Albergue Santiago Apostol

At about 10 pm, a rowdy group of men checked in and kept me from getting to sleep early. The common area is dark and stuffy, while the rooms are small and crammed with beds. Bathrooms and showers are very old and poorly maintained. The clothes drying area is in a locked courtyard, and my friend couldn’t get his clothes when he tried to leave around 5:30 am. This was the worst albergue I stayed in on the Camino. Pilgrims should sleep elsewhere, as the place didn’t seem built for them.

We paid 73€ for one night in that room. It was right beside the entrance, and once we’d arrived late and headed straight out for dinner, we didn’t realize the problem until it was too late: it was impossible to sleep there. The huge entrance door has an automatic closer that makes it slam shut whenever someone comes in or out. The whole building shakes, and we were trying to sleep right next to it. Since it’s a hostel, people are coming and going constantly.

The showers had broken heads and mold on the curtains, the sinks weren’t clean, and there were no outlets anywhere except the bathroom. The facilities are bad, and the place is extremely dirty and poorly maintained. There’s almost no staff or administration keeping an eye on things. I’d only come here for a bed if there were no other options. Calling it minimalist would be polite.

The location was reasonable, and breakfast was decent. Albergue Santiago Apostol can take lots of guests, with plenty of bunks per room, so it’s an affordable option for pilgrims with different budgets. The service was good, though the communal bathrooms could use more cleaning given how many people stay there.