Donativos: is there a list?

[neilhendrick]

I'm planning my second Camino for this summer. On my first Camino in 2019 I had the pleasure of staying in some Donativos, privately run albergues where things were a little different than the public albergues. I'd like to plan out some of my trip, and I'm pretty flexible about where I go. I am hoping that somewhere there is a definitive list of ALL of the donativos. If not, maybe I'll make one. Please share any information available on Donativos.

I guess while I'm poking around this, is there a definitive list of ALL of the public Albergues? I think there must be since it's something that is government supported. I would be happy to hear where I can find that list as well.

Thanks, and Buen Camino.

 

[C clearly]

is there a definitive list of ALL of the public Albergues? I think there must be since it's something that is government supported.

I think there are several assumptions here, that may be wrong. I don't think that donativos are "government supported." They may have certain tax exemptions, but that is not the same, and it doesn't mean that a list of them is available. AFAIK, the government ones (i.e. municipal, Xunta, etc.) are not generally donativo.

Different non-profit organizations may operate donativo albergues, and each of these groups would have a list of those that they operate, but I don't think there is an overarching organization that compiles them - especially "definitively"!

Edited to add: I re-read your question and see that you are asking for a list of all the public albergues - presumably meaning those run by municipal or Xunta government. Those are not donativos. Each government would, I expect, know which ones they are operating. However, it is left to other groups (such as Camino app creators, or volunteer groups) to compile these lists for the entire Camino Frances or other routes, all of which cross many municipalities, provinces and regions.

 

[Tincatinker]

www.gronze.com is probably the definitive so far as such goes. Donativos are marked as such.
As is @C clearly I’m a little concerned to your understanding of the Donativo concept and the network such as it is. Perhaps you could expand?

 

[neilhendrick]

To clarify, there's municipal albergues, which have some kind of govt. subsidy. I imagine there should be a list of all of those, but I haven't found one.
Donativos are separate from municipal albergues, and I imagine there is a more informal network where they are aware of eachother. I recall being in one of these where a map was posted in the kitchen showing all of the Donativos in the area. I don't know what it takes to start one of these, but I don't think they had any kind of special license. Maybe I can dredge up my pilgrim passport and try to find the donativos I stayed in.

 

[C clearly]

To clarify, there's municipal albergues, which have some kind of govt. subsidy. I imagine there should be a list of all of those, but I haven't found one.

Each municipality or province or region might have a list, but nobody gathers them together in an official list. The guide authors, app operators, and websites such as Gronze - are the best source, but they are usually organized by geography rather than financial model.

 

[trecile]

To clarify, there's municipal albergues, which have some kind of govt. subsidy.

No list as far as I know. Each region and municipality operates these independently, and there is no standardization.

 

[Vacajoe]

Please note that municipal albergues CAN be donativos, as is the case of the Elias Valiña Albergue in Canfranc Pueblo on the Camino Frances through Aragon route. It was built utilizing public funds, the building is maintained by the local village, and FICS arranges for the volunteer hospitaleros.

 

[lettinggo]

I'm planning my second Camino for this summer. On my first Camino in 2019 I had the pleasure of staying in some Donativos, privately run albergues where things were a little different than the public albergues. I'd like to plan out some of my trip, and I'm pretty flexible about where I go. I am hoping that somewhere there is a definitive list of ALL of the donativos. If not, maybe I'll make one. Please share any information available on Donativos.

I guess while I'm poking around this, is there a definitive list of ALL of the public Albergues? I think there must be since it's something that is government supported. I would be happy to hear where I can find that list as well.

Thanks, and Buen Camino.

Hola

As I recall it, many of the donativos are run by different variations of "Amigos del Camino".

Look here for some of the donativos on the Camino:

Buscó por el término donativo - Camino de Santiago

www.alberguescaminosantiago.com

I hope this helps.
Buen Camino.
Lettinggo

 

[neilhendrick]

Hola

As I recall it, many of the donativos are run by different variations of "Amigos del Camino".

