Albergue Azabache - Hostel

I’ve stayed twice, including during the nationwide power outage of 2025, when the staff took such good care of us. They’re incredibly helpful. The location is unbeatable, just a stone’s throw from the cathedral, and the rooms are spacious and comfortable. Rooms on the top floor have small terraces, there’s a handy common room, and the old wood throughout looks gorgeous. Highly recommended.

The room had no privacy curtains on the beds, so everyone could see one another. The area was noisy too, with shops and bars downstairs and a music bar opposite playing until nearly morning. People were yelling outside all night, and I could barely sleep before 6 or 7 a.m. Then, at 11 a.m., staff woke me and said I had to leave the hostel until 1 p.m. while they cleaned. I’d booked two nights and had only just spent my first night there. They said nobody could stay anywhere in the hostel, including the sitting room, kitchen, or toilet. I had to go out without time to shower or even use the toilet, looking half asleep and awful, and sit on the street until 1. I couldn’t bring myself to sit in a cafe looking like that. It felt wrong to make guests leave for two hours so the room could be cleaned, and the lack of sleep made me ill. I wouldn’t recommend staying more than one night. If you come back late after partying, you won’t be allowed to stay in after 11 a.m.

You can pay €6 for a quick shower here before heading elsewhere, and that includes a towel. When I went, the shower was clean and modern, just right for freshening up. The receptionist also let us relax in the common area.

I’ve come back for a second stay, even with so many places to choose from in Santiago de Compostela. That says plenty, and I’ll be staying here again. It’s less than a stone’s throw from the Cathedral.