Every year I set out on a walking journey through Spain or Portugal. And no, this is not a hike—it is the Camino de Santiago routes, followed by thousands of pilgrims. Here, you do not need to carry many belongings, a tent, food, or a stove to prepare it. The infrastructure along these routes allows you to walk with a small backpack and spend the night under a roof in perfectly decent conditions.
One of the features of the Camino de Santiago is that you do not necessarily have to look for a hotel every evening and spend €50–100 on accommodation. Along the routes to Santiago, there is an entire accommodation system specifically for walkers.
The most typical place to stay on the Camino is called an albergue (pilgrim hostel). It is somewhere between a hostel and a pilgrim shelter: usually a large room with bunk beds, shared showers and toilets, a place for backpacks, a laundry room or washing machine and dryer, and often a kitchen and a common room for relaxation.
But albergues can be very different. There are simple municipal shelters costing a few euros, private albergues with a pool and very comfortable bedrooms, and donativo albergues, where there is no fixed price for an overnight stay.
That is why, before setting out on the Camino, it is worth understanding what overnight accommodation options are available and how they differ.
Municipal albergues
Municipal albergues are one of the cheapest accommodation options on the Camino. They are run by municipalities, autonomous regions, parishes, or other public organizations.
In many of them, the conditions are quite basic: a large bedroom with bunk beds, shared showers and toilets, a place to wash and dry clothes, and sometimes a kitchen or dining room. The number of people in one room can range from around 4 to 40 or even more, depending on the size of the room.
This is not a hotel, and not even always a typical hostel. The main purpose of a municipal albergue is to provide pilgrims with an inexpensive place to rest after a day on the road.
How much does
Approximately €7–12 per bed.
For example, the database of the Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino currently lists municipal albergues costing 7–10 euros, although the price depends on the particular municipality.
In Galicia, the network of public albergues Xunta charges a fixed price of around €10 per night.
How municipal albergues work
In municipal albergues on popular routes, the principle of first come, first served applies. Advance booking may not be possible. This means that after a long day of walking, you cannot be 100% sure that a bed will be waiting for you. That is why pilgrims on a limited budget get up early in the morning and walk very quickly to secure a cheap bed.
Exceptions are less popular routes, such as the Camino Lebaniego, or San Salvador, where there are very few pilgrims. Here, it is better to call the municipal albergue to let them know when you will arrive. Hospitaleros—the people who look after such shelters—need to prepare the premises; in some places, it may be possible to order food in advance, because there is not always an opportunity to buy something or eat at a café.
Most municipal albergues also have rules regarding the length of stay. Generally, a pilgrim is allowed to stay for only one night, and places are assigned in order of arrival. Preference is given to those traveling on foot.
There are exceptions here too, such as the large municipal albergue Seminario Menor in Santiago de Compostela. Here, you can stay for two nights once you have completed your Camino.
In municipal albergues, there is often a kitchen for preparing food. Pilgrims who have already met along the way often cook dinner together. Or each person cooks separately, but they eat at the same table and talk a lot during the evening. This is the special atmosphere of this type of accommodation—you cannot experience it in a hotel, if, of course, you enjoy socializing and it does not annoy you.
To check into a municipal albergue, you need to:
- show your credencial—a stamp from the albergue will be added;
- register—you will be entered in the pilgrim register in a separate book;
- pay for your stay—municipal albergues generally require payment in cash in euros;
- follow the rules of the particular albergue—there is usually a curfew, and after 10 p.m. the doors of the albergue are locked;
- vacate the bed in the morning—by 8 a.m.
Advantages
- the cheapest option;
- the authentic Camino atmosphere;
- many opportunities to meet other pilgrims;
- often located right on the route;
- you do not have to pay for comfort that, after walking 25–30 km, you may no longer need.
Disadvantages
- not always possible to book;
- places may run out;
- large communal rooms;
- noise and neighbors snoring;
- shared showers and toilets;
- Wi-Fi is not always available
- conditions may be very basic.
