Good housing is an essential part of the Camino experience, and unless you’re super wealthy and luxury-minded (which makes me wonder why you’d want to do the Camino at all), you can plan to spend each night in an albergue or hostel! These albergues are often much cheaper than hotels—some are even donation-based—but that doesn’t always mean you’re going to sleep on a board every night! So here’s a list of the 10 must-stay albergues I encountered along the Camino Francés and suggest you try too!
1. El Albergue de Zariquiegui (Zariquiegui)!
My Camino friends led me through the bustling city of Pamplona, and we ended up in the tiny town of Zariquiegui, high on a hill overlooking the valley. While it was still being cleaned when we arrived in March, the albergue had a very warm, family feel to it, with clean bunk-style beds and a wonderful common room with a glass-walled fireplace in the middle and an exotic collection of hot teas. After a hard, chilly day, this combination warmed my spirit for sure!
2. Albergue de Peregrinos (Santo Domingo de la Calzada)!
This albergue is run by the Cofradía del Santo, a religious organization that operates it for donations. What I loved about this albergue is that, while it was rather large and full of stairs, it had the most wonderful sleeping space set up in the attic with wooden floors and ceiling and welcoming plaid blankets that reminded me of camping! They also sold pins on the ground floor, which I really liked! The albergue is right in the center of town, too, which makes it really great if you want to attend Mass at the famous Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada!
3. Albergue “El Peregrino Atapuerca” (Atapuerca)!
This was the one open albergue in Atapuerca when we arrived, and it was so worth it! Small and quaint, it has a pond out front, smaller, more private rooms with four beds, and hot showers, the best thing at the end of a long hike through the mountains! This may not seem like much, but when the last few albergues had ice-cold, button-operated, showers, hot water is wonderful! This albergue is also great for being so close to the Parque Arqueológico de Atapuerca and the wildlife refuge at the Lagunas de Atapuerca, a perfect location for afternoon meditation in nature!
4. Albergue Aurea y Federico (Villacazar de Sirga)!
This albergue reminded me of a California hacienda with its beautifully enclosed courtyard for relaxing in rocking chairs and drying laundry! The cabin-style rooms were designed for smaller groups with a smaller, shared restroom and a neat loft for anyone who wanted to spend the night in the heights! It was a little hard to find, but well worth the discovery!
5. Albergue Monte Irago (Foncebadón)!
Even though the town is in ruins, I absolutely loved this albergue! Right next to a small farm, you can hang with the goats and horses just outside your door and take in the wonderful views of the Mountains of León! The albergue has a New Age feel and includes a delicious communal dinner and healthy granola breakfast. You can also take a yoga class here to reconnect your soul and your chakras!
6. Albergue de Peregrinos San Nicolás Flüe (Ponferrada)!
A lovely donation-based albergue with smaller, more intimate rooms, the highlight of this albergue is the pilgrims’ prayer that takes place each night in the tiny chapel on the property. That’s where peregrinos gather together to read prayer, one paragraph at a time, in each peregrine’s native language, and to pass a candle around for each peregrino to share a special lesson learned on the Camino! This was a wonderful experience after many “express” Masses that I’d attended along the way!
7. Albergue da Reboleira (Fonfría)!
This albergue was unexpectedly Caribbean! The Dominican family of hospitaleros played a spicy salsa soundtrack all evening! Had my feet not been so sore, I surely would have jumped up to dance! It’s otherwise a quiet albergue with nice reading nooks, just beyond the more touristy town of O Cebreiro. The hospitaleros served up massive pots of delicious caldo gallego and huge plates of food for dinner. I had a wonderful time here!
8. O Durmiñento (Sarria)!
Since this is the last city where folks can start on the Camino, sleeping space is in high demand! As albergues go, this one is a little more expensive, but the rooms are wonderfully intimate with great views (I had my own room for a night). While drying your laundry, you can even go out on the roof to watch the sun set over the city and the river below!
9. Albergue Porta de Santiago (O Pedrouzo)!
Hands down, this was the most beautiful albergue of the Camino! Colorful, clean, and spacious, this albergue has its beds built around a glass-enclosed courtyard with a tree and a burbling fountain! There are step stools to help reach the top bunks, and whole rooftop is built to be a communal laundry area with classical music playing on speakers. A very soothing, very meditative, very lovely albergue, this is the place to stay on the last night before Santiago!
10. O Hórreo (Olveiroa)!
This one is past Santiago on the way to Muxía & Fisterra, but it’s worth mentioning for sure! A private albergue, it’s wonderfully clean with a wide open patio for socializing and, most amazingly for the Camino, private bathrooms! It’s perfectly placed in the small town of Olveiroa, where you can go down the street to enjoy fresh seafood and flan made from the neighboring farm’s milk and eggs!
Have you walked El Camino de Santiago de Compostela? What were your favorite albergues along the Way? Leave a comment below! Buen Camino!