Albergue Aqua Portomarin

The kitchen was practical, the room was very good, and the shared bathrooms, one for two rooms, were fine too. They were one floor below us. Thomas was a funny, helpful young guy who helped us forget the tough road and face directions. There’s a good restaurant nearby, and the town is interesting. This stretch of the Camino is wonderful.

Check-in took 40 minutes because there was only one staff member or owner. He helped people who arrived after me first, and I felt discriminated against because I’m Asian while they were Spanish. When I asked why, he said my room was in another building, but he should have explained that before I had to ask. He drove us there in his car. I shut the door the way I do with my own car, and he yelled at me for closing it too hard. Terrible, unprofessional service that ruined my Camino trip.

Fani was a welcoming, nice host, but the room was a poor value at 30 euros. The bed sagged so badly it felt like sleeping in a bowl, and the thin walls and doors let every hallway and room noise through. I could even hear people using the bathroom despite wearing earplugs. The tiny plastic sachet of shower gel was barely enough for one part of your body. I got very little sleep and wish I’d stayed in the albergue instead. These private rooms with shared bathrooms are at the Pensión Aqua location. To me, the experience reflects a bigger problem: the Camino is turning into a tourist industry where everyone tries to cash in, cutting costs and charging what they can because the peregrinos will keep coming in waves and won’t be back.

The second-floor room comes with one of the best views you could ask for, and you’ll feel like a different person the next day. The place was clean, the reception staff were nice, and the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was amazing.