• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Ponferrada - Municipal albergue

palmah

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2010
I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen.

I stayed in the donativo parochial (not municipal) albergue in 2016. It was one of the few that had a separate women only dorm. (since I walked from Rabanal del Camino I arrived to late to get a bed in the women's dorm)

As I recall, there were all of the amenities that you list, but the room that I was in had 3 or 4 bunk beds. Perhaps other rooms were smaller.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
This one?
I looked at this one and thought because it is a donativo it couldn't be the municipal,but maybe it was converted from a municipal? I guess it is possible. I see that I was lucky in getting one of the bedrooms with 4 beds. Thanks
 
I looked at this one and thought because it is a donativo it couldn't be the municipal,but maybe it was converted from a municipal? I guess it is possible. I see that I was lucky in getting one of the bedrooms with 4 beds. Thanks
This one is staffed by HosVol and this summer they are allowing shorter 10 day assignments rather than the usual first half or last half of the month. Easier for younger people (not retirees like a lot of the HosVol hospitaleros). It is a big albergue and it takes 4 hospitaleros in the high season.
 
I looked at this one and thought because it is a donativo it couldn't be the municipal,but maybe it was converted from a municipal? I guess it is possible. I see that I was lucky in getting one of the bedrooms with 4 beds. Thanks
I stayed there in 2010. It was a donativo then.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I looked at this one and thought because it is a donativo it couldn't be the municipal,but maybe it was converted from a municipal? I guess it is possible. I see that I was lucky in getting one of the bedrooms with 4 beds. Thanks
palmah,
Since you are planning a future stop in Ponferrada you might find this recent post and the descriptive archives link to be of special interest.
Happy planning and Buen camino!
 
Last edited:
I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?
The reason you don't see that albergue is that not all albergues in Ponferrada are listed on Gronze.
This happens in all the major places on the Camino, Gronze picks a few albergues and puts them on his list. How they choose, I don't know.

edit; try here

 
Last edited:
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
The old Municipal was very nice, but it was much too small for people's actual needs, and it permanently shut down in the late 1990s or early 2000s when the far larger Association Albergue opened.

It isn't technically a Parrochial, though it's often called that from being run by a Catholic Association.
 
I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?
Yes, as others have said, the municipal/parroquial classification may have changed but it's the same building with the small bunkrooms and big kitchen area. When I first visited in 2008 there was one hospitalero in charge - a kind of stressed out micro-manager. Last few times, including last November it has been run by an excellent team of volunteers.
I recommend the pilgrim's mass/blessing in the adjoining church.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I stayed there in 2010. It was a donativo then.

I stayed there in 2010. It was a donativo then.
I guess my question should have been one to clarify it being a municipal. I had not thought of it being parochial. I checked my notes from way back then and I referred to it as "municipal. So even then I didn't get the "feeling" it was parochial. Thanks
 
The old Municipal was very nice, but it was much too small for people's actual needs, and it permanently shut down in the late 1990s or early 2000s when the far larger Association Albergue opened.

It isn't technically a Parrochial, though it's often called that from being run by a Catholic Association.
Thanks Jabba, so I'm not totally losing my marbles:) Your response really helps me understand my notes from 2010, in which I did not mention any sort of parochial characteristics (blessing, confession, etc).
 
Yes, as others have said, the municipal/parroquial classification may have changed but it's the same building with the small bunkrooms and big kitchen area. When I first visited in 2008 there was one hospitalero in charge - a kind of stressed out micro-manager. Last few times, including last November it has been run by an excellent team of volunteers.
I recommend the pilgrim's mass/blessing in the adjoining church.
Thanks Tom! I will definitely stay there and I look forward to the mass and blessing as we leave the Frances and start the Invierno.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Hi Palmah, we stayed at the donativo mentioned by Robo, in September 2022. As mentioned, there were 4, 6 and 8 bunk rooms, there were multiple power sockets in each room, the kitchen was quite good with fridges. There are some drink vending machines on site. Showers and toilets are all in the same room (seperate male and female facilities)

The gardens and gazebo areas were great. The laundry was down the back with plenty of hanging place for clothes.

