In Praise of Albergues

[BiggBlue]

Over the past years, when I tell people I have walked several Caminos, without exception, someone says," Oh, that is something I would so love to do. Tell me more". In the early days, I would quite enthusiastically tell them how fantastic the experience was for me, and in describing Camino life, I would talk about the Albergues.

Nine times out of 10, the person would say, "Oh, I would never stay in an Albergue. With all those people, the lack of privacy, and the noises throughout the night, there is no way I would ever consider staying in such a place". In the early days, I would try to argue for the benefits of such accommodation, the interaction with other pilgrims, communal meals, the companionship with a Camino family and the beauty of some remote locations. None of that worked, and my enquirer would continue protesting that they would have private hotel rooms or wouldn't bother.

Now, when I talk to people who ask me about the Camino and then tell me they would not stay in an Albergue, I simply reply, "Then you haven't walked far enough".

I am saying so with good humour. I assure people that when you have unexpectedly had to walk an extra 10 km, with no places to stop for coffee or refreshments, when you've run low on water and have no snacks available, every step feels like an effort. Then you'll know all the joy of finding an Albergue, even one of the basic spartan ones with 20 blue plastic mattress-covered bunk beds in a small room and one shower. With the knowledge that you will sleep, you will sleep deeply.

I've slept in a grim, overfilled Albergue, which I would have sworn was a competitive snoring event. Where the beds, I am convinced, were moving due to the vibration

But like all Camino veterans, I know to take silicon earplugs and a sleep mask.

I think not having one or two nights staying in an Albergue is an opportunity missed, but as we all know, everyone walks their communal area, and there is no right or wrong way.

 

[Lindsay53]

Albergues are my accommodation of choice, for the reasons you mention. I do occasionally book a private room with a shower and enjoy a night of solitude, however for me without the albergue experience it would not be a Camino but merely a long walk.

 

[wisepilgrim]

Most people plan their travel strictly according to their expectations, and do not plan to change them. The Camino, as you so well describe, can force your hand (a.k.a. ‘provide’) and that is part of what makes it so valuable of a journey.

You can appeal to a few of the naysayers by reminding them that the snoring and other less appealing albergue qualities are included in the price.

 

[Enzed]

Albergues/Hostels its all the same to me.
To me it's mainly a cost thing (the kiwi dollar is not the strongest when converting to euro) and not being alone at night time.
Traveling thru a foreign country/city, where I'm not that good with language, as a solo female can be lonely. Being around other travelers/pilgrims, some pilgrims you may have meet previously, can be comforting.

Plus theres often a kitchen, a laundry, a communial area, even maybe lounge to retreat to (very handy when sharing a room with a snorer as loud as a chainsaw, I sincerely hope they saw a doctor ASAP because that can't be good for them, so I could retreat after everyone was settled in bed so I could sleep on the couch. Yes, on every hostel journey I inevitably end up on a couch at least once)

PS
Honestly, mild noises are kind of expected, 25 nights on the path and the snoring was only that bad at that night in Tui. Nice alburgue at the old convent though, do recommend it.
Don't let me scare anybody off alburgues, I'm just not always a good sleeper, that's my problem, and it was a comfy couch, so it wasn't all bad.

 

[Robo]

I was one of those who avoided Albergues (the communal sleeping bit). Till last year.
I felt a bit of a 'fraud' and so set out to try a broad range of Albergues.
All were great!

The 'privacy' thing was not really an issue.
Neither was the snoring.......

In fact the worst nights sleep I can recall on any Camino, were nights in private accomodation.
Far worse than any Albergue!

Such as:

1. A very fancy Hotel where my room overlooked a plaza that was full of drunks till about 2 am.
2. A lovely private room in a Hostal with a guy in the neighbouring room who must have been slaughtering pigs all night! Even earbuds with music would not drown out the noise.....
3. A private room in a Hostal where most of the other occupants were Spanish teens. To facilitate easier communication they just left all their doors open so they could yell from room to room......till about 1am.
4. Numerous 'nice' Hotels with paper thin walls, where the neighbours decided to watch loud TV shows till the early hours.....
5. A private 'apartment' overlooking a river, (Invierno) with dozens of croaking 'aroused' Frogs outside the front door, Geese going nuts all night, and competing cockrells each side of the river who didn't give a stuff that it was still the middle of the night LOL. They were all still going nuts as I left an hour before dawn.

