Spiritual Variant- Question on Armenteira lodging?

[Camino Chrissy]

I will be walking from Pontevedra to Armenteira, arriving on May 10th, 2019. I have been using booking.com to secure lodging in the Portuguese. The only option they show is the awesome looking Pousada hotel for $87 US, including breakfast. Although very tempting to book this beautiful place as it "could" be in my budget, it would be my most expensive in the 4 weeks away from home.

I notice my Brierley guide shows a rather new Albergue de Peregrinos muni with 34 beds for only 6 euros, which would be the utmost cheapest.

My question for those who have walked in mid May in recent years is...how busy might the muni be? Should I feel confident to get 2 beds since I read the SV has fewer who take this side route? I am not a fast walker, especially with that 450 meter climb and descent coming end of day! Any thoughts?

 

[Susan Peacock]

I haven’t walked in May but was there the 3rd week of September and had no problem. We arrived late in the afternoon as we had a nice lunch in Combarro. The albergue was nice, new and clean. If you schedule permits I would take an extra day and stay in Combarro. It is a charming little town on the water. This makes for two short days distance wise but allows you time to visit the Monastary at Poio on the way to Combarro and the climb to Armenteira is steep, so it won’t seem short and you would surely get a bed and have time for mass. Just an FYI the albergue is a good ten minute walk from the small town and monastary. We were tired after the warm hike up so it seemed further.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I haven’t walked in May but was there the 3rd week of September and had no problem. We arrived late in the afternoon as we had a nice lunch in Combarro. The albergue was nice, new and clean. If you schedule permits I would take an extra day and stay in Combarro. It is a charming little town on the water. This makes for two short days distance wise but allows you time to visit the Monastary at Poio on the way to Combarro and the climb to Armenteira is steep, so it won’t seem short and you would surely get a bed and have time for mass. Just an FYI the albergue is a good ten minute walk from the small town and monastary. We were tired after the warm hike up so it seemed further.

I am sure I will be tired (and possibly hot), too! Did you start your day in Pontevedra or in Combarro? Unfortunately I do not have time to do it two shorter days.

 

[Susan Peacock]

I am sure I will be tired (and possibly hot), too! Did you start your day in Pontevedra or in Combarro? Unfortunately I do not have time to do it two shorter days.

We started in Pontevedra. Were you planning to take the boat ride to Padron? We enjoyed it very much. You do need a reservation. It only takes an hour so depending on when it departs you could visit Padron and then walk on. I will say that the Spiritual Variant was one of our favorite parts of the Portuguese Camino.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Yes, I'm definately planning to take the boat. It could be a consideration to walk on from Padron if the boat left in the morning early enough. It sounds like the tides can differ day to week and dictate when the boat leaves. But I won't know ahead of time to be sure to be able to take the extra day in Combarro.

 

[Susan Peacock]

I know you probably want to be flexible, but you could probably call the boat captain (his name was Santiago in my case) at the number in the Brierley book a week ahead and they would know the tide schedule. There are great things about all the stops; enjoy.

 

[Pilgy]

You could stay in Combrro and prepare for the climb out of town the next day. Combarro is beautiful and has more accommodation choices.

 

[Magwood]

I walked the stage this year on 6 June. The albergue was about half full. It is new and very nice with good facilities, although about 1 km past the monastery and the two bars. I posted some photos and info to my blog if you are interested. Take note that it doesn’t open until 14:00 - I arrived in pouring rain at 11:45 and had to walk back to the bar to await opening time. I think the monastery should be a lot less expensive for pilgrims than booking.com is indicating. My notes say 25€.
Buen Camino!

 

[Susan Peacock]

My guess is that his original post was referring to the one hotel there. You can stay in the Monastary but must contact them well ahead and they will send you a long email in Spanish with info about what is expected and how to pay ahead of time. We had done this and paid, but they mixed up the dates and were full. They said “sorry” and sent us on our way. We were disappointed but the municipal was nice and we didn’t have to cook our dinner at the Monastary. We were tired so not cooking/working at the Monastary ended up being good.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I walked the stage this year on 6 June. The albergue was about half full. It is new and very nice with good facilities, although about 1 km past the monastery and the two bars. I posted some photos and info to my blog if you are interested. Take note that it doesn’t open until 14:00 - I arrived in pouring rain at 11:45 and had to walk back to the bar to await opening time. I think the monastery should be a lot less expensive for pilgrims than booking.com is indicating. My notes say 25€.
Buen Camino!

Hi Maggie, I have read some of your blogs in the past so will take a look at this one.
We will arrive in Vilanova de Aurosa on a Saturday. Do you happen to know if the boat to Padron operates on Sunday? Living in Spain I thought maybe you know more about this.☺ I have read that buses and trains do not seem to run on the weekends. Thanks.

