shout out to Dulio in La Magdalena

[BrianLCrabtree]

The albergue in La Magdalena-Canales is very nice and modern. Restaurants are fine at lunch on the way into town, but the albergue is on the far end on the Canales side and not really convenient for walking back in the evening. I don’t know about breakfast. Dulio, the manager, brought in a nice dinner and breakfast items. The bed and meals came to €30 euro. Very nice. I had the place to myself, no surprise, although Dulio said the albergue has had 150 pilgrims over the past year.

 

[LTfit]

In July I was alone there too. I had lunch at Dulio's restaurant and used the kitchen in the albergue to make dinner and coffee the following morning. He even does the laundry for a small fee.

 

[mla1]

In early May I was alone there too! I had a good dinner at the bar. Dulio's partner did my laundry (I think it was 4 euros), and the albergue is gorgeous! Such a great place to stop for the night! It was definitely one of my favourite albergues.

 

[AlanSykes]

I'm slightly confused as I'm now in an albergue just on the La Magdalena side of the river, in the old school (opposite El Cruce bar). Guadalupe is the hospitalera (and her English husband, "el otro Alan"). Very comfortable, warm, hot water, microwave etc, donativo. Number given in Ender's guide, near instant whatsapp response when I checked if it was open yesterday. I'm apparently the 28th person to stay here this year.

After so many places with no albergue, it seems very odd to be in a smallish village with, apparently, two.

 

[mla1]

Oh that's interesting! I wonder what the story is there! The other one is definitely a bit outside the village, towards Canales. It is pretty new, very modern, beautifully designed and clearly a part of the business of the El Cruce bar people -- not donativo. But municipal. Hope you have a good night!

 

[omicko]

I'm slightly confused as I'm now in an albergue just on the La Magdalena side of the river, in the old school (opposite El Cruce bar). Guadalupe is the hospitalera (and her English husband, "el otro Alan"). Very comfortable, warm, hot water, microwave etc, donativo. Number given in Ender's guide, near instant whatsapp response when I checked if it was open yesterday. I'm apparently the 28th person to stay here this year.

After so many places with no albergue, it seems very odd to be in a smallish village with, apparently, two.

l​

Oh that's interesting! I wonder what the story is there! The other one is definitely a bit outside the village, towards Canales. It is pretty new, very modern, beautifully designed and clearly a part of the business of the El Cruce bar people -- not donativo. But municipal. Hope you have a good night!

Look at my Camino Olvidado Guide from Bilbao - May 2018.
Look at posts 17,18,19 and 20. Published October 7th. 2018 by omicko
Click Search titles only
Cheers, Mick

 

[peregrina2000]

Look at posts 17,18,19 and 20. Published October 7th. 2018 by omicko
Click Search titles only
Cheers, Mick

I’ve looked at the posts you mention, Mick. I was not aware that the Olvidado/Viejo/Camino de la Montaña debate was still ongoing. That’s really unfortunate.

But putting that aside, I am also one of the ones who is confused about the albergue situation in La Magdalena/Canales.

In 2018, the acogida in La Magdalena didn’t have a shower. I thought that place had been replaced by the new albergue (new as of 2021) where Alan Sykes and mla1 have stayed.

But I think that what you are saying is that the acogida (without shower) in La Magdalena is still open and run by the Camino de la Montaña Association, and the new albergue is run by the municipality in the old schools and has a connection with Bar El Cruce?


The posts also mention Vegarienza as being part of the Montaña association, but Estela (the hospitalera there) gives pilgrims a little wooden medallion she has made with “Camino Olvidado” on it. So I am confused. Ender’s guide only mentions the albergue municipal in La Magdalena and the Estela’s albergue in Vegarienza.

The albergue in La Magdalena-Canales is very nice and modern.

@BrianLCrabtree, it’d be great if you could clarify — is the nice and modern albergue the same as Dulio’s albergue, or is Dulio’s place the acogida that has been there for years?

 

[mla1]

Hi Laurie!
Dulio (whose very pilgrim-friendly bar El Cruce is on the way out of the village, on the right hand side, before the river) is the person who gave me the key to the beautiful, new municipal albergue that is a few hundred metres further along the Camino.
I think it was @alansykes who recently stayed in a different place. @omicko’s guide also mentions a Hostal El Crucero. The Camino Olvidado app lists something without a name that could be the acogida?

 

[omicko]

I’ve looked at the posts you mention, Mick. I was not aware that the Olvidado/Viejo/Camino de la Montaña debate was still ongoing. That’s really unfortunate.

But putting that aside, I am also one of the ones who is confused about the albergue situation in La Magdalena/Canales.

In 2018, the acogida in La Magdalena didn’t have a shower. I thought that place had been replaced by the new albergue (new as of 2021) where Alan Sykes and mla1 have stayed.

But I think that what you are saying is that the acogida (without shower) in La Magdalena is still open and run by the Camino de la Montaña Association, and the new albergue is run by the municipality in the old schools and has a connection with Bar El Cruce?


The posts also mention Vegarienza as being part of the Montaña association, but Estela (the hospitalera there) gives pilgrims a little wooden medallion she has made with “Camino Olvidado” on it. So I am confused. Ender’s guide only mentions the albergue municipal in La Magdalena and the Estela’s albergue in Vegarienza.



@BrianLCrabtree, it’d be great if you could clarify — is the nice and modern albergue the same as Dulio’s albergue, or is Dulio’s place the acogida that has been there for years?

Hello Laurie, I hope you are well?. Before I unravel some of the points in this puzzle I would like to clarify the title of my post “ WHAT’S IN A NAME? THAT WHICH WE CALL A …… “ OR IS IT? " to the Forum Members because I think it is quite nebulous.
“What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” William Shakespeare uses this line in his play Romeo and Juliet to convey that the naming of things is irrelevant. In my analogy this isn’t so.
In 2018 and 2019 I stayed in the Refuge / Or Casa de Acogida.( In the small old school on the other side of the road facing the Cafeteria Bar El Cruce ). The Refuge didn’t have a shower. In 2020 a shower was installed. You get the key from Guadalupe and Alan. Their phone number is 685 -920 -895. You can call this number on Whats App as well. She told me their Association (In short) is called Viejo Camino de la Montana. The new Albergue funded by the Municipality, via the Government, comes under the title of the Camino Olvidado. It is situated just across the bridge, on the right in Canales ( As I explained in my 2022 guide )
This year Alan stayed in the Refuge - now with a shower and mla1 stayed in the Municipal Albergue. In 2022 I stayed in the Municipal Albergue. As is the case of some Municipal and Parochial Albergues you obtain the keys from a local bar or restaurant. In this case the Cafeteria Bar El Cruce. Dulio is one of the people you get the keys from. mla1 the Hostal Crucero has a restaurant and I have eaten there. There is also a Hotel Santa Lucia. @BrianLCrabtree I hope this has helped you too.Take care, Mick.