Remove ads on the forum by becoming a donating member. More here. |
---|
It is fine! No blankets but plenty of heat in winter. Good showers but watch out for the windows in those showers. There is a direct view out/in on the passing camino. Duck down when necessary!
Hi, I was there last May and it was full. The rest of O Cebreiro was full to.Hi, can anyone give me advice about the albergue in o'cebreiro (public) ?
If it is clean and well operated ?
Good idea! We stayed in La Escuela, a private albergue in Laguna de Castilla, just a bit before O Cebreiro, in a two bed bunk room with our own bathroom. Laguna is a quiet little village. Time more or less stood still while I observed the dog hierachy in action, and stood out of the way as the cows were being herded through the village down the steep paths to their pasture.I prefer to stop for the night before O Cebreiro, maybe at LaFaba.
Then next morning, walk to O Cebreiro for breakfast, then straight through, stopping on the other side.
It is clean, but personally, feels "cold" to me.
I prefer to stop for the night before O Cebreiro, maybe at LaFaba.
Then next morning, walk to O Cebreiro for breakfast, then straight through, stopping on the other side.
It is fine! No blankets but plenty of heat in winter. Good showers but watch out for the windows in those showers. There is a direct view out/in on the passing camino. Duck down when necessary!
Hey, I don't know your age, but you'd better be up there with those '60 year old grannies.' Or I'd be telling you to show some respect for this 62 year old granny who walked the Camino to mark her 60th birthday .... and was then, and still is, the envy of her son, the father of her grandchild!!........so a bit embarrassing when there is a mix of nubile young 20 year olds and 60 year old grannies. Have fun!
Absolutely! But one has to experience the albergue in O Cebreiro to be able to make that decision. The albergue at O Cebreiro is clean and clinical and is perfect for pilgrims starting out on their camino, but, as you say, it has no character whatsoever (like most Xunta albergues). I would also choose La Faba over O Cebreiro to overnight, but when I stayed there the European pilgrims shut all the windows and shutters at night (in mid-summer) and the dorm STANK in the morning. To add insult to injury, I couldn’t open the windows when I woke up because the window sills were full of pilgrims’ clutter (which I dare not touch), and the windows opened inwards. I now stay either side of O Cebreiro AND La Faba. Jill
Good idea! We stayed in La Escuela, a private albergue in Laguna de Castilla, just a bit before O Cebreiro, in a two bed bunk room with our own bathroom. Laguna is a quiet little village. Time more or less stood still while I observed the dog hierachy in action, and stood out of the way as the cows were being herded through the village down the steep paths to their pasture.
It is clean, but personally, feels "cold" to me.
I prefer to stop for the night before O Cebreiro, maybe at LaFaba.
Then next morning, walk to O Cebreiro for breakfast, then straight through, stopping on the other side.
Oh, yes, sitting on a cold surface is very bad........She had a few other idiosyncrasies (from my perspective) such as being very upset when I would sit on a cold surface (like a chair outside, without a cushion) - apparently very bad for women! Also going barefoot on cold floors was considered hazardous, even when I was comfortable.
Hi, why do you think it's ambarrassing when there is a mix? ?It is very clean and well operated. A good choice! There are many bunk beds in one big dorm and reasonably well-spaced. There is a big kitchen and dining area, but as Tincatinker said, no equipment, so it is difficult to cook your own meal if you do not have saucepans etc. I found the showers a bit scary as they reminded me of school. Separate ablutions for men and women, but open plan (showers with no doors), so a bit embarrassing when there is a mix of nubile young 20 year olds and 60 year old grannies. Have fun!
hi, i was there last year about this time ,yes its busy but was fine had a good sleep,the showers are a bit off putting but its part of the journey in my opinion to see and experience all sorts it helps you to be grateful for the little things in life like a shower door ,plenty of hot water and the room was nice and warm ,and great views and a pretty place to wander around in the evening.sit and relax in one of the bars have something to eat and make new friends.Hi, can anyone give me advice about the albergue in o cebreiro (public) ?
Hi, why do you think it's ambarrassing when there is a mix? ?
Wish you well, Peter.
Just out of curiosity .... In a very nice open shower tray for about 10 people .... and, as in "take one's valuables to the shower"..... where does one put one's valuables, to ensure their safety, when in such an open space??.....one very nice open shower tray for about 10 people.....
Just out of curiosity .... In a very nice open shower tray for about 10 people .... and, as in "take one's valuables to the shower"..... where does one put one's valuables, to ensure their safety, when in such an open space??
Yes, thanks, @mountaingoat99, I know you can hang your stuff behind the door ... if there is a door. But what happens in a big open room, such as described in O Cebreiro, where there are no doors? Are there shelves up near the shower heads where people can put their stuff, or does one just leave it in the floor? If the latter, then one has to have a waterproof bag.I take my passport in a aqua pac and my wallet is waterproof
the two places mentioned are the only ones I am aware of..other times you hang your shorts/trousers behind the door
Yes, thanks, @mountaingoat99, I know you can hang your stuff behind the door ... if there is a door. But what happens in a big open room, such as described in O Cebreiro, where there are no doors? Are there shelves up near the shower heads where people can put their stuff, or does one just leave it in the floor? If the latter, then one has to have a waterproof bag.