 

[calmeg]

We walked the variant in June- we actually went from Vigo to Cangas (across the bay) by ferry, then walked to Bueu, and up the side of the Ria to Pontevedra. Then we walked from Pontevedra along the other side of the same Ria! The route has one hilly section- which was our favourite section of the day- and has tremendous views. We arrived at the town, walked into the monastery thinking they had the albergue there- unfortunately not. We had to go to a bar- have a snack, and ask them to call the person who runs the albergue- and we arranged to meet there. We were 4 people in the albergue, and when we looked at the book where we signed in- there were few names. My thoughts are that you will not have a problem finding a bed in early May. And enjoy the next day walking along the river and forests in the Route of Stone and Water. Once you arrive in Vilanova de Arousa book a spot in the boat as ours was almost full. Also on the boat- make sure you put on your rain gear and your pack cover because there will be lots of water splashing!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

@calmeg, did you stay in Padron after the boat ride, or walk on further?

 

[calmeg]

We got off the boat, then had to walk 2-3 Km into Padron. We had coffee, spent the morning walking around, visiting the cathedral - seeing the stone, O Pedrón, and had some Padron Peppers. Then carried on our way about another 10-12 Km, and found a small albergue. The next day we went into Santiago- saw the long line to get the compostella, and carried on directly to Finisterre. Got the compostella after we got back from Muxia.

 

[calmeg]

This is the route we took after arriving in Pontevedra:

Day 08: Pontevedra to Armenteira. ~25 Km Start out on the regular trail from Pontevedra, through the town. About 3 Km along this trail there is a signpost: straight ahead for Padron, turn left for the spiritual variant. Up over the hill, great views, down the other side, come to the monastery at Armenteira. Outside the monastery are two bars. Ask them to contact the person in charge of the albergue- about 4oo metres away. They will call the lady in charge of the albergue to make sure she is there to open the door for you. We were only 4 people there.

Day 09: Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa. ~25 Km. trail of the water and rocks. Beautiful, relatively easy walk along a river valley. Come across a bridge to Vilanova de Arousa, albergue about 10 minutes from the bridge. Talk with the people there to book the boat ride.

Day 10: Vilanova de Arousa to Padron by boat. Arrange this at the albergue to make sure you get a seat. The bags are packed onto the front of the boat. Never mind what the weather is like- wrap your bag in its raingear and put on a sweater and raingear- you will get wet!The boat drops you off in Pontecesures, about a 30 min walk from Padron. We kept going to the albergue in Teo to make a shorter next day.

Day 11: On to Santiago, pick your albergue!

We never booked a room, never had a problem- in many instances there were only 3-4 of us in albergue in mid June.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thank you, @calmeg, such helpful additional information!

 

[jsalt]

Should I feel confident to get 2 beds since I read the SV has fewer who yake this side route? I am not a fast walker, especially with that 450 meter climb and descent coming end of day! Any thoughts?

Hi Chris, you need to be REALLY flexible regarding the albergue at Armenteira AND the boat from Vila Nova de Arousa to Padron.

The albergue doesn’t open until 2pm or 3pm, and you cannot reserve in advance. Leave Pontevedra at first light and you will have NO problem getting to Armenteira by 2pm and getting a bed.

The hospitalera is a dragon but has a heart of gold. She will save a bed for an elderly person who cannot get there before late afternoon, and she will put mattresses on the floor for those who cannot find anywhere else to stay if the albergue is full.

She does kick you out at 8am when it is still dark, so we had to take the walk down through the forest very, very slowly, so as not to trip on tree roots, but the sun soon came up and filtered through.

I booked the boat for a group of 13 people and there were many other pilgrims, so they put on the big boat.

We were told to be there at 10am. However, the afternoon before, they phoned me to say that the big boat could only sail at 7am (or 7pm which was too late for most pilgrims), so we had to be at the harbour at 6.30am. No problem!

We watched the full moon waning on one side of the boat and the sun rising on the other. It was beautiful.
We then had a bonus full day in Padron. (I can highly recommend Albergue Rossol in Padron – VERY pilgrim friendly – they had no problem checking-in my group mid-morning instead of mid-afternoon at short notice.)
Jill

 

[Magwood]

Do you happen to know if the boat to Padron operates on Sunday? Living in Spain I thought maybe you know more about this.☺ I have read that buses and trains do not seem to run on the weekends. Thanks.

I don’t know for sure about the boat operating on a Sunday but would think that it does. There will be pilgrims requiring the service every day and I’m sure that the majority of clients for the boat are pilgrims. The accommodation you use in Vilanova will reserve a place for you. The size of the boat depends on the number of passengers. The day I used it we filled the rib to almost overflowing but it was an enjoyable and entrtaining trip. Due to tide times the boat didn’t leave until around 10:00 and we walked on to Santiago. Because of the late start we didn’t arrive in Santiago until about 18:00.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thanks, Jill. I think I will have us try our luck at arriving at the albergue in good time. I am concerned about if the boat runs on Sunday, though, as unfortunately that is the day we need it. An alternative could be by bus or train, but I don't think they operate on the weekend. I do not want the horrible long walking slog along much hiway I've read repeatedly. Maybe an expensive taxi the only option?

