Estação Real

The building is beautiful, and it’s amazing that it used to be an old train station. We were welcomed warmly and could choose between two bedrooms. Ours was large, clean, and fully equipped. Pilgrims going toward Azambuja should consider it too. There’s a pleasant little restaurant across the street with simple traditional food at a good price.

This hostel is right on the railway tracks, so the noise could be a problem if you’re not used to it. I still really enjoyed staying here. It’s a renovated old station, and each room is named for a historical figure connected with Portugal’s first railway. The host shares some fascinating history about that, so don’t miss it. Fair price for a night.

The room and bathroom were both large, and there were a few decorative touches. But the bathroom had room for a large shower and freestanding bath, yet only a tiny cubicle was squeezed into one corner. There was one broken chair, too, and hardly any power sockets. We had to get plastic drinking cups from the café across the road because there were no glasses in the room. The décor felt like style had taken priority over useful facilities. We were on the ground floor of the converted station, facing an old platform that the public could access and had graffiti on its walls. Our windows also faced the active platforms, so trains and announcements were quite noisy. There was no natural light or ventilation, and no air conditioning. A plug-in radiator heated the big room. Check-in started at 5 pm, which seemed late to us. Since we’d arrived on foot, we took a train to pass the time before the room was ready. Vala Do Carregado has very few facilities and a large power station dominates the view. It’s not a particularly attractive setting.

A really nice, clean place in a good location for pilgrims or tourists following the Fatima and Santiago route.