Albergue Turistico La Torre

The Wi-Fi barely reached the rooms, though it worked fine in the bar. I was also sent to the wrong entrance by Google Maps: the door is around the building by the red tables and chairs, inside the restaurant, not on the main street across from the bank ATM. Bring cash, since they don’t take cards. The rooms were clean, if dated, and not as bad as some reviews suggested. The man serving us seemed unfriendly at first, but he did make the special food request I asked for.

The beds were comfortable and the rooms were okay, just a bit dated. I didn’t try the chicken, though it smelled really good. What I couldn’t accept was being locked on the second floor after 10 pm. There was no safe way out at night in an emergency, which made me very uncomfortable given how much I care about personal safety. That’s not okay with me.

In the quiet hilltop village of Arcahueja, this is the last albergue before León. There are 20 beds and a nicely shaded terrace café-bar, making it a good place to stop for coffee or a beer before the dreary walk through the unpleasant outskirts of León. You could also stay the night and pass through the city the next morning instead.

The building has been renovated, and the albergue itself is modern with decent facilities, though the sleeping area felt crowded. I found the staff unkind and their English limited. The pilgrim menu is only served at 7 pm, and my meal was very bad. It also gave me stomach problems, though that’s just my experience. As the last place to stay before León, I don’t think it’s worth stopping here. The facilities are fine, but the staff and how the place is run need work.