 

[jsalt]

Thanks, Jill. I think I will have us try our luck at arriving at the albergue in good time. I am concerned about if the boat runs on Sunday, though, as unfortunately that is the day we need it. An alternative could be by bus or train, but I don't think they operate on the weekend. I do not want the horrible long walking slog along much hiway I've read repeatedly. Maybe an expensive taxi the only option?

Hi Chris, you could try emailing them (in Spanish, using google translate, although, when Olga phoned me, she spoke fluent English):
naviera@bahiasub.com
www.labarcadelperegrino.com
www.bahiasub.com
+34 607 911 523

But I am pretty sure they sail every day of the week (in season), as there are enough passengers.

Otherwise, you could walk to Vila Garcia de Arousa, about 10kms, just keep the sea on your left (although it IS way-marked as well) and get the train to Padron, which does run on Sundays:
https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Vilagarcía-de-Arousa/Padrón
although, of course, if you do that you cannot apply for a compostela.
Jill

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thanks, everyone! I will take note of all your replies in making my decisions. Gotta love this forum!

Yes, Jill I will try emailing to double check first. Good idea and thanks for providing the email address! Also, nice to know the train runs as a backup option to get us on our wayif need be!

 

[Donovan]

I will be walking from Pontevedra to Armenteira, arriving on May 10th, 2019. I have been using booking.com to secure lodging in the Portuguese. The only option they show is the awesome looking Pousada hotel for $87 US, including breakfast. Although very tempting to book this beautiful place as it "could" be in my budget, it would be my most expensive in the 4 weeks away from home.

I notice my Brierley guide shows a rather new Albergue de Peregrinos muni with 34 beds for only 6 euros, which would be the utmost cheapest.

My question for those who have walked in mid May in recent years is...how busy might the muni be? Should I feel confident to get 2 beds since I read the SV has fewer who take this side route? I am not a fast walker, especially with that 450 meter climb and descent coming end of day! Any thoughts?

Chris, my timing earlier this year was close to your plan – I was in Armenteira on 13 May. On arrival at about 4:00pm the albergue was approaching half full. At lights out it was full. I saw two rooms with 8 bunks in each. There might be another 2 bed room to get to Brierley’s 34 capacity.

At Vilanova the following day there were plenty of beds available at 3:00pm. On arrival I booked for the next day’s boat trip and was about the seventh to do so. If it fits your schedule, which will be dictated by the boat time table, the municipal albergue in Teo is good, and in a lovely, peaceful setting. The bar a few minutes' walk further on did a pretty decent evening meal.
[edited after checking my journal]

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Hi Donovan, Thanks for the info. May I ask what your weather was like for you on the Portuguese camino since the time frame you walked was so similar to what I am planning? Dod you walk the coastal or central route?

 

[Donovan]

Hi Chris, the weather was very good. It was always comfortable walking, so I’d guess that it was in the low twenties (centigrade). Sometimes it was quite breezy but never annoyingly so. There was one light sprinkling of rain for a few hours.

I walked the Senda Litoral. The Senda and the Coastal Route have a lot of common stretches, but the Coastal goes inland in a few places and I wanted to stay right on the coast. The yellow arrows tend to favour the Coastal. To navigate my way along the Senda I downloaded “All Portuguese Caminos in One File” from the resources section. It shows both routes quite clearly.

 

[Krista Rogman]

I will be walking from Pontevedra to Armenteira, arriving on May 10th, 2019. I have been using booking.com to secure lodging in the Portuguese. The only option they show is the awesome looking Pousada hotel for $87 US, including breakfast. Although very tempting to book this beautiful place as it "could" be in my budget, it would be my most expensive in the 4 weeks away from home.

I notice my Brierley guide shows a rather new Albergue de Peregrinos muni with 34 beds for only 6 euros, which would be the utmost cheapest.

My question for those who have walked in mid May in recent years is...how busy might the muni be? Should I feel confident to get 2 beds since I read the SV has fewer who take this side route? I am not a fast walker, especially with that 450 meter climb and descent coming end of day! Any thoughts?

I Just

I will be walking from Pontevedra to Armenteira, arriving on May 10th, 2019. I have been using booking.com to secure lodging in the Portuguese. The only option they show is the awesome looking Pousada hotel for $87 US, including breakfast. Although very tempting to book this beautiful place as it "could" be in my budget, it would be my most expensive in the 4 weeks away from home.

I notice my Brierley guide shows a rather new Albergue de Peregrinos muni with 34 beds for only 6 euros, which would be the utmost cheapest.

