Accommodations on the Camino

Aug. 31, 2012

The quality of the albergues has been surprising. The hostels only admit Peregrinos, and their charges run anywhere from donations to 15 euros or so a night. This usually gets you a bed, access to all of the facilities, such as WiFi and laundry, and a simple breakfast. An evening meal is usually extra and costs as much as the accommodation.

I have stayed at four so far, and the one I’m leaving in Puenta de la Reina has been the nicest. Albergue Jakue is private and connected to a hotel. The facilities are very modern, and they even have private rooms for Peregrinos for a few euros more. There is a common room, kitchen facilities, computers and even available massages.

The restaurant is great, too Last night’s meal was a stunning buffet of salads, pasta, desserts, wine and beer for about 9 euros (You could add meat (fish, chicken and pork for two euros more).

There is a business model here that works because of the scale, especially if you’re able to squeeze a few more beds into the basement of a hotel (and it’s far from dank). The monks at Roncesvalles have found similar success in creating a compound that serves tourists and Peregrinos alike (and volunteers staff the facility). The other factor is that running the albergues is also a holy mission. Even if you’re making money, the Camino has its origins as a religious pilgrimage, so the thinking is you’re doing God’s work by serving weary travelers.

Today I journey to Estella, another 22 kilometers. That will put my distance so far around 110 kilometers, a nice dent in the total of 790 to Santiago, but there is still a lot of ground to cover and all of the accommodations won’t match Albergue Jakue.