Private rooms?

Be careful what you wish for

P.S. On my last Camino I finally worked it out.....
Don't stay where tourists stay. As they tend to drink a lot, be noisy and go to bed late.
DO Stay, where Pilgrims stay. They are usually tired and go to bed at a reasonable/early hour!

 

[davejsy]

Well, I was one of those people - until my Camino. Now I couldn't bear the thought of staying in a hotel instead of an Albergue.

 

[roving_rufus]

While I enjoy having a private room on occasion, albergues give so many more opportunities to meet other pilgrims plus have opportunities to hand wash or do laundry in a machine, some have kitchens. I can put up with the odd snorer - only once did I have someone so bad that I left to walk at 4am as I hadn't slept really (earplugs couldn't dampen him!). As a solo female I found albergues a great place to chat and find out information from other pilgrims eg closed albergues in next stop or a good alternative route to take, and meet lots of new people!

But it is an alien idea to many people to sleep in a dorm. It is hard to sell to some that it is part of the experience. Equally even on this forum I have heard comments from people doing the hotel style that they felt lonely or were in accommodation off-camino and felt they were missing out.

 

[Camino24]

My favorite is a private room in an albergue

 

[trecile]

My favorite is a private room in an albergue

Especially when the albergue offers a communal dinner.

 

[Simperegrina]

On the Norte recently, 3 of us staying in an albergue in Vilalba, went for a g&t in the evening in the parador around the corner. The g&ts were great, but we all commented on preferring the sociability of the albergue with its communal areas. Different strokes etc etc.

 

[C clearly]

I simply reply, "Then you haven't walked far enough".

It is cute as a truism but is obviously inadequate as a full analysis!

With the knowledge that you will sleep, you will sleep deeply.

As someone who has been a bad sleeper all my life, I can say that neither an extra 10 km, earplugs, nor mask are guarantees of sound sleep. I find it a tad patronizing for someone to tell me with certainty how I will sleep if I do what they suggest. (It is similar to "Do this and you will never get a blister.")

I think not having one or two nights staying in an Albergue is an opportunity missed

I agree with this. I like to stay in albergues some of the time, for all of the reasons outlined and in spite of the negatives. Those reasons and some reassurance are what I would explain to other people, encouraging them to try a few nights in albergues.

Most people plan their travel strictly according to their expectations, and do not plan to change them. The Camino, as you so well describe, can force your hand (a.k.a. ‘provide’) and that is part of what makes it so valuable of a journey.

This is a very interesting description. I like it!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Well, I was one of those people - until my Camino. Now I couldn't bear the thought of staying in a hotel instead of an Albergue.

After numerous Caminos, I now prefer "a bit of this"(albergues),
and "a lot of that"(pension/hotels/casa rurals)...
I like to mix and match.

 

[Mikey - camino]

I stayed at the albegues, mostly. While most were OK (and the price was right) there was one where the guy in the bunk beside me would wake me up with his snoring. But that is why i bring ear plugs. I like staying in the monasteries but they were cold. The communal dinners did make up for it. And the 2 albergues that were infested with bed bugs did not impress me.
Still, i stayed in about half a dozen private rooms (at an albergue) and they were wonderful.
I have many wonderful memories of meeting many good peopIe at the albergues. I do miss the walk, but at my age i may not make it back. While nothing is perfect, If i did go back i would have no hesitation of staying at the albergues

Mike

 

[kiwi-couple]

A private 'apartment' overlooking a river, (Invierno) with dozens of croaking 'aroused' Frogs outside the front door, Geese going nuts all night, and competing cockrells each side of the river who didn't give a stuff that it was still the middle of the night LOL. They were all still going nuts as I left an hour before dawn

Love your account of sleeping in one of the Soldón apartments. Funnily enough, I slept well there - must have taken me back to the farm noises of my childhood

 

[Anamiri]

Over the past years, when I tell people I have walked several Caminos, without exception, someone says," Oh, that is something I would so love to do. Tell me more". In the early days, I would quite enthusiastically tell them how fantastic the experience was for me, and in describing Camino life, I would talk about the Albergues.

