Ruminations on the accommodations along El Camino de Santiago

El Camino offers a lot of different types of accommodations. It is important to know what the terms mean and how one should temper one’s expectations when staying in them.

Disclaimer

This is a preliminary post as having the information available to link from other posts seems very important as “the adventures of the day” on the Camino are now being uploaded. The descriptions for campgrounds and albergues is fairly well along, but the rest are not. It is very much a work in progress.

Introduction

A detailed post on accommodations is almost a mandatory item for early inclusion in this blog. There are many reasons, including that the terms are often confusing and especially so for an older American demographic, accommodations are a huge part of the cost of hiking the Camino, they are referred to by unfamiliar names, the reality of the different types of accommodations overlaps a lot, and accommodations are a huge chunk of a novice peregrino’s step outside their personal comfort zone.

The following descriptions should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. They are based both on a lot of research, most of which produced inconsistent results, and my personal observations on the del Norte route, which provides the photos used for a few examples.

If there is one thing that the Camino has proven to me, it is that what seemed to be “the whole story” yesterday has nothing to do with today’s version. Thus, while I believe the following general guidance is fully accurate, YMMV.

Camping

Camping is an extremely imprecise term as used here.

“Sleeping Rough”

It is true that I napped on a park bench in Madrid in 2021 because jetlag overcame me and my Airbnb room was not yet available. Beyond that experience, I have neither seen this in person nor have I experienced it, but sometimes the pilgrim simply runs out of strength before finding a place to sleep, and has no camping equipment, and is forced to sleep in the open without a shelter and only their backpack for a pillow.

Unorganized Camping

This is a major step up from sleeping rough because it is intentional and includes using a shelter and whatever comfort items (e.g., an inflatable mattress) that one chooses to carry. Pitching one’s tent just anywhere is not allowed, however, so being evicted from the spot or having an uncomfortable encounter with la policia (the police in English) is possible.

Campgrounds

Campgrounds have been common along the del Norte route from Irun to Cadavedo, which is as far as I have hiked it. They vary widely in the services offered.

Albergues

All albergues are inexpensive; generally the least expensive of any indoor accommodations.

I think albergues rock! To me, they are an enormous part of the Camino experience. At their best, they are the epitome of the micro-society of pilgrims that is a big part of making the Camino incredibly special. Given alternatives, my first choice is always to stay in an albergue, with the caveat that I’m also alert for any cleanliness issues.

Albergues can be anywhere. I’ve found albergues in downtown areas and at the edge of a cow pasture.

Albergues Open to the Public

Many albergues are open to the public and one might think of them as low-cost hostels. Some of them emphasize being oriented toward pilgrims, but the mix of folks staying in them can vary. My personal example for this was an albergue not far from a popular surfing beach during the surfing season. I was the only person there who was not a surfer and, while welcome, felt out of place.

Albergues Open Only to Pilgrims

Some albergues are for “pilgrims only” and require a Camino credential to register. Since credentials are very easy to get (one may even be available at the albergue), the requirement is well known, and one qualifies as a peregrino simply by asking for a credential, this is not the strictest possible rule. That said, the majority of folks I’ve run into in albergues that require a credential have been pilgrims rather than tourists.

Hostels

It might be said that albergues are the low-price version of hostels or that hostels are upscale albergues. The similarities are significant as hostels also use bunkroom style accommodations. The differences are also significant as hostels tend to include bed linens, be a bit newer or more modern, and provide more in the way of niceties such as a recreation area.

Pensións: a private room

Pensións generally provide a private room combined with a shared bathroom or small locker room. The private room makes them a step up from hostels; the shared bathroom facilities put them below hotels. Just as hostels often refer to themselves as both albergues and hostels, pensións can overlap with both hostels and hotels.

Casa Rural

I am not sure what qualifies a place as a “Casa Rural” despite having stayed in them on occasion. One was, for all intents and purposes, an albergue. Another was a nice hotel.

Hotel

Airbnb

I have used Airbnb successfully as a Camino resource. I have also been extremely disappointed by Airbnb when using it unsuccessfully as a Camino resource. I do not recommend Airbnb as a Camino resource and, should you choose to use it, I recommend checking the host’s physical location very carefully before reserving because their system does not appear to understand a pilgrim’s needs.

The Good Airbnb

Every Airbnb that I’ve stayed at on el Camino has been as advertised. They have been clean, the hosts friendly, and reasonably economical.

The Bad Airbnb

Airbnb deeply disappointed me in 2021. Ultimately, the disappointment was my responsibility because I didn’t notice the fact that Airbnb had relocated my search area by many miles in an effort to find a host. Had I been driving, this might have worked out just fine. I was hiking and a difference of 80 km (50 miles) made the place I reserved simply useless to me.

The result of all this was that I lost significant time that might well have been spent finding other accommodations and that my rental fee was entirely wasted.