What about food??

[Hermanita]

I have heard that restaurants open after the 10PM curfew for albergues and it is hard to get anything good(healthy) to eat. Just bar food, pizza, etc.

I am hoping that I am able to eat healthy nutritious food.

Do most albergues cook a Pilgrim meal?
Are there markets open during the day to buy fresh fruit and veggies?
Are there places along the way to have breakfast and lunch?

Rita

 

[lanval]

I found that restaurants along the way often opened somewhere between 7 and 8. The food was almost always good and healthy.

There are cafes along thee walk that you can have breakfast and lunches in, although often the lunch menu is limited to sandwiches (bocadillos), spanish tortilla, and pastries.

Also, most villages/towns that you pass through will have shops (mercados) where you can pick up food for the day, or even the next day.

I remember the food quite fondly.

 

[Deleted member 397]

It depends on which route you are taking. On the VDLP it was often the case that I had to wait until 10pm before anything was available. Bars in, for instance,Mombuey and Cubo del Tierra del Vino would NOT serve anything before 9pm.And places like Calzada de Bejar,which only had one shop and NO bars or restaurants closed on wednesdays (but the albergue there did provide a meal). However on the CF they are used to tourists and I was surprised at the number of bars and restaurants that served food early. As a contrast in France there were 2 spanish pilgrims who were astounded that the albergue served the evening meal at 7pm and said they couldn't possibly eat so early and made their own arrangements

 

[Deirdre]

Hi Rita,
While it is typical for Spaniards to eat late, most restaurants near the albergues on the Camino Francés have a "Pilgrim Menu" and serve food at an hour more suited to pilgrims. The salads are huge, fresh and offer considerable variety. While the "Pilgrim Menu" may not be too varied from place to place, I found that I never wanted for nutritious food in large quantities.

I typically stopped during the day in a mercado and purchased some fruit, bread and perhaps cheese to eat as I walked, then planned on a dinner in a restaurant. Occasionally a group of us would cook a meal in an albergue, but for me (and I know NOT for others) that was the exception rather than the rule. I am not a big eater and found that often an ensalada mixta with tuna, eggs and vegetables was more than enough. In the larger towns there was considerable variety. In some of the larger private albergues, you could get an excellent meal as well. Boadillo comes to mind as do the communal dinners at Viana, Grañon and Tosantos.

Buen Camino,

 

[Hermanita]

I am not a big eater and found that often an ensalada mixta with tuna, eggs and vegetables was more than enough.

Buen Camino,

That sounds like a perfect meal for me.

Thank you all for such good information. I am glad that there is good food readily available.
I guess all the stuff I heard about junk food, coke and sandwiches came from those that don't eat healthy to begin with.

Rita

 

[WolverineDG]

hey, don't diss the junk food! I got hooked on ice cream & Orange or Lemon Kas on the Camino. (great afternoon snack)

I love ensalada mixta! BTW, that's probably the only dish that gives you fresh veggies. Due to logistics, dinner is the heaviest meal of the day. Breakfast is usually yogurt, fruit, & coffee; lunch is a tunafish sandwich made on the road, fruit, cheese, & water. The only time I deviated from this was when I was walking in a group of 4 & we bought a dozen eggs & boiled them. We each had one at dinner, then 2 for lunch the next day.

Kelly

 

[grunt123]

how much does it cost per meal? (on average)

thx

 

[Deirdre]

Hey, I'm with you, Kelly,
I can happily do plenty of damage with junk food! I've never been much of a water drinker, and so I found the availablility of fresh fruit (especially grapes) wonderful!

Spanish pastry is my downfall! Caracolas, croissants, napoleons, almond pastries.... heaven!!!!!! :lol: And then of course the is vino (in copious amounts - for health purposes, of course! :wink: ) and cerveza.....orujo...... patxarán......

Buen Camino,

 

[Hermanita]

It all sounds great to me. As long as the healthy options are readily available.

I have been to Spain 5 times already and love the Spanish food. I just have never walked the camino and been on that kind of a schedule.

I noticed by looking at the maps of the Camino Frances that there are towns and villages not too far apart, so I suppose you can eat whenever you want throughout the day.

So I am now a happy camper(or should I say walker) knowing that I won't go hungry!!


Rita

 

[WolverineDG]

Grunt, menu peregrino (dinner) will run you about 12 euro (3 courses, bread, wine). Breakfast & lunch are somewhat less. Sometimes breakfast is provided free, other times, about 3 euro. Your best bet for both meals is to shop the day before for fruit, bread, yogurt, cheese, & tuna fish. it's cheaper to make your own. You can always stop at the bars along the way & get coffee or cokes (KAS rocks!) if you want something different than water to drink.

Kelly

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Not all towns have restaurants or supermarkets, and the supermarkets close midday and usually Sunday, except in the pilgrim haunts. I did not see franchise fast food until Santiago, and the Camino was blessedly void of Starbucks.