Look here for some of the donativos on the Camino:

Buscó por el término donativo - Camino de Santiago

www.alberguescaminosantiago.com

I hope this helps.
Buen Camino.
Lettinggo

That does help, thank you.

 

[Bradypus]

I’m a little concerned to your understanding of the Donativo concept and the network such as it is. Perhaps you could expand?

The wide range of accommodation types and styles does cause some confusion. Not helped by very sloppy articles like the one I just read which states that pilgrim albergues are "free". Very bad for my blood pressure to read that an entitled prat can go viral with a TikTok video which equates a night in an 8 euro albergue with being a prisoner in Auschwitz.

Muestra el interior de un albergue del Camino de Santiago y las redes no dan crédito: "Lo de los olores y ronquidos…"

Muchas personas coinciden en que realizar el camino de Santiago es una experiencia vital que marca mucho a los que la viven. Sin embargo, estas mismas voces suelen

www.lavanguardia.com

 

[good_old_shoes]

To stay on topic...

If I remember correctly, the albergue list given to pilgrims in the pilgrim's office in St. Jean includes the donativos. So you just have to mark them with a brightly coloured marker and you've got a list of the donativos at least for the Francés.

On my first Camino I was on a very tight budget so I did just that and marked all the cheap municipals with kitchens as well as the donativos because those were my preferred accommodation.

There are a few donativos run by private persons I think, but most seem to be run by pilgrim associations / parrish ones (some municipals also?).

One thing they have in common is that they are usually staffed by volunteers and have no financial goal apart from keeping the place open and running to welcome pilgrims.

They rely on the donations that the generous pilgrims leave to stay open. As some hospitaleros in those places will tell you before dinner: today's pilgrims will pay for the ones that arrive tomorrow.

So if the meal is very basic and there is no wine the next time you're in a donativo, that might be the reason why. So don't complain, make a donation to make things better instead.

If you can, be generous with your donations. If you can't, be thankful and maybe offer help around the albergue.

In my opinion the donativos are a rare gem, something very unique, and one of the things that remind you that you're on a pilgrimage, not just any other touristic hike.

A huge thank you to all the people that are involved in keeping those places alive.

 

[J Willhaus]

From our Hospitalero Bulletin: These are the donativo albergues served by HOSVOL volunteers last year:

Arrés ( French Way through Aragon)

Zabaldica, Estella, Parroquial de Viana, Parroquial de Logroño, Grañón, Calzada del Coto, El Burgo Ranero, Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, Villadangos del Páramo, Ponferrada, Samos,(French way)

Castilblanco de los Arroyos, Alcuéscar, El Puerto de Béjar, Salamanca, Zamora (Via de la Plata)

Alfaro (Ruta de Ebro)

Albergue municipal de Cuenca de Campos (Valladolid) (Camino de Madrid)

Many of these are municipal albergues. Some are church sponsored.

 

[neilhendrick]

Thank-you for the replies, it's interesting to see how informal the system of albergues is. I didn't worry about this on my Camino in 2019, I never even made a reservation. My thought here is that I would like to explore more of the Donativos, so I'll be on the lookout for more information. If I am able to collect a reasonable list, I will share it.

 

[J Willhaus]

I don't think there is really a system--formal or informal. Each community or Amigos group makes their own decisions about management and rules. You can't make a reservation at most donativos and many of them don't even have a phone. In some cases you may be calling the municipal office instead of the albergue itself. Of course on some routes, there is not a "hospitalero" on site and you pick up the key or get the code at the local bar, police station, etc.

 

[Tincatinker]

One of the things I’ve always loved about this thing that we loosely and lovingly call Camino is that there is no one in charge, no rules, no proper practice.
Every pilgrim is unique, every Albergue is unique, every encounter with Camino is unique.
And meanwhile the members of this forum try to answer every unique question just like they answered the previous ones

 

[neilhendrick]

I found another thread here with a ton of information, I guess I am not the first person to try and compile a list! Check it: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/donativos-on-the-norte-primitivo.65856/