Pilgrim Hostals / Albergues

In Spain and southern France, pilgrim’s hostels can be found along the common routes providing overnight accommodation for pilgrims who hold a pilgrim passport, credencial.
 
In Spain this type of accommodation is called a refugio or an albergue, both of which are similar to youth hostels or hostelries in the French system of Gîtes d’étape.
 
Beds are usually in dormitories, and they cost between three and seven Euros per night, but a few operate on voluntary donations, especially in Galicia, and are known as donativos. Pilgrims are usually limited to one night’s accommodation unless they are carrying an injury or re in need of a rest.
 
These hostels may be run by the local parish, the local council, private owners, or pilgrims’ associations. Occasionally these albergues are located in monasteries, such as the one in Samos, Spain, which is run by monks as is the one in Santiago de Compostela.
 
Most pilgrims carry a pilgrim passport, credencial, which allows overnight accommodation in the albergues.
 
The credencial is stamped with the official St. James stamp, sello, of each town or refugio at which the pilgrim has stayed. It provides pilgrims with a record of where they ate or slept, but also serves as proof to the Pilgrim’s office in Santiago that the journey has been completed according to the official route.
 
The credencial is available at albergues, tourist offices, some local parish houses, and outside Spain, through the national St. James organisation of that country. See this article for more information.
 
A lot of the Albergues are open all year round with most opening between Easter and October. The list of albergues is constantly growing as the Camino de Santiago grows in popularity. Albergues are run in a first come first serve basis and although we have included telephone numbers for a lot of the albergues, these are to be used in emergencies only or if you are walking the Camino in winter time and need to check that the albergues are open.
 
Keep in mind that the closer you get to Santiago the busier the route becomes and finding a bed for the night at your destination can become quite ‘competitive’. Be prepared to leave a little earlier in the morning to arrive in time to find a bed!
 
Most albergues are clean and well looked after, there are of course a few exceptions. They open at around 13:00 an you are expected to be up and out in the morning before 08:30. lot of people start out as early in the morning so expect to hear movement and the rustling of plastic bags from as early as 05:30.
 
If you are a light sleeper, a good set (or two) of earplugs is advisable.
 
The stamped credencial is also necessary if the pilgrim wants to obtain a Compostela, a certificate of completion of the pilgrimage. Most often the stamp can be obtained in the albergue, Cathedral or local church. If the church is closed, the town hall or office of tourism can provide a stamp, as well as nearby youth hostels or private St. James addresses.
 
As the pilgrimage approaches Santiago however, the increased number of pilgrims cause many of the stamps in small towns to be self-service, while in the larger towns there are several options to obtain the necessary stamp.