New albergues on the Olvidado — Nov. 2021

[peregrina2000]

Update from Ender today on the albergue status on the Olvidado.

New albergues in Riello and Boñar are hopefully going to be open by April. The albergue in Riello will help a LOT with staging.

The municipal albergue in Puente de Almuhey will (re-)open this month (but I would still highly recommend the apartments of The Duende de Carricuende.

Guardo has an albergue, but the guys who had the concession have left it, unfortunately. The town is hoping to get someone in soon. (But there are private options, a couple of hotels).

Hostal Rabocán in Beberino (after Buiza and before Pola de Gordón, so also on the Salvador) has joined in to offer rooms to peregrinos.

New albergue opening soon in Noceda, which was not a town the Camino Olvidado pased through before. But they are re-routing it between Igüeña and Labaniego because of the albergue.

Albergue in Congosto (which I think is new).

Bosque de Los Sueños in Cubillos has also. joined to provide accommodation.

Cabañas Raras has what appears to be a lovely albergue in a wooden cabin, but many/most pilgrims on the Olvidado go straight to Ponferrada from Congosto. If you are going to continue on the Francés, though, you will go from Congosto to Cabañas Raras and on to Cacabelos and Villafranca.

Note that these are just the NEW places, to be added to the many already noted in the guide and website.

And don’t forget the showstopper in La Magdalena.

 

[Former member 99290]

Thank you Laurie - this path and the Invierno are of great interest to us. Gracias.

 

[sharon w]

Thank you Laurie - this path and the Invierno are of great interest to us. Gracias.

Same here.

 

[VNwalking]

Bookmarked!
Thanks, Laurie.

 

[Albertagirl]

Update from Ender today on the albergue status on the Olvidado.

New albergues in Riello and Boñar are hopefully going to be open by April. The albergue in Riello will help a LOT with staging.

The municipal albergue in Puente de Almuhey will (re-)open this month (but I would still highly recommend the apartments of The Duende de Carricuende.

Guardo has an albergue, but the guys who had the concession have left it, unfortunately. The town is hoping to get someone in soon. (But there are private options, a couple of hotels).

Hostal Rabocán in Beberino (after Buiza and before Pola de Gordón, so also on the Salvador) has joined in to offer rooms to peregrinos.

New albergue opening soon in Noceda, which was not a town the Camino Olvidado pased through before. But they are re-routing it between Igüeña and Labaniego because of the albergue.

Albergue in Congosto (which I think is new).

Bosque de Los Sueños in Cubillos has also. joined to provide accommodation.

Cabañas Raras has what appears to be a lovely albergue in a wooden cabin, but many/most pilgrims on the Olvidado go straight to Ponferrada from Congosto. If you are going to continue on the Francés, though, you will go from Congosto to Cabañas Raras and on to Cacabelos and Villafranca.

Note that these are just the NEW places, to be added to the many already noted in the guide and website.

And don’t forget the showstopper in La Magdalena.

This is very good news for me, as I have decided to walk the Olvidado as my next camino. I am at present in a restaurant in Frankfurt airport greedily scoffing down some lunch (my first meal since yesterday's lunch) prior to boarding a flight home to Calgary. It is time to go home, but I shall walk again. I am about to search for information on the Olvidado and to register in another Spanish class. Information on early churches on the Olvidado and camino routes west of where it terminates are also of interest.
I have just finished my time as a hospitalera in Nájera and might schedule another two weeks next year, in a different albergue. But I need a few months with my own bed and bath and church before I take off again. And happy planning to all.

 

[jungleboy]

This is very good news for me, as I have decided to walk the Olvidado as my next camino.

Me too (among others)! Glad to see more possibilities are opening up.

 

[LTfit]

Great news Laurie and thanks for the update. The Olvidado was on my to-do list and now with more albergues, it has moved up a notch!

 

[pelerine]

Me too, Laurie! Thank you for the up-dates!

 

[PJThomasJP]

Update from Ender today on the albergue status on the Olvidado.

New albergues in Riello and Boñar are hopefully going to be open by April. The albergue in Riello will help a LOT with staging.

The municipal albergue in Puente de Almuhey will (re-)open this month (but I would still highly recommend the apartments of The Duende de Carricuende.

Guardo has an albergue, but the guys who had the concession have left it, unfortunately. The town is hoping to get someone in soon. (But there are private options, a couple of hotels).

Hostal Rabocán in Beberino (after Buiza and before Pola de Gordón, so also on the Salvador) has joined in to offer rooms to peregrinos.

New albergue opening soon in Noceda, which was not a town the Camino Olvidado pased through before. But they are re-routing it between Igüeña and Labaniego because of the albergue.

Albergue in Congosto (which I think is new).

Bosque de Los Sueños in Cubillos has also. joined to provide accommodation.

Cabañas Raras has what appears to be a lovely albergue in a wooden cabin, but many/most pilgrims on the Olvidado go straight to Ponferrada from Congosto. If you are going to continue on the Francés, though, you will go from Congosto to Cabañas Raras and on to Cacabelos and Villafranca.

Note that these are just the NEW places, to be added to the many already noted in the guide and website.

And don’t forget the showstopper in La Magdalena.

Thank you. We're planning on both the Olvidado and Invierno in October and November 2022 so this is a great resource.