My advice: if you want to experience the Camino exactly as most pilgrims do, you should spend at least a few nights in a municipal albergue.
Albergues at monasteries and churches
In principle, everything here is the same as in municipal albergues, except for a different—more religious—atmosphere.
Monasteries and churches that have their own albergues offer a unique experience on this Catholic pilgrimage route. Pilgrims are served by nuns and monks, and Mass is often held or pilgrims are given a blessing. These albergues also cannot be booked in advance.
The experience of meeting pilgrims is also very different in albergues belonging to the Jacobean association. And I want to mention them separately, because this is a unique phenomenon of Jacobean hospitality acogida tradicional jacobea, which can only be experienced in such pilgrim hostels. This tradition is part of the Camino’s intangible cultural heritage.
Staying overnight in a Jacobean albergue: when you are not simply given a place to sleep, but welcomed as a pilgrim
There are places on the Camino where an overnight stay is much more than just a bed after 30 kilometers on the road.
This is an albergue of traditional Jacobean hospitality — acogida tradicional jacobea. Here, the ancient tradition of welcoming a pilgrim not as an ordinary tourist but as a guest is preserved—a guest who needs not only a roof over their head, but also rest, food, attention, and care.
Such albergues are usually very simple. No luxury; sometimes there may not even be Wi-Fi. They are maintained by religious communities, brotherhoods, associations of friends of the Camino, or volunteer hospitaleros. Often, they operate on a donativo basis or charge a symbolic fee that covers part of the costs. It is precisely volunteer hospitality and the absence of a commercial purpose that constitute one of the main features of traditional Jacobean hospitality.
But the main thing here is not the accommodation, but the atmosphere and rituals.
Washing pilgrims’ feet
One of the oldest traditions is lavatorio de pies, the washing of feet. To a modern person, this may seem unusual and even somewhat awkward. But the tradition has very ancient origins.
In medieval monasteries and hospitals, it was customary to welcome pilgrims, wash their feet, and help them after a long journey. This was both a practical gesture of care and a symbol of humility and service. The tradition is connected with the Gospel story in which Christ washed the feet of his disciples.
Today, this ritual has survived in only a few places on the Camino. One of the best known is Hospital de San Nicolás de Puente Fitero on the Camino Francés near Itero del Castillo. It is an old church associated with the Order of Saint John, which was restored in 1994 and turned into a pilgrims’ hostel by the Confraternita di San Jacopo di Perugia.
During the season, a small number of pilgrims are welcomed here—just 12 beds. The conditions are as basic as possible: there is no electricity, overnight stays take place in a historic building, and dinner and breakfast are included as part of the traditional hospitality.
In the evening, a ceremony takes place. The pilgrims gather together in the chapel. Each person’s feet are washed in turn and dried with a towel, after which the hospitalero kisses the pilgrim’s foot. This is not a theatrical performance for tourists, but a recreation of an ancient gesture of humility and service.
After the ceremony, the pilgrims sit down together at the table. Dinner takes place in a very simple, almost medieval atmosphere—exactly as one might imagine the hospitality of an ancient pilgrims’ hospital.
And this is precisely what makes such places special: you do not simply receive a bed—you become part of a very ancient Camino tradition for a few hours.
Do you have to agree to have your feet washed?
No. If a religious ritual makes you uncomfortable, it should be regarded as an opportunity, not an obligation. But if you are open to such an experience, it may become one of the most memorable evenings of the entire Camino.
The contrast is especially striking: during the day, you simply walk along the road with hundreds of other pilgrims, stop at cafés, photograph the scenery, and look for water. In the evening, you find yourself in an ancient building where volunteers welcome you according to a tradition that is many centuries old.
Other traditions of Jacobean hospitality
Washing feet is far from the only ritual.
Such albergues may offer:
- a communal dinner;
- a communal breakfast;
- a prayer or blessing for pilgrims;
- a short ceremony before dinner;
- communication with hospitaleros;
- singing together;
- stories about the history of the place;
- a special ritual for welcoming pilgrims.