Hi, I did it the same way. Works great, no problems wath so ever.I take my passport in a aqua pac and my wallet is waterproof
the two places mentioned are the only ones I am aware of..other times you hang your shorts/trousers behind the door
Some of the bunks are next to each other.This maybe OK if you know the person you are "sharing" a "double bed" arrangement with but a bit off putting otherwise.
Hi Anna, small question, can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike? Say even walking it? The Albergue at LA Escuela sound number one. But Brierly does not show any roads, only the walking track. Any advice greatly appreciated. I am now in Ponferrada so have a day or two to decide. Cheers MikeWe have always stayed in the village immediately before o'Cebreiro, La Laguna, basically to avoid the crowds. The Albergue La Escuela in La Laguna is super friendly, has a great restaurant and you will have the eye boggling experience of witnessing in incredibly amount of cows being herded this way and that ( in and out of the village, so much so, that I could never understand where each group went for the night)!
Sorry to query, but "where" is Pedrouzo, I can't find it in Brierly's maps. Might just be my old eyes. Cheers MikePeter
I stopped off in Pedrouzo normally I miss that stage and carry on walking, however I was looking for a room and ended up in this nice new albergue (sleeping and shower section downstairs).. . perfect place for me ..immaculate.. you can hire soft towels and there is good spacing between bunks...well away from the road.
I know you didn't ask me, Mike ... but I shared a taxi from Villafranca del Bierzo with a fellow-tendinitis sufferer and was dropped off immediately in front of La Escuela albergue. I don't know what the walking trail is like, but the drive up that mountain seemed to me to be interminable, but absolutely beautiful. I am with you in spirit! Buen Camino.Hi Anna, small question, can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike? Say even walking it? The Albergue at LA Escuela sound number one. But Brierly does not show any roads, only the walking track. Any advice greatly appreciated. I am now in Ponferrada so have a day or two to decide. Cheers Mike
can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike?
Look at the very top of map 32 - "O Pedrouzo".Sorry to query, but "where" is Pedrouzo, I can't find it in Brierly's maps. Might just be my old eyes. Cheers Mike
Sorry to query, but "where" is Pedrouzo, I can't find it in Brierly's maps. Might just be my old eyes. Cheers Mike
Hi, I did it the same way. Works great, no problems wath so ever.
Wish you well, Peter.
Try not to take a bunk set side by side with another unless you truly know your bunk-mate; if you are sleeping next to a total stranger do at least introduce yourself! Generally it all works out as everyone sleeps in their own allotted space like peas in a pod. Nevertheless a few unhappy times I have had to find another bunk in the middle of the night .
Mike, you arrive in La Laguna on a mule path. The road must be very near, because, when we have stayed there ( 3 times), the 4 village children left each day on the school bus. Maybe it's a few hundred meters away!Hi Anna, small question, can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike? Say even walking it? The Albergue at LA Escuela sound number one. But Brierly does not show any roads, only the walking track. Any advice greatly appreciated. I am now in Ponferrada so have a day or two to decide. Cheers Mike
As I recall, the mule path joins the road (which I had driven on) mere meters before albergue La Escuela. I wish I had known of the mule path continuing on after Laguna. As it was we walked on the road where the day before I had taken this picture.Mike, you arrive in La Laguna on a mule path. The road must be very near, because, when we have stayed there ( 3 times), the 4 village children left each day on the school bus. Maybe it's a few hundred meters away!
After La Laguna, the Camino continues on the same mule path, so would be better to get back on the road again with your bike.
Hi Anna, small question, can I follow the walking Camino on this section on my bike? Say even walking it? The Albergue at LA Escuela sound number one. But Brierly does not show any roads, only the walking track. Any advice greatly appreciated. I am now in Ponferrada so have a day or two to decide. Cheers Mike
Try not to take a bunk set side by side with another unless you truly know your bunk-mate; if you are sleeping next to a total stranger do at least introduce yourself!
I'm sitting here having a good giggle over this. The one time I was in a similar position, like you @DurhamParish, I did the same as you. In fact, not only did I make myself as inconspicuous as possible, but I afforded my bed-mate (in my case a young man) the same opportunity.I remember the times I was in one of these side-by-side bunk double beds. It seemed that invariably the other person, my bed-mate, was a woman. I laid there, curled up, scared to death, thinking that "if my wife could see me right now she'd kill me". I didn't introduce myself, I tried to be as inconspicuous as I could. I was afraid that introducing myself might be seen as some kind of an unwanted "come on".
In Burgos @ the municipal it was Easter & they were strict that we take as assigned, same situation but the woman was with her husband so I simply told the husband to swap with me. As the wife was horrified once she realized they had given her & I the top double bunk. Sometimes I think these things may be a prank. But in any case communication usually can fix uncomfortable situations. Even if you have to simply point when there is a language barrier.I'm sitting here having a good giggle over this. The one time I was in a similar position, like you @DurhamParish, I did the same as you. In fact, not only did I make myself as inconspicuous as possible, but I afforded my bed-mate (in my case a young man) the same opportunity.