Nine times out of 10, the person would say, "Oh, I would never stay in an Albergue. With all those people, the lack of privacy, and the noises throughout the night, there is no way I would ever consider staying in such a place". In the early days, I would try to argue for the benefits of such accommodation, the interaction with other pilgrims, communal meals, the companionship with a Camino family and the beauty of some remote locations. None of that worked, and my enquirer would continue protesting that they would have private hotel rooms or wouldn't bother.

Now, when I talk to people who ask me about the Camino and then tell me they would not stay in an Albergue, I simply reply, "Then you haven't walked far enough".

I am saying so with good humour. I assure people that when you have unexpectedly had to walk an extra 10 km, with no places to stop for coffee or refreshments, when you've run low on water and have no snacks available, every step feels like an effort. Then you'll know all the joy of finding an Albergue, even one of the basic spartan ones with 20 blue plastic mattress-covered bunk beds in a small room and one shower. With the knowledge that you will sleep, you will sleep deeply.

I've slept in a grim, overfilled Albergue, which I would have sworn was a competitive snoring event. Where the beds, I am convinced, were moving due to the vibration

But like all Camino veterans, I know to take silicon earplugs and a sleep mask.

I think not having one or two nights staying in an Albergue is an opportunity missed, but as we all know, everyone walks their communal area, and there is no right or wrong way.

I have explained to people some of the other benefits
Communal dinners
Washing drying facilities
The ability to deal with bed bugs (I was bitten in hotel/apartment accommodation and the owners were hopeless at dealing with them)
Help and advice for pilgrims


I think you miss a lot if you dont use albergues, but I guess if you never experienced them, you can have no idea what you miss.
I stay in a mix of accommodation, if I can I book a private room in an albergue, the best of both worlds.
There are some I wouldnt use again, but many are great.
(I will use dorms if not at risk of only top bunks)

 

[JinOhChoi]

I'm not sure if I ever saw myself as the albergues type. I never really traveled as a youngster so I never stayed in a hostel / backpackers. I hope to do the Camino de Santiago in 2027. I might go the public albergues route to honour and engroses my self as much in what the original pilgrims went through.

 

[Walkalong]

Albergues sponsored by associations, parishes, communities and staffed by volunteers are what make the Camino. Their kindness and generosity were a revelation.

Or as a fellow walker said, "I meet a better class of people there".

All part of the wonderful experience that is the Camino.

 

[BarbaraW]

As an older person I thought my hostelling days were long gone. But the friend who first introduced me to the camino insisted that we should stay in albergues and carry our own packs. I am a complete convert to both. So much so that I now often stay in hostels wherever I am travelling solo as a tourist. I avoid the party hostels, and look for places where the beds have individual lights, sockets and curtains - many of them nowadays.
Never thought I'd be doing that in my mid seventies (I hitch-hiked this year too!)

 

[Simperegrina]

Albergues sponsored by associations, parishes, communities and staffed by volunteers are what make the Camino. Their kindness and generosity were a revelation.

Or as a fellow walker said, "I meet a better class of people there".

All part of the wonderful experience that is the Camino.

I would add that I tend to find private albergues or donativos opened by pilgrims, are often wonderful places. Just on my recent Norte walk, three of the places that stand out O Xistral, opened by Jaime and family, inspired by their Camino Primitivo experiences and staying in Bodenaya; Albergue de Peregrinos de Colombres, a donativo opened last year by Mate, a pilgrim from Slovakia; and La Rectoral de Prescia, opened by Susanna, a pilgrim, and partner. All wonderful places, where the owners know what pilgrims need, and have created warm, friendly and hospitable places that all hold the Camino spirit.