Sometimes the hospitaleros prepare dinner themselves, set the table, and eat together with the pilgrims. This sense of community—when host and guest are not separated from one another—is an important part of the traditional hospitality of the Camino.
Another special place is San Antón
Another very unusual experience can be had at Hospital de San Antón near Castrojeriz.
The albergue is located directly among the ruins of a medieval monastery. It was created in the spirit of traditional hospitality: pilgrims are given a bed, dinner, and breakfast, with no mandatory fee. The albergue is maintained through donations and the work of volunteers.
There is no usual hotel comfort here—only a few dozen places, simple conditions, and the feeling that for one night you have stepped into another time. It is precisely places like these that explain why the Camino is not simply a walking route from one city to another.
Is it worth specifically looking for such albergues?
Absolutely, if you are interested in the history and spiritual side of the Camino, even if you are not a religious person. You do not need to regard it as a mandatory part of the journey. It is simply an opportunity to experience the Camino in a completely different way for one night.
Sometimes the best memories come not from a beautiful hotel or an albergue with a swimming pool, but from a simple table, a candlelit dinner, a conversation with a volunteer, and people you did not know at all until yesterday.
It is precisely for moments like these that many pilgrims return to the Camino.
Private albergues
A private albergue is a more commercial option. In format, it resembles a good hostel for travelers, but is primarily aimed at pilgrims. It may also have bunk beds and shared rooms, but usually more attention is paid to comfort.
At a private albergue, you may find:
- private rooms;
- lockers;
- power outlets by the bed;
- Wi-Fi;
- a kitchen;
- a washing machine and dryer;
- a terrace or garden;
- a swimming pool;
- breakfast;
- a restaurant or bar.
Some private albergues also offer private rooms for two, so the word “albergue” does not necessarily mean sleeping in a room with 20 people.
How much does a
In 2026, you should expect to pay approximately €15–28 per bed.
During the season, especially in July and August, the price may be €20–40, particularly on the most popular sections.
Advantages
- more comfortable than a municipal albergue;
- can be booked in advance;
- private rooms;
- more amenities;
- there is often a kitchen and laundry;
- you can choose an albergue based on reviews.
Disadvantages
- more expensive;
- the atmosphere sometimes feels more like an ordinary tourist hostel than a pilgrim refuge;
- in popular places, good albergues fill up quickly.
This is the best compromise for those who want to walk the Camino but are not ready to sleep every night in a large room with dozens of strangers.
Donativo albergues
A special place in the world of the Camino is occupied by donativo albergues — albergues with no fixed price. They are mostly run by Camino enthusiasts who once walked its routes and became inspired by the idea of living on the road and helping other pilgrims. That is why the atmosphere in this type of accommodation is special as well.
Of course, there are exceptions. In my experience, there have been donativo albergues run by local municipal services, and the quality of the accommodation was therefore very poor. One example is the donativo albergue in Tapia (on the Camino del Norte), which has an excellent location on the oceanfront. In the year when I stayed there, it was very dirty, had bedbugs, and felt like nothing more than a shelter. In 2026, it was renovated inside and out, and the mattresses were replaced. So there is hope for a significant improvement.
Another example is the donativo albergue in Barcelos, on the Central Portuguese Way. It is clean, and everything is kept tidy. But there is no atmosphere at all — the beds are packed tightly together, the showers are very uncomfortable, dinner is not offered, and they do not really care much about the pilgrims.
Such places often have a special atmosphere. They may be run by volunteers, religious communities, or people who once walked the Camino themselves. There is often a communal dinner, communal breakfast, or other small rituals that create a sense of a genuine pilgrim community. It should be noted that there are donativo albergues among both municipal and private refuges.
How much to pay at a donativo albergue
There is no fixed price. You can leave a donation in whatever amount you consider fair. However, there are certain limits to this amount, determined by the average price between a municipal and a private albergue.
But donativo does not mean “free”. The albergue has to pay for cleaning, water, electricity, laundry, and building maintenance.
