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Staying at Paradores?

Waleska

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Ingles 2021
Moderator note: this post was moved from another thread.
Hi, I am planning my camino for Sept. Was wondering how did you like the Parador. I love staying at the Paradores on my caminos when those are available. Would love to hear your experience. Thanks.
 
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I prefer to stay in the albergues with my fellow pilgrims.
However, I also like 'living it up' by visiting a parador lounge bar (in Leon, for example) for a glass of cava, after my shower. It feels like luxury, but for a glass of good fizz, some olives and nuts and a comfortable chair in a beautiful building, a few Euros seems worth it. Then back to the albergue dormitory to sleep it off!
Just once, on our 30th wedding anniversary in 2019, my wife came to walk with me for a few days of my pilgrimage, and we spent the anniversary in a Parador room in Santo Domingo de Calzada. It was a treat, almost incongruous between two nights in municipal albergues!
 
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We stayed in the parador in Leon some years ago. It was fantastic Such a beautiful place so luxurious.
 
After 5 Camino's I thought I earned my way to staying in the Parador in Santiago.
It was nothing short of amazing to indulge and spoil myself. Yes, I'd do it again.
 
I've stayed in 8 Paradores on the Camino over the last few years. (SdC, Villafranca del Bierzo, Leon, SDdlC (both), Pontevedra, Tui and Muxia.

They vary quite a lot with the updated Leon Parador and, for location and breakfast but rooms are simple, the SdC Parador being the pick as well as the priciest (though still very reasonable all things considered).

I also really liked the new one outside Muxia as it was very isolated and afforded me with complete relaxation. It was also almost empty.

Prices for a stay in one of the others are usually low and very good value indeed but avoid the Bernado de Fresneda Parador in summer as it is a furnace with no aircon.
 
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Athough during past years travel in Spain and Portugual by car my husband and I often happily stayed in Paradors and Pousadas during 450 camino nights I have never wished to break the simple pilgrimage mood in any lavish way.

The only time I entered a Parador as a pilgrim was a cold March day in 2007 in Leon. Wearing pilgrim winter garb I brazenly visited the super deluxe San Marcos Parador.

Greeted at the door by a tres chic maitre de who said Madame? I asked in French if I might visit their famous cloister garden. He answered that I might circumnavigate the space but must not enter it. Thus I slowly walked and photographed while he watched!!

After viewing the unique garden I treated myself to a thick hot chocolate in their morning café before returning to the more basic realities of the Caravajal albergue for a much needed pilgrim siesta.
 
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I stayed in a couple Paradors on my Camino last year. They were really nice, but for me, they weren't ultimately worth it. When you're on the Camino a one-star private room with a private bathroom is a great treat, and for me, that made the luxury of the Parador not stand out as much.

What I did really like about the Paradors... the buffet breakfasts. All you can eat with tons of choices. Yum.

Also, I liked the location of the Parador in Santiago. It was fun to walk out the door into the main square.

Also, FYE.... attached is a picture of the giveaways at the Parador Leon. I've never seen so many giveaways in one hotel. Of course, I left just about everything, since I didn't want to carry it!

 
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I’ve stayed at the Parador in Leon, Merida and Pontevedra - all some years ago and thankfully very reasonably priced at the time. Leon definitely a standout, but 328 euro nowadays. Yikes!

These days I’m more than happy with an apero - an inexpensive way to enjoy a little luxury. I have fond memories of enjoying a couple of hours and a couple of vinos on the terrace of the Ronda Parador taking in the extraordinary view.

 
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I have a self-imposed standing rule, that if a Parador is less than $100, I stay--that price is almost always way in advance. So far, twice in Santo Domingo and once in Leon when I got a discount on a slow day in 2016 before the remodel, and it was right at $100.

But more accessible financially and often just as interesting, I think, are the Posadas, like Posada Real de Tepa in Astorga which has been in Señor Tepa's family for 9 generations--formerly a mansion-like structure that oozes charm, and Pazo Sedor--almost a castle-like structure--about 1 km off the Camino before before Arzua.

When checking for accommodation, if there is a posada or pano available under $75, I will tend to take it

Prices were still pretty good in 2022--the Santo Domingo parador was $90, and Pazo Sedor was only about $65. This year from what I have seen prices are up 25-50%. I don't think I'll be staying in any this year, but on my other three CF's I stayed in a Parador, Pazo and a Posada each time It's a splurge, but they are, of course, always vintage and historic buildings.

There are associations of Pazos and Posada's online.
 
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Bob Howard said:
It's a splurge, but they are, of course, always vintage and historic buildings.
Click to expand...
I walked the Via Francigena in summer 2015. When I got to Pontremoli I stayed in an ostello in the Castello del Piagnaro - a massive medieval fortress above the town. It turned out that I was the only person staying that night. At 6pm the manager of the museum said she was closing for the night. She handed me a set of keys for the building and told me where to leave them in the morning. So I had the entire building to myself for the night. Albergue style bunk beds but in a very impressive setting. I think it was 11 or 12 euro to have an entire castle to myself!
 
Over the years I have stayed in the paradors in Santillana del Mar, Villafranca de Bierzo, and Vilalba. I am a member of their amigos programme and have on two occasions received a pilgrim discount. As @BillW noted, they have great amenity kits, which I took care to distribute at an albergue along the way as somebody could surely use them, and tremendous buffet breakfasts (not cheap!). I preferred to enjoy those if my next day could be arranged for a late departure.

Their bathtubs were always impressive and I very much enjoyed them.

My practice has been in line with @Bob Howard in terms of pricing and for seeking out interesting casas rurales or country-inn-looking places. I remember walking into Liendo with two German nurses and directed them to the albergue and told them I was going off to the Old People's Albergue (Posada la Torre de la Quintana) and that they should drop by for a beer at 6.00. When they did so, I was able to reassure them that the Old People's Albergues were set aside for those who had sufficient spiritual purity that they did not have to do penance in the conditions of the regular pilgrims' albergues. They received this information with great attention over their negronis (my treat, of course, for decent people always treat nurses).
 
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peregrina2000 said:
Now that the renovations are complete [at the León parador], the price is about three times what I paid years ago. Random weekday in may, 328€, but it includes breakfast. That’s the “early booking special.”
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I haven't stayed or visited here but this place adjacent to the Basilica de San Isadoro in León looks like a much cheaper parador equivalent. And 1,500 reviews creates an average 4.5 rating.

Hotel Real Colegiata San Isidoro
+34 987 87 50 88

Hotel Real Colegiata San Isidoro · Plaza Santo Martino, 5, 24003 León, Spain

★★★★★ · Hotel
maps.app.goo.gl
 
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