Casa Douro

They let me check in even though I arrived very late, and kindly stored my luggage for a few days while I did the Camino. A great five-star base before starting the Camino de Santiago.

A good-value, quiet spot to rest and recover, with small rooms but surprisingly soft, comfortable beds. There’s a desk and chair and a fan in each room, though the rooms can get stuffy. The terrace and washing machine were useful. I did find it unpleasant that my friend, a pilgrim staying elsewhere, was told they could only join me on the terrace for breakfast for 30 minutes. I suppose they have a rule to enforce. Still, if you want to avoid snorers or a loud church bell by your bed in a hostel after your Camino, get a private room. It’s a 10-minute walk to both the cathedral and the train station.

The room looked nice, but its window faced an inner courtyard, just 40cm from the bathroom window. With that window open, there could be a lot of noise. The walls and doors seemed like cardboard, and I could hear everything, even someone across the corridor coughing. The bathroom smelled horrible and barely ventilated. The coffee area wasn’t properly equipped either, with no mugs or cups, tissues or much else. It felt like a university dorm, with loud music, passive-aggressive rules posted on the walls, and doors being slammed. The woman at reception was friendly. The man I dealt with in the morning, when my fiance came to help me pack, was not reasonable. He banged on the door and said my fiance had to leave immediately because the law didn’t allow him to stay in a single room. I was due to check out in less than an hour, and he was only visiting, not staying there. It seemed to me they were desperate to micromanage the resources you use and didn’t understand how the laws work. I don’t recommend this place and definitely won’t return.

The rooms and bathrooms were very clean, and came with soap, shampoo, dental hygiene kits, earplugs, slippers and bottled water. Check-in isn’t available before 3 (15:00). You can hear between rooms, but this is budget accommodation. The terraces have some views, and the rooms have windows. I’d stay here again.