If you can afford an ordinary albergue for €15, you should not leave €2 at a donativo merely because it is formally allowed.
Advantages
- special atmosphere;
- often a very warm welcome;
- the opportunity to talk with volunteers and other pilgrims;
- sometimes a communal dinner;
- you can leave a donation instead of a fixed payment.
Disadvantages
- conditions are often basic;
- there may be few places;
- it is not always possible to make a reservation;
- quality varies greatly from one place to another.
Many pilgrims later remember these very albergues as some of the best moments of the Camino.
Pensions
If, after several nights in a shared room, you want some peace and quiet, you do not have to move straight to an expensive hotel. On the Camino there are pensión and casa rural accommodations, as well as other small private lodging options.
This means a private room — often with its own bathroom, sometimes with a shared one.
In terms of format, this is closest to a small family-run hotel or pension.
How much do they cost
Approximately €35–60 per private room for a basic option.
In popular places and during the season, prices may be higher. In 2026, as a guideline for pensions and private rooms on the Camino, you can use approximately €35–70.
Advantages
- quiet;
- a proper bed;
- a private room;
- often a private bathroom;
- you can get a good night’s sleep;
- a good option after a particularly difficult stage.
Disadvantages
- significantly more expensive than an albergue;
- some of the atmosphere of the communal Camino is lost;
- some guesthouses are not located directly on the route—you need to call a taxi or walk additional kilometers.
A practical option is not to stay in a private room every day, but to book one once every few days. After several nights in a shared room, one night alone can be a real lifesaver.
Hotels
A hotel on the Camino is an option for those who value comfort and privacy. It is especially pleasant to book a hotel after a difficult stage, when you want a long hot shower, a proper bed, silence, and the opportunity to dry all your things.
Approximately €60–90 per room, although cheaper options can be found in small towns, while in popular places the price can easily exceed €100. In Santiago de Compostela, prices depend particularly on the season and the number of pilgrims. Even albergues in the city center can cost €20–35 per bed.
Advantages
- maximum comfort;
- privacy and silence;
- private bathroom;
- often breakfast;
- you can properly rest after a difficult walk.
Disadvantages
- expensive;
- not always located near the route itself;
- less sense of the pilgrim community.
What to choose?
| Type of accommodation | Approximate price | Booking | Comfort | Camino atmosphere |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal albergue | €7–12 | Often no | ★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Donativo | donation (€15–25 recommended) | Usually no | ★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Private albergue | €15–28 | Often yes | ★★★ | ★★★★ |
| Hostal / pensión | €35–70 | Yes | ★★★★ | ★★ |
| Hotel | from €60–100 | Yes | ★★★★★ | ★ |
These are approximate ranges, not fixed rates: they may vary considerably on different routes and in different months.
Why is a credencial needed
The credencial (Credencial del Peregrino) is the pilgrim’s passport. It is a folded cardboard booklet in which pilgrims collect stamps—sellos—along the way to Santiago. But the credencial is needed for more than just obtaining the Compostela.
The Pilgrim’s Office at Santiago Cathedral explicitly states that pilgrims need a credencial to use municipal and other albergues that operate exclusively for pilgrims. Therefore, without a credencial, you may not be accepted at an albergue intended specifically for pilgrims.
At the same time, it is important to understand that a credencial is not a universal “ticket to free accommodation.” Private albergues may have their own rules, and you still have to pay for your stay.
And why collect stamps?
Stamps confirm that you have completed the route. To receive the Compostela, you currently need to have at least two stamps per day during the last 100 km, if you are walking or riding a horse, and during the last 200 km if you are cycling.
You can get a stamp not only at an albergue. They are available at churches, monasteries, hotels, municipal offices, cafés, and other places along the route.
Do you need to book accommodation in advance?
It depends on the type of albergue, the route you choose, and the season. If you are walking during the low season, you can often simply arrive at the village you need, look at the available options, and choose a place for the night.
In July and August, and now even in September, the situation is different. On popular routes, especially closer to Santiago, good private albergues can fill up quickly.