 

[calmeg]

We are planning the Olvidado for May 2022, so this is useful and timely! Back to more planning!

 

[AJGuillaume]

Thank you @peregrina2000 ! An excellent update!

 

[Caroline de Wit]

Thank you. We're planning on both the Olvidado and Invierno in October and November 2022 so this is a great resource.

Hello. Did you walk this year the Olvidado in otober/november? I am thinking about waking the Olvidado in november 2023. But I am not sure about weather conditions and if there are enough albergues/hostels/pensions.
Kind regards, Caroline.

 

[Caroline de Wit]

Update from Ender today on the albergue status on the Olvidado.

New albergues in Riello and Boñar are hopefully going to be open by April. The albergue in Riello will help a LOT with staging.

The municipal albergue in Puente de Almuhey will (re-)open this month (but I would still highly recommend the apartments of The Duende de Carricuende.

Guardo has an albergue, but the guys who had the concession have left it, unfortunately. The town is hoping to get someone in soon. (But there are private options, a couple of hotels).

Hostal Rabocán in Beberino (after Buiza and before Pola de Gordón, so also on the Salvador) has joined in to offer rooms to peregrinos.

New albergue opening soon in Noceda, which was not a town the Camino Olvidado pased through before. But they are re-routing it between Igüeña and Labaniego because of the albergue.

Albergue in Congosto (which I think is new).

Bosque de Los Sueños in Cubillos has also. joined to provide accommodation.

Cabañas Raras has what appears to be a lovely albergue in a wooden cabin, but many/most pilgrims on the Olvidado go straight to Ponferrada from Congosto. If you are going to continue on the Francés, though, you will go from Congosto to Cabañas Raras and on to Cacabelos and Villafranca.

Note that these are just the NEW places, to be added to the many already noted in the guide and website.

And don’t forget the showstopper in La Magdalena.

Hi Laurie!
Do you think it is possible to walk the camino Olvidado in november? I am not sure about weather conditions and if there will be enough albergues/hostels/pensions.
Kind regards, Caroline.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Laurie!
Do you think it is possible to walk the camino Olvidado in november? I am not sure about weather conditions and if there will be enough albergues/hostels/pensions.
Kind regards, Caroline.

Hi, Caroline,
Good to hear from you! I assume you are talking about next November, and so what I suggest is that we wait to see how it goes next year in summer. The Olvidado is getting a big official push, and I think even more places will be opening. Then in late summer it’ll be easier to assess the lodging situation.

If you follow the Olvidado facebook page, you’ll see that people have walked this year in November and were fine. Especially since I know you are fine with longer stages, I don’t think you will have a problem. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[jungleboy]

Do you think it is possible to walk the camino Olvidado in november? I am not sure about weather conditions and if there will be enough albergues/hostels/pensions.

Not the Olvidado but since it does cross over with it, I would read @Albertagirl ‘s thread about weather on the Salvador and Primitivo this October. The short answer is I don’t think it’s wise.

 

[Caroline de Wit]

Hi, Caroline,
Good to hear from you! I assume you are talking about next November, and so what I suggest is that we wait to see how it goes next year in summer. The Olvidado is getting a big official push, and I think even more places will be opening. Then in late summer it’ll be easier to assess the lodging situation.

If you follow the Olvidado facebook page, you’ll see that people have walked this year in November and were fine. Especially since I know you are fine with longer stages, I don’t think you will have a problem. Buen camino, Laurie

Thank you. Yes, I am thinking of november next year. Indeed I am not concerned about longer stages. The only thing I am not sure about is the weather, but you just have to be lucky with that?!

 

[peregrina2000]

Ender disagrees with @jungleboy. He says that November is generally a no-problem month for the Salvador and Olvidado. This year there were people walking during those storms in November, and he said they were wet and unhappy but not in danger. (See Alvaro Lazaga's youtube, for example).

I'm not challenging what others have said, just wanting to give a different perspective and say that individual tolerance for bad weather is different than whether there is danger. Ender also assured me that If there would ever be snow or other dangerous conditions, he would be on top of it and taking care of the people out there. A peregrina just arrived in Pola de Gordón yesterday, walking the Olvidado by herself, and she has been fine. The albergues are all open, he says.

 

[AlanSykes]

Not the Olvidado but since it does cross over with it, I would read @Albertagirl ‘s thread about weather on the Salvador and Primitivo this October. The short answer is I don’t think it’s wise.

I've done the higher parts of the Olvidado twice in November (there's about a week without dropping below 1000m of altitude, and patches over 1600m) but can't see any reason not to. It's astonishingly beautiful.

Obviously, it can be difficult in places, but you'll usually get some warning if the weather's going to be really hard.

I loved it, others might not.

 

[peregrina2000]

I had heard about the albergue in Cabañas Raras, but have never been there. This video shows that it’s really quite a nice albergue. I think that most Olvidado pilgrims go from Congosto directly into Ponferrada, even though the “official” Olvidado goes from Congosto to Cabañas Raras (20 km) and then on to Villafranca (16 km) (which is where you get your “Olvidada” (official certificate of completion).

Has anyone stayed in this albergue? The video doesn’t show whether there’s an equipped kitchen, but it looks very comfortable, with great spacing between bunks.

Camino Olvidado - Cabañas Raras

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