Camino de Santiago accommodation

The famous Camino hostels, known locally as albergues and more internationally as refuges, are prolific on the Camino Francés route. They are often packed in summer months and for this reason, most Camino holiday tour operators organise hotel accommodation for you. But it is worth knowing about the albergues as they are iconic institutions really, a little bit like the mountain refuges for hikers en route to or around Mont Blanc. They are cheap, dormitory style accommodation which traditionally couldn’t be booked, in an ‘always room at the inn’ sort of a way. They vary in style, size and management, some run by religious institutions, others by the local authority and there are many more private ones popping up along the way now too.

Traditional family run bed and breakfasts are very popular options along the Camino de Santiago and many of them have been hosting pilgrims and walkers for generations. They vary in style from mountain chalets with simple rooms but unforgettable Pyrenean views, to a lovingly restored ancient stone casa in the heart of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a medieval town with its own cathedral. Usually quite rustic in style, you will be hosted with a family-style welcome with plenty of understanding about your long distance walking needs.

Some of our favourite hotels along the way include a medieval building converted into a boutique hotel on the banks of the River Najerilla, in the heart of the Rioja wine region, or in a former monastery in Carrion de los Condes, with stunning gardens, stone architecture, beamed ceilings and all round ethereal aesthete. You can stay in a hotel in the Gothic heart of Astorga with a room that looks out over Antonio Gaud’s Episcopal Palace.