So there are two approaches:
- Classic Camino: do not book anything in advance, walk at your own pace, and look for a bed after completing the day’s walk. You may encounter surprises when looking for a place and have to overpay for expensive accommodation in a guesthouse.
- Comfortable Camino: book private albergues or guesthouses in advance. This removes the element of chance.
If this is your first Camino, I would not advise booking every night. You may plan to walk 25 km a day, then realize on the third day that your feet want to walk 18 km. Or, on the contrary, you may want to walk another 7 km and stop in a different village.
The freedom to change your plans is one of the Camino’s attractions.
What to bring for an overnight stay in an albergue
- Sleeping bag — the most important item. Many albergues have mattresses and pillows, but may not provide bed linen.
- A sleeping-bag liner — a very light and compact alternative to a sleeping bag, especially in the summer months. It creates a feeling of cleanliness when you sleep on mattresses in albergues.
- Earplugs — an essential item for me. Even if you never snore, your neighbor may snore enough for two.
- A sleep mask — useful when someone in the room gets up at 5 a.m. and turns on the light.
- A microfiber towel — lightweight, quick-drying, and takes up minimal space.
- Flip-flops — for the shower and moving around the albergue. You can also wear them to go to the nearby shop for food.
- A small padlock — for a locker, if the albergue has lockers.
- A charger and power bank — there are not always outlets near your bed. I also bring a power strip for albergues with few outlets.
The rest is up to you: clothing, underwear, toiletries, a first-aid kit, devices, and so on. Everyone carries their own set of essentials. I even used to carry a laptop (now I take a tablet), because sometimes you need to work during the Camino. But it is better to take as little as possible — wash your clothes every day, and bring something to change into and only the essentials. Because on the Camino, you feel every extra 500 grams on your shoulders.
Can you sleep in a tent outdoors?
This is where you should be careful. The Camino does not mean that you can pitch a tent anywhere.
In Spain, camping rules depend on the autonomous community, municipality, and specific natural area. The general principle is that wild camping is prohibited or strictly restricted, and to spend the night in a tent, you need to use permitted sites or obtain the appropriate authorization. For example, Basque Country law expressly prohibits wild camping, while allowing exceptions established by regulations.
Strict rules also apply in natural parks and other protected areas. There, the prohibition may cover not only pitching a tent but also bivouacking and sleeping outdoors.
Therefore, the rule “I’ll pitch a tent somewhere outside the village; no one will see me” should not be used as a travel plan.
What about Portugal?
In Portugal, you also cannot count on being able to spend the night in a tent wherever you like. Camping outside specially designated areas may require permission from the municipality and the landowner’s consent. Current municipal regulations expressly provide for the licensing of occasional camping outside official sites.
In addition, there are restrictions on camping near populated areas, beaches, and other places where many people gather.
Therefore, for the Camino in Portugal, the safest option is an official campsite or albergue, rather than looking for a random place to pitch a tent.
What if you really want to walk with a tent?
It is entirely possible. You should simply view the tent not as a way to spend the night wherever you want for free, but as an additional option.
You can plan your route through populated areas with campsites and check in advance whether they accept pilgrims with tents. Alternatively, you can ask to pitch your tent in an albergue’s yard and, for an additional fee, use the toilet and shower. Owners or hospitaleros often agree to this provided that you do not leave any rubbish behind.
The advantage of this approach is freedom and the ability not to depend on the number of beds in the albergue.
The obvious drawback is that a tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping mat add weight to your backpack. And if you are going to spend most nights in albergues anyway, that weight may prove unnecessary.
What I choose for accommodation when I walk the Camino
There is no single right way to spend the night.
- If you want to experience the pilgrim Camino, it is worth spending at least a few nights in municipal or donativo albergues.
- If price and comfort need to be balanced, a private albergue will be the best choice.
- If, after several days on the road, you want some peace and quiet, choose a private room in a hostal or pensión.
Save a hotel for special occasions: for example, after a particularly difficult stage or for the last night before Santiago.