My question for those who have walked in mid May in recent years is...how busy might the muni be? Should I feel confident to get 2 beds since I read the SV has fewer who take this side route? I am not a fast walker, especially with that 450 meter climb and descent coming end of day! Any thoughts?

after walking the Varient Espiritual Camino, don't forget to go to the Information Office to get your certificate called a "Padron."

 

[Felipe Reconquista]

We slept there last year in november, there were a lot off beds free then.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I Just


after walking the Varient Espiritual Camino, don't forget to go to the Information Office to get your certificate called a "Padron."

Cool! The information office in which town? Also, we are now planning to spend the first night earlier in Combarro, then have a shorter day to Armenteira to be sure to get 2 beds in the albergue that has 34 beds.
I do have one more question. We will be walking the whole next day to Vilanova de Arousa, but that albergue only has 20 beds. Do I need to worry? I've looked at booking.com and the only hotel listed is $78. US with free cancellation, but with no bk.
There is a nice hotel with bk for $68 on the trail a mile before Vilanova, but would we have enough time to get to the boat to Padron??

 

[Isabelle Maclean]

Bianca & Jorge: Valboa 25, A Armenteira, 36192 MEIS – PONTEVEDRA
e-mail: info@ontdekgalicie.nl / Tel: +34 649 06 92 41 or +34 644 98 4791
Reservation appreciated. Private home, donativo.

I stayed here in October. A wonderful couple and beautiful home. Jorge will pick you up when you arrive, bring you into town for dinner if you like and will drop you off at starting point for SV next day.

 

[jsalt]

We will be walking the whole next day to Vilanova de Arousa, but that albergue only has 20 beds. Do I need to worry?

If the Vila Nova de Arousa albergue is full they offer mattresses on the floor in the sports hall (the albergue is part of the sports complex), BUT only after about 10pm, when the hall is closed.

There is a nice hotel with bk for $68 on the trail a mile before Vilanova, but would we have enough time to get to the boat to Padron??

We had a booking for the boat at 10am, so we all stayed 2kms away (next to the the beach, before you get to the town), so when the boat time changed to 7am we all had to get up at 5am and walk in the dark, but it was easy as there were street lights all along the way.
Jill

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thanks, Jill, for the info on both options. I think that's probably the same beach town the hotel is in just before you get to the walking bridge to cross the river to Vilanova. Good to know it can be a consideration.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Bianca & Jorge: Valboa 25, A Armenteira, 36192 MEIS – PONTEVEDRA
e-mail: info@ontdekgalicie.nl / Tel: +34 649 06 92 41 or +34 644 98 4791
Reservation appreciated. Private home, donativo.

I stayed here in October. A wonderful couple and beautiful home. Jorge will pick you up when you arrive, bring you into town for dinner if you like and will drop you off at starting point for SV next day.

It looks interesting. How did you hear about this place beforehand and how far off trail is it?

 

[Isabelle Maclean]

Cool! The information office in which town? Also, we are now planning to spend the first night earlier in Combarro, then have a shorter day to Armenteira to be sure to get 2 beds in the albergue that has 34 beds.
I do have one more question. We will be walking the whole next day to Vilanova de Arousa, but that albergue only has 20 beds. Do I need to worry? I've looked at booking.com and the only hotel listed is $78. US with free cancellation, but with no bk.
There is a nice hotel with bk for $68 on the trail a mile before Vilanova, but would we have enough time to get to the boat to Padron??

 

[Isabelle Maclean]

Cool! The information office in which town? Also, we are now planning to spend the first night earlier in Combarro, then have a shorter day to Armenteira to be sure to get 2 beds in the albergue that has 34 beds.
I do have one more question. We will be walking the whole next day to Vilanova de Arousa, but that albergue only has 20 beds. Do I need to worry? I've looked at booking.com and the only hotel listed is $78. US with free cancellation, but with no bk.
There is a nice hotel with bk for $68 on the trail a mile before Vilanova, but would we have enough time to get to the boat to Padron??

 

[Isabelle Maclean]

I stayed here in VNdA. A new facility, very comfortable, clean and great location, across the street from the meeting point for the boat to Padron.

 

[Isabelle Maclean]

It looks interesting. How did you hear about this place beforehand and how far off trail is it?

 

[Isabelle Maclean]

I read about this residence on one of the Camino threads(may have been here)from someone who stayed here when I was doing my research for this section of the CP. When I arrived in Armenteria I called and they had a bed available. Jorge picked me up with another pilgrim and it was a 5-10 minute drive to home(sorry didn't get km from trail/town). The next day he dropped me off at the starting point,close to the albergue, where I joined my fellow walkers. If you want specific km, email and Bianca is quick to respond.
https://www.caminocomfort.com/camin...camino-portugues/#1499423831760-27efbb3c-3122