Señor Oso

Over the 3200kms I’ve walked on the Camino, I’ve stayed in plenty of Albergue’s, and Senor Oso is one I’d say is worth stopping at. Jose is an absolute legend. He went out of his way when I needed help. The place is clean, tidy, and well organized, with seriously hot water in the shower and hot water at the basin for shaving my old beard. Trust me!

The host is a funny, engaging character who clearly cares about the Camino and his guests. He bakes each pilgrim a delicious cob loaf for breakfast. Some reviewers have called him strict, but I think he’s just asking people to follow good practices. This 16-bed albergue is a gem.

If you like staying at your overbearing, anal-retentive father-in-law’s house, this is the place for you. Señor Oso is well maintained and professionally set up, which I appreciated while walking the Camino. But the owner’s response to a situation struck me as a major overreaction and not how someone hosting pilgrims should behave. I was planning to stay there that night, but while eating ice cream with my friend I realized I’d miss the 10 PM curfew. I chose to sleep elsewhere so I wouldn’t break the albergue’s rules or disturb anyone. I came back shortly after 6 AM to collect my things and leave with my brother, well before the 8 AM checkout. I followed the stated rules: the doors were locked from 10 PM-6 AM, I left by 8 AM, and I hadn’t disturbed other guests. Still, the owner, José, kept asking my brother where I was after the 10 PM lights-out. He came into our room at 11:27 PM, then again between 1-2 AM. The door noise and hall light woke my brother. José also threatened to call the police and kick him out, apparently because my brother couldn’t reach me. My phone had died, so I couldn’t answer or reply to his messages. The interruptions disturbed my brother’s sleep and made the place feel unwelcoming. I understand an albergue owner might worry about a guest’s safety, but this kind of intrusion and escalation felt out of proportion when no rules had been broken. The attached text conversation, or his replies to other pilgrim reviews, show the kind of emotional overreaction I mean. I respectfully urge José to rethink these responses. Pilgrims come to the Camino looking for rest and respect. The quality of the albergue couldn’t make up for how this experience affected my stay, and I hope future guests are treated with more consideration.

We never felt welcome. The owner was very unfriendly and had a really strange manner, treating us like children who were getting everything wrong from the start. Shortly before 9:30 p.m. he came in, rudely told us to go to bed, and went over his rules. Later he came into our room and just shut the door. It felt like a prison, with no freedom to move around.