The albergue was very clean and well maintained. Hospitaleros were very good. Have attached a couple of photos, sorry I couldn’t find the one of the room.

It’s a bit of a walk into the town centre and the Templar Castle. The nearest Supermercado was about 1km away.

All the best for your next Camino
 

Attachments

  • 22E70477-F1FE-4A28-9930-4F7DDEE2D1CD.jpeg
    22E70477-F1FE-4A28-9930-4F7DDEE2D1CD.jpeg
    2 MB · Views: 20
  • 6B93E3DA-2A87-435A-B466-E4656D7C4E3F.jpeg
    6B93E3DA-2A87-435A-B466-E4656D7C4E3F.jpeg
    2.3 MB · Views: 17
  • FB60620D-AB82-41B9-85F6-3960A4200F79.jpeg
    FB60620D-AB82-41B9-85F6-3960A4200F79.jpeg
    3.5 MB · Views: 15
  • 82C12F29-7A54-4B23-BCBE-0CBA510C1E1A.jpeg
    82C12F29-7A54-4B23-BCBE-0CBA510C1E1A.jpeg
    3.9 MB · Views: 13
  • 2F5CCE40-4068-4B54-A900-FC4642661599.jpeg
    2F5CCE40-4068-4B54-A900-FC4642661599.jpeg
    5.9 MB · Views: 12
  • FCB63F61-5945-418E-A483-8913B7CE5E77.jpeg
    FCB63F61-5945-418E-A483-8913B7CE5E77.jpeg
    4.5 MB · Views: 19
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I have stayed there and I remember it being a donativo. I arrived very early in the day and it was late November. The hospitaleros were just wonderful. They were not open yet but they were happy to hold my backpack. I went out for lunch and came back and got the first room on the left. The kitchen is very large and well equipped. In the evening there were probably about 25 pilgrims eating dinner in the albergue. It was a fun time. As I remember it was off the camino a little. I would imagine in the summer or fall it may have a different vibe as it is a big hostel but I would recommend staying here for sure.
 
I stayed there in July I like that hostel. I seem to remember there's a good pizza place abt 750m further on.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?

The reason you don't see that albergue is that not all albergues in Ponferrada are listed on Gronze.
This happens in all the major places on the Camino, Gronze picks a few albergues and puts them on his list. How they choose, I don't know.

The reason isn't that it isn't in Gronze. It is. Just that it isn't listed as a municipal, as the discussion clarified.

1677513228559.png
 
I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?
It is a parish Albergue San Nicholas de Flue. It has a mix of beds, rooms with 4 bunks, rooms with 8 and underneath, when it is busy a huge area. It does have a female only section(rooms , showers toilets) which many appreciate. It has a philosophy of turning no one away. It has mats for the floor on the dining area or outside area. It is donitivo.
I volunteered there precovid
 
The old Municipal was very nice, but it was much too small for people's actual needs, and it permanently shut down in the late 1990s or early 2000s when the far larger Association Albergue opened.

It isn't technically a Parrochial, though it's often called that from being run by a Catholic Association.

I volunteered there 2002. It’s a parochial albergue.

As a hospitalera you realize the extensive involvement of the church.

Every day, sometimes twice a day, the priest would visit albergue. He’d ask about pilgrims with problems; tried to assist them if possible. He made certain the vending machines were stocked and operative; and so much more.

He performed Mass.

I remember how often Father Miguel Ángel asked how we hospies were faring.

The church does quite a bit behind the scenes to provide pilgrims the best nights stay possible all along the camino.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!

Most read last week in this forum

My name is Henrik and I will be coming down to SJPdP from Sweden on March 26 and start walking on March 27. I don't really have any experience and I'm not the best at planning and I'm a little...
When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I'd like some recommendations about where to find the most current and up to date information about albergues that are actually open. I'm currently walking the camino Frances, and I can't even...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top