Before walking the Camino, I was quite curious about the places I would be staying overnight. I love discovering cozy, authentic accommodations, and I was excited about the experiences I would have on the Camino. I also remember being quite apprehensive about sleeping in dormitories. Would I be able to sleep through the noise and snoring? Would I feel safe? Would I be able to keep track of my belongings? (Now I can answer yes to all of that.)
I stayed at many different places during my Camino journey, and while many were unremarkable, some left a lasting impression on me. I’ll share a few of those places here in this post. In exchange, I had a fascinating conversation with another pilgrim about the diverse experiences one can have with the places they stay. One standout experience for me was spending the night in a church in the town of Grañón. We prepared a communal dinner, slept on mattresses on the floor, some played guitar, and we sang and shared stories throughout the evening. It was an incredibly enriching experience for me. However, the woman I spoke with had stayed at the same place but had a completely different experience—she didn’t sleep well and didn’t feel a strong connection with the others staying there the same night as her.
Before sharing my experiences I just want to remind you of this, because it illustrates that while recommendations can be useful, everyone’s personal experience may differ. I believe it largely depends on the people you end up staying with and how you’re feeling on that particular day.
Check out Camino Packing List and Camino thoughts
Here are some of the accommodations I remember from my journey:
I had booked my first night in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (SJPDP) in advance. It was a comforting start, and I found the place to be really cozy—though the entire town is just charming! So I think many other places could be just as good.
A small Albergue in the town of Villatuerta
After about a week, I remember stopping a bit earlier than planned in a small town where I found this lovely hostel. It could only accommodate a few guests, and the place was really clean and tidy. I recall appreciating the kitchen, which had everything I needed.
As I mentioned earlier, I had a really good experience staying here.
I had a private stay at this nice hostel in the town of Carrion de Los Condes. It was affordable, clean, neat, and cozy. I absolutely loved it!
Dormitory with a beautiful sunset in O Cebreiro
I remember this place for its stunning sunset views over the mountains in the evening. The town itself was just charming—a place I would definitely recommend staying in, especially with a lovely pilgrim’s mass in the evening. On the flip side, it was probably one of the worst nights I had because my bunkmates were quite noisy—but that’s something you can never predict in advance 😉
Overall, I surprisingly enjoyed sleeping in dormitories and ended up finding it quite cozy to share sleeping quarters with so many others. Several of the places I stayed had such beautiful views, like the large Albergue in Astorga.