Healthy food may be in the eye of the beholder. If you like pig, you will find it!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Keep your eyes and ears open for the little tiendas in the villages along the way. They are small markets sometimes in people's houses. You can find a variety of nice meats, cheeses, fresh breads, canned goods, fruits and vegetables.

The Pilgrim's Plates that I had were always a very healthy, balanced meal.

I actually didn't see much junk food along the way.

 

[Silvester]

Hey, I'm with you, Kelly,
I can happily do plenty of damage with junk food! I've never been much of a water drinker, and so I found the availablility of fresh fruit (especially grapes) wonderful!

Spanish pastry is my downfall! Caracolas, croissants, napoleons, almond pastries.... heaven!!!!!! :lol: And then of course the is vino (in copious amounts - for health purposes, of course! :wink: ) and cerveza.....orujo...... patxarán......

Buen Camino,

I baked madeleines for the first time with my granddaughters and we were struck with the shell moulds - more like cockle shells than scallops though. I'm curious if madeleines feature in pastry shops along the camino routes in Spain.

 

[Kanga]

Grunt, menu peregrino (dinner) will run you about 12 euro (3 courses, bread, wine). Breakfast & lunch are somewhat less. Sometimes breakfast is provided free, other times, about 3 euro. Your best bet for both meals is to shop the day before for fruit, bread, yogurt, cheese, & tuna fish. it's cheaper to make your own. You can always stop at the bars along the way & get coffee or cokes (KAS rocks!) if you want something different than water to drink.

Kelly

If you are not self catering and want good Spanish food do yourself a favour and have your main meal at lunchtime (which means between 2pm and 4pm) in a restaurant a block or so off the Camino. Order the Menu del Dia. It is what the locals do.
The Pilgrims Menu in the evening is cheap fodder only for pilgrims - no self respecting Spaniard would eat before 10pm by which time pilgrims in albergues are tucked up in bed. The Menu del Dia might cost a couple of Euros more but it is well worth it.

 

[mspath]

Kanga is SO right! The menu del dia is usually GREAT; good local food and good value. See this earlier Forum thread of recommendations for where to have a good menu del dia.

Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[Mark Lee]

I loved all the food on the Camino. The hams, the chorizo, the breads, paella, fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. I ate like a horse three times a day, and drank a lot of wine and Spanish beer and still lost over 10 kilos in body weight.
I don't know how many calories a day I was burning up, but it must have been a lot.

 

[Felipe]

It all sounds great to me. As long as the healthy options are readily available.
I noticed by looking at the maps of the Camino Frances that there are towns and villages not too far apart, so I suppose you can eat whenever you want throughout the day.
Rita

Yes, but take note that some little villages have not any shops, or bars (which in Spain double as cafeterias). I remember one bar (the only in town) with the sign "closed by the owner´s retirement". Evidently, young people are not interested on the old family business, they go to live in the nearer big city. Actually, many places in Meseta look as ghost towns -you cross them from one side to the other, and not a person in sight.

 

[Rosemaryk1]

If I eat my main, big, meal between 2pm and 4pm I don't think I would be in need of much after that! Sounds like a good plan so as not to go to bed full. I will definitely be on the look out for the Menu of the Day! Awesome advice Kanga and MSPath...as usual!

 

[StuartM]

I loved all the food on the Camino. The hams, the chorizo, the breads, paella, fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. I ate like a horse three times a day, and drank a lot of wine and Spanish beer and still lost over 10 kilos in body weight.
I don't know how many calories a day I was burning up, but it must have been a lot.

Yeah, I never passed up many opportunities for a beer and still lost a lot of weight. I remember stopping in Salceda in a hotel, first time I'd had a private room in a while and saw myself in a full length mirror. I was really shocked. I wasn't holding back on eating either.

Amazing food. Even supermarket junk food seemed a lot better than what we get here.

 

[KinkyOne]

On the Camino one really has to eat well. And a lot. I too never missed an opportunity for a beer (or two, hehe) during the day and at final destination right after stop walking, and vino tinto at dinner, but still lost 18kg (down from 95)!

Do feed yourself well and you'll never regret that. But for sure won't gain any weight if that's important, hahaha.

Attached .pdf file is a compilation of recommended places to eat on CF by forum members.

Buen provecho!

 

[Carol06]

I like the idea of a good menu del dia in the middle of the day, but that would also finish my walking for the day. surprisingly I did not have much of an appetite whilst walking and especially at lunchtime could only manage a small snack. I fell in love with their gorgeous fluffy meringue sweets though. They gave me my sugar shot. A hard cheese and salami were great to carry for lunch. I loved going into the small tiendas and asking for their local specialty.

 

[Valentina12]

Hello,
Occasionally a group of us would cook a meal in an albergue, but for me (and I know NOT for others) that was the exception rather than the rule. I am not a big eater and found that often an ensalada mixta with tuna, eggs and vegetables was more than enough. In the larger towns there was considerable variety. In some of the larger private albergues, you could get an excellent meal as well. Boadillo comes to mind as do the communal dinners at Viana, Grañon and Tosantos.