Vegetarian food in albergues

[JonG]

Hi -I've just joined this forum and coming out next summer to walk the Camino Frances. I just wanted to know if most albergues cater for vegetarians in their pilgrims' meals? Any advice would be great. I'm arriving in St Jean on 15thJuly if anyone else is starting around then and wants to connect. Thanks.

 

[Lindsay53]

Welcome aboard Jon. Not being a vegetarian the only albergue I can recall that had vegetarian meals on the CF was Las Aguedas in Murias de Rechivaldo. This was in 2019 so things may have changed since then. I don't think there is as much catering for vegetarians in Spain as in other places so you may be making your own meals quite often. Others will comment who will have more information. Buen Camino!

 

[JonG]

Welcome aboard Jon. Not being a vegetarian the only albergue I can recall that had vegetarian meals on the CF was Las Aguedas in Murias de Rechivaldo. This was in 2019 so things may have changed since then. I don't think there is as much catering for vegetarians in Spain as in other places so you may be making your own meals quite often. Others will comment who will have more information. Buen Camino!

Many thanks Lindsay -that's good to know. I will have to work around things a little I am sure. I'm sure others are in the same boat

 

[jungleboy]

I just wanted to know if most albergues cater for vegetarians in their pilgrims' meals?

Most? I would say no, but if you request it in advance people are usually willing to help. Here’s a video my wife @Wendy Werneth made several years ago giving tips for eating veg/vegan on the camino:

 

[JonG]

Most? I would say no, but if you request it in advance people are usually willing to help. Here’s a video my wife @Wendy Werneth made several years ago giving tips for eating veg/vegan on the camino:

That's fantastic -thanks very much -this is really useful. It's the same for most veggies..we aren't trying to be awkward but it's a way of life for some of us. I'm really grateful for this

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi JonG
In my experience on the Frances - most recently 2019 and 2022 - every albergue I have stayed at that offered a communal was able, and usually willing, to provide a vegetarian meal option. It may not always have been very fancy, but the important thing was that people weren't difficult about it, were usually very happy to try and help, and often were enthusiastically veggie or vegan friendly themselves (particularly volunteer hospitalera/os).
Communal meal options won't occur that frequently, so you are more likely to be making a meal in a communal kitchen or eating out. On the Frances you are usually in towns or villages with super or mini mercados that will have a sufficiently good range of foodstuffs for you to prepare a veggie dinner. And eating out will usually also give you some veggie options. Each establishment along the Way will have been asked if they have veggie/vegan meals thousands of times before you - and most will have realised it's worth adapting accordingly and got used to it. Just make sure you don't accidentally veer off the camino bubble as 'old Spain' lies just outside..

 

[Robo]

Just be aware that salads in Spain are sometimes not totally 'vegetarian' and tinned Tuna can be treated as a salad 'garnish'

 

[TrailRunner]

Vegan here! Yes, it can be challenging but if you think ahead and prepare to be flexible, it is do-able. The thing I miss out on the most is the pilgrim menu where there is no vegan option, at least on the more remote caminos. This may be different on the more popular caminos. I look ahead for albergues with kitchen facilities and find provisions en route so that I can cook a decent, nourishing meal. But often kitchen facilities and food supplies are not synchronised (I carried a jar of chickpeas and a carton of passata for several days before I could cook them!) I take emergency vegan snacks from home with me, and always ensure I have a constant supply of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. You need to factor in this weight/space they take when organising your backpack. The most wonderful surprise were the albergues who were able to provide a vegan meal with no notice. I can't tell you how much this was appreciated after a long, hard day. Thank you to the lovely lady at the Albergue de Cabañes who rustled up a delicious vegan meal for me an hour after arriving with no notice, and also the albergue in Portilla de Reina which was also able to accommodate me very well with a 3-course vegan meal

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

Vegetarian should probably not a big problem. I walked the VdlP with a vegan couple, they had a much harder time, many spanish did not get the concept. Many times they were offered pasta with tomatosauce, cook themselves if possible or eat bread

 

[Roland49]

4 years ago, as I walked the CF, if the Albergue offers meals, there were always a single or multiple vegetarian options on the menue! Vegan is harder to find.

Have fun planning, but do not overplan!

 

[J Willhaus]

If you are staying at an albergue with a shared meal, be sure to tell the hospitalera. I always try to accommodate all pilgrims.

 

[JabbaPapa]

If you're vegetarian per se, as in veg + dairy + eggs, then yeah, you can make it work.

Tortilla de patatas a la Española just for starters ...

Just be aware that salads in Spain are sometimes not totally 'vegetarian' and tinned Tuna can be treated as a salad 'garnish'

European salads very frequently include cheese, ham, eggs, tuna, and so on and so forth.

This is a feature, not a bug !! Especially if there's mayonnaise freshly made 10 minutes ago ...

 

[trecile]

Most albergues don't offer dinners, so you will usually be eating in bars and restaurants or buying food in grocery stores and cooking for yourself in the albergues. Oftentimes a group of pilgrims will pool their resources and cook together.

 

[muddy-mama]

I am vegetarian because meat doesn't like me. I walked the CF in 2021 as soon as Covid allowed. Most of the kitchens were still not allowed to open so more were serving meals.
Most had a veggie option or were vegetarian/vegan meals. I eat fish so I ate a lot of tuna and eggs. There were only 3 times there wasn't an alternative to meat. The first was known for it's paella, there were only 2 of us staying there and the other pilgrim was looking forward to the paella said it kept him going all day, I served mine first and didn't have any chicken. The second was a sausage curry made by a German hostel owner. He cooked the sausage separately and served 3 big sausages on the side and the last had no alternative to the pork and chips. I had extra pasta in tomato sauce for starter and extra chips.
another time the meal was pasta Caribana and they made me a big dish of pesto pasta to myself.
Last year on the CP there were only two Albergues severing meals both vegetarian.
As others have said the Spanish consider ham and tuna to be vegetarian so learn to say no to both when ordering.
enjoy the planning
Muddy-mama

 

[JabbaPapa]

I eat fish so I ate a lot of tuna and eggs.

