Hello,
My partner and I completed our Camino Finisterre in October 2018. Below are the places we stayed at with a little review which may be helpeful to others:
NEGREIRA: we stayed at Albergue Anjana and we liked it. There is a nice patio and garden. For food, we went to Cafe Imperial. Friendly, sociable place. Don't expect haute cuisine but solid, hearty dishes -- pub food style. The family who runs the place is friendly and the lady whipped up a vegetarian option for my partner upon request. How kind! The place is popular with locals too.
A note on the municipal in Negreira: the municipal is located at the opposite end of Negreira, at the top of the hill just after leaving town. We actually went there first, before running away and walking all the way across town again to reach Albergue Anjana. The municipal is actually a nice building, perhaps a bit inconvenient because further away, but the dorms upstairs are nice and cosy, with wooden interiors. There is a large communal area and kitchen. A little garden to relax and dry clothes too. The problem we had here is that we arrived when all the beds in the dorms upstairs were taken. There was an additional room downstairs, with two bunk beds, and we were told we could sleep there. One bed was taken and the other bottom bed was marked as "reserved for people with disability". As we were unpacking, we realised that the bed that was taken (the person wasn't there, only his belongings), and the window area all around it, was surrounded by open tins of food, cartons of milk, half-eaten fruit and lots of dirt. There were lots of flies too. Hot weather plus exposed food probably attracted them. When I went to the hospitalera to tell her about the situation, and if we could tell the person to put the opened food in the kitchen/fridge, she told me that that bed was actually taken by a homeless person and he was not allowed to use the kitchen. Apparently there was nothing she could do. At that point we packed our things and left.
Let me be clear: I think it's a great idea to help a homeless person by offering him/her free accommodation in an albergue. My concern here is how this person is living and how this may affect other pilgrims. Also, I think it's unfair that the room where he/she slept was not clean as the rest of the albergue. Perhaps the cleaner knew and didn't bother cleaning there? That room honestly looked like a shelter. The last thing I want is for that person to be kicked out. What I would like instead, and maybe one of the moderators can help, is to have this homeless person live in the albergue in a decent and hygienic condition. In other words, that he/she is looked after just liket the other pilgrims, including having access to the kitchen.
*SANTA MARINA: we stayed at Casa Pepa, one of our favourite albergues on the Camino Fisterra. Nice facilities, beautiful verandah, great peaceful location, very nice food (including a veggie lentil soup) and atmosphere.
*CEE: we stayed at Albergue A Casa da Fonte, one of our favourites on this Camino. Fantastic kitchen, nice comfy and airy dorm, beautiful lounge with lots of books, knowledgeable and friendly pilgrims who run it.
FINISTERRE: we stayed at Albergue do Sol upon pilgrims' recommendation but we didn't like it. The place is definitely hippie and happy looking (which I personally like), but it's damp and old, the kitchen was very dirty and infested with flies and the hospitaleros did not come across as the friendliest. There is a beautiful yet unloved garden with overgrown grass, bushes and whatnot. There is a dog walking around the premises too, for some this may be cute, for some annoying. Not sure where else to recommend in Finisterre, but I would not stay here again.
I hope this info helps somebody out there! Keep walking!
PK
