Albergues on the Camino: A Constellation of Hospitality

Since the first pilgrims made their way to Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages, they have had one pressing need: to find somewhere to spend the night after a hard day's walk.  

Throughout the whole of Europe, hospitals mushroomed, spurred by the enthusiasm of former pilgrims and the Christian spirit of pilgrimage. They were maintained by confraternities, institutions belonging to the church, military orders, or by the Crown itself. This is true Hospital Real de Santiago, whose erection was ordered by Catholic Kings and which is a five-star hotel today.

These buildings which tended to pilgrims' every need began losing importance, so much so that they almost disappeared at the beginning of the 19th century. It wasn't until the beginning of the 1960s and 1970s that they started to re-emerge and firmly took root in the Holy Year of 1993.  

During that year, in a bid to promote the Camino de Santiago, the Regional Government of Galicia opened its first public albergues. Year after year, new albergues were added to form a public network comprised of over 70 albergues accommodating more than 3,000 people. 

Other public administrations and Jacobean associations built on this effort by opening albergues in other regions in Spain and other European countries. Many private establishments now provide accommodation for pilgrims.

Albergues in the Public Albergue Network of the Camino de Santiago in Galicia carry out important work to promote local life, while contributing to reviving historical heritage.  

But above all, they are places where people can meet and travelers from different backgrounds, with different reasons for making the pilgrimage, can share accommodation.  

Albergues embody the spirit of the medieval pilgrim hospitals. Their core purpose is hospitality; they are places that welcome travelers and tend to pilgrims' every need.  

Albergues contain dormitories, bathrooms, a kitchen, lounge, and laundry facilities. They also have adapted facilities. Usually reservation is not required, except in the current climate due to Covid-19.

Pilgrims wishing to stay in albergues should be aware of the clear pecking order, beginning with people with physical impairments, pilgrims traveling on foot, on horseback, by bike, and lastly those traveling in supported vehicles.   

In Galicia, there are albergues on all pilgrimage routes. Let's take a look at some of the best:  

In the Holy Year of 1993, the Regional Government of Galicia created the Public Network of Albergues on the Camino de Santiago by opening several albergues, which are still around today. Many of them serve as focal points for pilgrims, such as the  O Cebreiro, which is located at the beginning of the Camino Francés in Galicia and is  one of the busiest. 

Ribadiso albergue is located next to the bridge where the Camino Francés crosses the river Iso before reaching Arzúa. It is a peaceful place, and unique in that it is a functioning hospital dating back to  Medieval times. 

Santiago de Compostela has the largest capacity albergue with 500 beds. It is located in  Monte do Gozo  and welcomes pilgrims from all routes. 

In the last three decades, the Galician albergue network has gone from strength to strength. For Historical buildings from different eras are being repurposed to cater for the ever-increasing need. This is the case with  O Poulo, on the Camino Inglés, the English Camino, for which an old 19th-century rectory house was restored. 

Casa de Pasarín, on the Camino Primitivo, dates back to the same century. Careful restoration has brought this emblazoned palatial house back to life in A Fonsagrada. Modernist paintings adorn the base boards in dormitories that have beds and bunk beds for 42 people.  

In Redondela, on the Camino Portugués, the pilgrims' albergue occupies yet another iconic building: the  Casa da Torre. It is a Renaissance palace from the 16th century, one of the finest historical constructions in the town.

Contributions to the new architectural heritage include the construction of new albergues, where practicality and aesthetics are seamlessly intertwined. Pilgrims following the Camino de Fisterra y Muxía can enjoy a good example of this in the form of   O Conco , in Dumbría, designed by Rosana Pichel.  

Many of these hostels have won awards for their contribution to contemporary architecture. Bendoiro, in Lalín, is one such hostel, which was designed by architect  Celestino García Braña over two old houses in the middle of the Vía de la Plata trail.