For myself, I choose the following types of overnight accommodation:
- If there is a municipal albergue with good reviews and plenty of beds, I stay there. Because it offers low-cost, predictable conditions and atmosphere.
- If there is a good donativo albergue and it can be booked by phone, I book it. Because there will be a warm welcome, most often a delicious dinner featuring local cuisine, and a pilgrim atmosphere.
- If there are only private albergues, I book them one or two days in advance. Or earlier if I know for certain that I will arrive there for the night on a particular day. I am especially interested in this type of accommodation when I need to wash my clothes in a washing machine.
- I stay in a pension with a private room when there are affordable options, especially if I am walking the Camino with my daughter or have already met pilgrims along the way and we agree to book a room together. The price may be the same as two beds in a shared room.
- A hotel somewhere toward the end of the route — a way to rest and enjoy the final steps.
How to choose an albergue on the Camino
On the Camino, you should not choose an albergue based on price alone. The difference between two €15 places can be enormous: in one, you may get a clean bed, a locker, an outlet by your head, a kitchen, and a quiet room, while in the other there may be twenty beds, one shower per floor, and a neighbor who snores so loudly that earplugs will not help.
So before booking or paying, it is worth checking a few things.
1. How many people are in the room
This is one of the most important parameters.
A small albergue may have 6–8 beds in a room, while larger ones may have 20, 30, or even more. Most albergues have mixed rooms for men and women, although some offer separate women’s rooms or private rooms.
If you sleep poorly or are very sensitive to noise, it is better to look for a small room or a private bed in an albergue with partitions.
And remember: on the Camino, the main problem is not the number of people but snoring.
2. Is there a locker
Check whether there is a locker by the bed that can be locked. In good private albergues, this is standard, but simple municipal shelters may offer only space under the bed or open shelves.
For valuables, it is better to have your own small padlock.
Private or donativo albergues may also ask you to leave your backpack in a separate storage room rather than bring it into the sleeping room. This prevents the spread of bedbugs, which often travel in pilgrims’ backpacks from one albergue to another. They may also provide bags in which you must place your backpack before bringing it into the building.
3. Is there an outlet by the bed
It seems like a minor detail until you discover in the evening that there are three outlets for 20 pilgrims.
If it is important to you to charge your phone beside you, look at photos of the rooms or read reviews. In modern private albergues, outlets by the beds are already fairly common, but you should not count on this everywhere.
A power bank and a multi-outlet adapter for charging several devices at once are useful on the Camino.
4. Shower and toilet
Do not look only at whether they are available, but also at how many there are for the number of people. In a small albergue, two showers for ten people is perfectly reasonable. Dozens of pilgrims and two showers is a completely different story. It means queues and being unable to use the bathroom when you need to.
Also check whether the showers are in the room, on the floor, or in a separate shared area.
I try to choose albergues where the shower and toilet are located in separate rooms along the corridor, rather than in the same room where everyone sleeps. Because you really do not want to hear sounds from the toilet while lying in bed.
5. Laundry and drying
After walking 20–30 km, a washing machine can seem like one of the greatest blessings of civilization. Conditions vary greatly between albergues: some have a washing machine and dryer, while others have only a sink and clotheslines outside for hand washing.
Washing machines and dryers usually cost extra (€4–5). Therefore, pilgrims who have already met along the way and are staying in the same albergue often collect their laundry together and split the cost among several people.
So there is no need to take a lot of clothes with you. On the Camino, it is perfectly normal to wash your clothes every day.
6. Kitchen and self-catering
If you want to save money on food, the kitchen may be more important than Wi-Fi.
But the word “kitchen” does not always mean a fully equipped room. One albergue will have a stove, refrigerator, pots, plates, and everything necessary for cooking. Another will have only a stove and sink. And not a single pot or cup (that happened!).
Before going to the supermarket, it is worth checking exactly what is available in the kitchen. Sometimes previous pilgrims leave olive oil, salt, spices, and other products that can be used.