The large, modern Albergue there was my least favorite (one over-taxed staff person, wifi difficulties, open showers, lotsa snorers) on the entire Camino, but that said, I had an experience there with a pilgrim from Korea that was heartwarming and that I remember often. I'm thinking that the next time I walk the Camino Frances, I will stay at one of the private accommodations there. They look lovely and a nice reward after the big climb.Hi, can anyone give me advice about the albergue in o'cebreiro (public) ?
That was my opinion, too. For such a beautiful little village, I was quite surprised by that main albergue and it's condition. After hearing complaints upon arrival by other pilgrims regarding the shower facilities, I decided not to venture downstairs to check them out. It was one of the two showers I decided to give a miss on the whole Camino.The large, modern Albergue there was my least favorite (one over-taxed staff person, wifi difficulties, open showers, lotsa snorers) on the entire Camino,
I felt pretty much the same on my 2016 Camino. It's one of two albergues that I won't stay in again.The large, modern Albergue there was my least favorite (one over-taxed staff person, wifi difficulties, open showers, lotsa snorers) on the entire Camino.... I'm thinking that the next time I walk the Camino Frances, I will stay at one of the private accommodations there. They look lovely and a nice reward after the big climb.
That was my opinion, too. For such a beautiful little village, I was quite surprised by that main albergue and it's condition. After hearing complaints upon arrival by other pilgrims regarding the shower facilities, I decided not to venture downstairs to check them out. It was one of the two showers I decided to give a miss on the whole Camino.
At O Cebreiro? I don't remember any sheets being provided.Early May 2017.
Our sheets were not clean. My daughter-in-laws bed at the muni looked like it had semen on it...I kid you not.
We were told by others that the showers were dirty and cold, although I did not check for myself.
That said, I was still happy to have a warm bed and a pillow for the night.
Sorry, not sheets per say. They were the fabric coverings on the mattresses...blue cotton if I recall, naturally not washed very often. We were on the top floor.At O Cebreiro? I don't remember any sheets being provided.
I thought that the place was clean enough, but the building felt cold to me, not temperature-wise (though it could have been warmer), but cold and impersonal.
2019 - It was a large, impersonal and crowded Albergue but I had no problems with the shower. The only issue was the Spanish family who were starting their Camino there who got up at some ungodly hour, using an audible alarm and made lots of noise and wore their head torches, thereby shining them everywhere including in my face .Actually it was not that bad imho. At least there were clean matrasses and sheets. Unlike the grotty municipal in Villadangos del Paramo for example. But I was there in the beginning of May 2011 and it was not fully booked.
The same sex showers did not have much privacy , true, but everything was very clean.
Ha, I remember a bar in O Cebreiro where the " pay " computer didn 't function at all , so we were able to use it for free...
Those showers certainly did make an impression! I remember I took one look and decided it wouldn't be my day to shower. On the bright side, imagine how much water is saved there if 20-30-40% of pilgrims decide to forego showers.As we revive this old thread....
I stayed in O Cebreiro twice. The first time, there was no albergue. I was happy to have a place to lay my sleeping bag down by the fireplace in the inn. The second time was in 2016 and we stayed at the large Xunta albergue. The ambiance was certainly more modern, and we noticed, as was fairly common in Xunta albergues according to various posts in these forums, that the kitchen lacked anything to cook or eat with. Much more disturbing, to my teenage son, was the lack of privacy in the showers, which were not configured in individual stalls but rather in gender-segregated group shower areas (like I remember from high school gym classes). He wasn't ready for that at all, and we afterwards tried to avoid Xunta albergues afterwards. But the view from the albergue was wonderful, and I was delighted to see the growth in accommodations options in O Cebreiro since my previous visit.
That’s a good heads up for those who have their packs transported. My understanding is that some/many(?) municipal albergues will not accept transported packs. You would think that the transport companies would alert you to that fact, but it sounds like you got no warning. I remember arriving once in O Cebreiro and seeing a huge pile of backpacks on the ground in front of the church, and I think they must have been left there by Jacotrans or whoever did the delivery.The one thing I remember about this albergue was that, after arriving there I discovered that my rucksack had not been delivered there.
@trecile gets the gold star — I went back and corrected all the many misspellings, mine included, mainly because of the impact that wrong spellings could have for searching.There's no apostrophe in O Cebreiro
The explanation for refusal, as I’ve heard it more than once, is that employees and volunteers cannot/ will not accept responsibility for transported luggage when they are supposed to be “off-duty”. I would think the transporters are well aware of this but why let reality impose on a perfectly reasonable proposition.That’s a good heads up for those who have their packs transported. My understanding is that some/many(?) municipal albergues will not accept transported packs. You would think that the transport companies would alert you to that fact, but it sounds like you got no warning.
The one thing I remember about this albergue was that, after arriving there I discovered that my rucksack had not been delivered there.
I had paid for it to be transported but the albergue would not accept it. I found the bag in a nearby cafe