O Encontro

The owner was very nice, but when I checked in I noticed several signs saying the owners weren’t responsible for theft. That made me switch from the open dorm to a private room with a key. On the last night, someone broke into that room and robbed a kid at knifepoint. It was frightening. I know hostels aren’t always the safest, but security needs to be improved.

The bathroom and shower were good, and the location worked well. Four of us shared a four-bed dorm, but one bunk creaked terribly whenever anyone moved. The staff were neither friendly nor helpful. There are plenty of other places at the same price, so we decided to go elsewhere the next night.

The hosts are doing a great job, and I’d happily return. It’s amazingly clean for an Albergue, costs just 10 EUR a night, and there’s coffee in the morning whenever you happen to get up. I had a lovely couple of nights at O Encontro and already miss it. Such a warm, welcoming place 😊😉

The hospitalero was kind, and there was plenty of free food for cooking, which is handy if you’re a budget pilgrim trying to save on meals. Lots of tea and coffee, too, and I was even offered a cooked meal at no cost. The room and bathroom were clean, though there was no heating and one bed was very noisy. I’d ended up here after learning the public albergue was closed. I really don’t like being pulled in from the street to find accommodation, but I decided to stay.