La Pata de Oca Hostal Rural y Albergue

The shared pilgrim dinner is what made this Camino stop so memorable. Ten of us from different parts of the world ate together and swapped stories, with plenty of pasta, salad, cake, and wine. Vincent was a kind, generous host who made me feel at home. Our private room and bath were very clean, and the rooms had a Templar theme in their decor.

The building and interior are stunning, and the place clearly has potential. Still, I’d avoid it if I could go back. Dinner was awful, and there was no breakfast. Everything was locked up in the morning, so we left confused and walked two hours before finding food. The owner’s bizarre, confrontational rudeness made this the worst place I stayed on my Camino. At first I thought he was eccentric, then his behavior seemed unstable. He’s a small, older man, but reminded me of an aggressive chihuahua. The absurdity ended up being funny in its own way during my walk, but I’d warn people there are much better options.

The room in the attic was a cute bunk room, and the shower was hot, but the sheets and pillows were dirty. It was the first place on the Camino where I worried about bedbugs. There was no heat either, and when friends in a private room asked for a heater, he yelled at them to go to another hotel. We’d been told by phone we could arrive by 8, but when we got there at 6:10 pm, he kept shouting “you don’t understand” in Spanish. He only let us in after our friend begged and explained we were with her group. He wouldn’t serve us dinner at first, then randomly gave me some after all, and there was nowhere else to eat in the village. In the morning the restaurant was locked tight, and the innkeeper was nowhere around. We had to walk for hours before finding coffee and food in another town. A pretty crazy experience. I’m writing this to spare others.

I was walking the Camino de Santiago from Los Argos to Viana and stopped for coffee before setting off again. The cafetería was nicely decorated, and I enjoyed the break.