago, I wrote a post all about my favorite albergues on the Camino del Norte. In the summer of 2015 I walked from Irun to Oviedo, which is about two thirds of the Norte route, and I stayed in some pretty great places. Before I set out on that walk, I’d done...Read More

nadinewalks.com

And have fun planning your pilgrimage on the Norte!

 

[NadineK]

Hi Nadine, My wife and I are walking the Norte in April and would love to read your blogs, however none of the links seem to work,

See my post above, the link should be working now!