What "meat" means from a carnivore perspective is meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy (especially cheese), charcuterie, and ham and sausages are a category of their own somehow.

The most important part of a meat-based diet is the fat, not the flesh.

 

[JonG]

Hi JonG
In my experience on the Frances - most recently 2019 and 2022 - every albergue I have stayed at that offered a communal was able, and usually willing, to provide a vegetarian meal option. It may not always have been very fancy, but the important thing was that people weren't difficult about it, were usually very happy to try and help, and often were enthusiastically veggie or vegan friendly themselves (particularly volunteer hospitalera/os).
Communal meal options won't occur that frequently, so you are more likely to be making a meal in a communal kitchen or eating out. On the Frances you are usually in towns or villages with super or mini mercados that will have a sufficiently good range of foodstuffs for you to prepare a veggie dinner. And eating out will usually also give you some veggie options. Each establishment along the Way will have been asked if they have veggie/vegan meals thousands of times before you - and most will have realised it's worth adapting accordingly and got used to it. Just make sure you don't accidentally veer off the camino bubble as 'old Spain' lies just outside..

Thank you Tom - that's all great advice. Thank you. Very much looking to getting stsrted

What "meat" means from a carnivore perspective is meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy (especially cheese), charcuterie, and ham and sausages are a category of their own somehow.

The most important part of a meat-based diet is the fat, not the flesh.

Thank you -I do eat dairy so I think there will be options. Great advice.

 

[JonG]

Most albergues don't offer dinners, so you will usually be eating in bars and restaurants or buying food in grocery stores and cooking for yourself in the albergues. Oftentimes a group of pilgrims will pool their resources and cook together.

Thanks for this -I like the idea of meeting a few people who can all pitch in.

 

[Caminotellers]

We started many Caminos as vegetarians, and by the end, we had converted into flexitarians. It is sometimes difficult to find your preferred food everywhere. A few years ago, there was a great initiative to mark vegetarian/vegan places; it was called the “Heart of the Camino,” and they even had a website. They made a special guide leaflet to indicate some choices.(see attached)
We checked the list this year, and most of it is still accurate
Enjoy your Camino!

Hugs
Erica & Ricky

 

[rainswift]

We started many Caminos as vegetarians, and by the end, we had converted into flexitarians. It is sometimes difficult to find your preferred food everywhere. A few years ago, there was a great initiative to mark vegetarian/vegan places; it was called the “Heart of the Camino,” and they even had a website. They made a special guide leaflet to indicate some choices.(see attached)
We checked the list this year, and most of it is still accurate
Enjoy your Camino!
View attachment 158641
Hugs
Erica & Ricky

This image is incredibly useful, thank you for providing it. My husband is vegetarian. If one day he wants to walk a Camino with me, we will need this!

 

[MonicaMcL]

Hi -I've just joined this forum and coming out next summer to walk the Camino Frances. I just wanted to know if most albergues cater for vegetarians in their pilgrims' meals? Any advice would be great. I'm arriving in St Jean on 15thJuly if anyone else is starting around then and wants to connect. Thanks.

In Hospital de Órbigo, León there is Albergue Verde which is all vegetarian and they have yoga before dinner. I have not been there, but hope to do so in the future when I do the Camino. I am a vegan.

hostelverde@gmail.com

 

[JonG]

Hi JonG
In my experience on the Frances - most recently 2019 and 2022 - every albergue I have stayed at that offered a communal was able, and usually willing, to provide a vegetarian meal option. It may not always have been very fancy, but the important thing was that people weren't difficult about it, were usually very happy to try and help, and often were enthusiastically veggie or vegan friendly themselves (particularly volunteer hospitalera/os).
Communal meal options won't occur that frequently, so you are more likely to be making a meal in a communal kitchen or eating out. On the Frances you are usually in towns or villages with super or mini mercados that will have a sufficiently good range of foodstuffs for you to prepare a veggie dinner. And eating out will usually also give you some veggie options. Each establishment along the Way will have been asked if they have veggie/vegan meals thousands of times before you - and most will have realised it's worth adapting accordingly and got used to it. Just make sure you don't accidentally veer off the camino bubble as 'old Spain' lies just outside..

Thank you Tom - you and others have given me such good advice today -very grateful indeed!

We started many Caminos as vegetarians, and by the end, we had converted into flexitarians. It is sometimes difficult to find your preferred food everywhere. A few years ago, there was a great initiative to mark vegetarian/vegan places; it was called the “Heart of the Camino,” and they even had a website. They made a special guide leaflet to indicate some choices.(see attached)
We checked the list this year, and most of it is still accurate
Enjoy your Camino!
View attachment 158641
Hugs
Erica & Ricky

 

[JonG]

This is exactly what I need. Fabulous! Many thanks indeed .

 

[JonG]

We started many Caminos as vegetarians, and by the end, we had converted into flexitarians. It is sometimes difficult to find your preferred food everywhere. A few years ago, there was a great initiative to mark vegetarian/vegan places; it was called the “Heart of the Camino,” and they even had a website. They made a special guide leaflet to indicate some choices.(see attached)
We checked the list this year, and most of it is still accurate
Enjoy your Camino!
View attachment 158641
Hugs
Erica & Ricky

Thanks again Erica and Ricky -this is really useful