7. Is there heating or air conditioning?
This is especially important if you are walking in less-than-ideal weather. In northern Spain, mornings can be cool even during the season, while in summer some rooms become very hot. Therefore, in July and August, it is worth checking whether there are fans or air conditioning.
Do not underestimate this point: even a very good albergue can turn out to be uncomfortable if the room is 30°C and there is no proper ventilation.
But when there is no choice, you will have to adapt somehow.
8. Is there a garden, terrace, or common room?
This is not a necessity, but these little things often make an albergue pleasant. After a whole day of walking, you really want to sit on a terrace, drink coffee, wash your clothes, and simply watch other pilgrims arrive from the road.
Some private albergues have gardens, swimming pools, terraces, and communal meals. You can see information about this in the photos on Booking.com.
9. Distance from the route
“An albergue on the Camino” does not always mean “an albergue right on the Camino.” Check its location on the map. An additional 1–2 km after walking 30 km can be noticeable.
This is especially important in cities, where the albergue may be in the center while the route runs through the outskirts, or vice versa.
10. Pilgrim reviews
Reviews are one of the best ways to understand what you can really expect.
But do not read them only by their overall rating. Look for specific words:
- clean / cleanliness — cleanliness;
- quiet / noisy — whether it is quiet;
- snoring — snoring;
- beds / mattresses — the quality of the beds and mattresses;
- showers — showers;
- laundry — laundry;
- kitchen — kitchen;
- air conditioning / heating — room temperatures;
- locker — lockers;
- plugs / sockets — power outlets.
And be sure to check recent reviews. An albergue may change owners, undergo renovations, or, on the contrary, lose its former quality.
11. Is it possible to book?
This should be checked before you decide that this particular albergue is right for you.
Municipal albergues usually operate without reservations: places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. For example, reservations are not available in Galicia’s network of public albergues, and beds are assigned upon arrival. Pilgrims form a queue even if they arrive before opening time.
Private albergues, on the other hand, can often be booked by phone, via WhatsApp, on their own website, or through booking systems. I most often book through Booking.com. Or I look for the albergue’s contact details on Google Maps or on
the Gronze website.
If you are walking in July or August and it is important for you to have a bed for sure, a private albergue with reservations is a much more relaxing option.
12. What time can you arrive and when do you have to leave
Each albergue has its own schedule. In Galicia’s public network, for example, albergues open at 1:00 p.m., close at 10:00 p.m., and the lights go out at 10:30 p.m. Usually, you can stay there for only one night. Other municipal albergues may have check-in from 2–3 p.m.
It is important to observe these opening and closing hours so that the albergue host, or hospitalero, can complete all the tasks required to prepare the albergue for guests the following evening. If you arrive before the albergue opens, simply place your backpack in line by the entrance and wait for the hospitalero to arrive. Or head to the nearest bar and enjoy your favorite drink while you wait.
So if you are planning a long stage and know that you will arrive late, be sure to check the check-in time.
Don’t be afraid to spend the night in an albergue
The first evening in a room with ten strangers may seem strange. But that is often where friendships begin, ones that then last all the way to Santiago. People arrive tired, drop their backpacks beside their beds, take a shower, wash their T-shirts, and in the evening look for somewhere to eat together.
The next morning, you may wake up beside someone whose name you did not even know yesterday, and a few days later meet them again on the road. This is one of those little Camino miracles that bring many people back to the route again and again.
And one more piece of advice: don’t try to find the best albergue on the entire Camino. You simply don’t need it.
Sometimes, after 30 km on the road, the best albergue is the one that is 100 meters away from you, has an available bed, a hot shower, and a place to dry your socks.
That is why it is better to leave the Camino at least somewhat unpredictable.
Useful articles and links:
- My Camino Lebaniego – a route through the Picos de Europa
- Camino de Santiago – which route to choose
- Camino de Santiago – how to prepare for the pilgrims’ route
- My Camino Mozárabe – the Way of Saint James through Andalusia
- Holy Year in Santiago de Compostela: why 2027 will be special
