FromPonte de Lima to Redondela
Hello La Scimmia friend, and welcome back to the review of the best hostels on the Way of Santiago, based on my experience, of course.
In the last article, we said goodbye in Ponte de Lima, today we’ll get even closer to our destination.
Today, we’ll discover the best hostels on the Way of Santiago between Rubiães, Tui, and Redondela.
If you’re ready to begin, and I know you are, put away your sunglasses and get ready to face fog and rain.
Twenty-first Stage: the best hostels on the Way of Santiago between Ponte de Lima and Rubiães (20km)
Leaving Ponte de Lima, after crossing its beautiful bridge and visiting the peaceful church at its end, we head straight for the most beautiful and challenging stage of this journey.
Initially, the road may seem peaceful as we follow the course of the Labruja River, which soothes and relaxes us for a good part of the journey.
But when it’s time to tackle the famous and tough climb to Alto de Portela, fatigue mixes with awe for those magical and verdant places, leaving us stunned at every step.
This was definitely the most challenging route for me.
Arriving drenched in rain (it poured incessantly for 4 hours), I decided to stop at the first place to sleep I found: Pensão Repouso do Peregrino.
After a whole day under the rain, this pension was truly an oasis of peace for me.
The pros of this facility are:
- The room: although very Spartan, the single room was super warm, as was the shower, equipped with a comfortable bed and a television.
- The services: the pension doesn’t have a restaurant, but it offers a free shuttle service to an affiliated restaurant (with the option to choose the pilgrim’s dish).
- Hospitality: the hostess prepared a takeaway breakfast for me as I was leaving before opening hours, and she allowed me to warm my shoes under the radiator in the common area.
The cons of the facility:
- The Wi-Fi: it’s not available in the room but only in the common area.
- The price: 25 euros for a room, although very comfortable without Wi-Fi, could be an excessive expense for a pilgrim.
Despite these minor negatives, Pensão Repouso saved me by providing shelter from the rain when I needed it most; although there are cheaper options, I still feel confident in recommending it.
For more information, you can visit the official Facebook page of the facility.
If you want to book through our website, you can find the link on Booking.
Twenty-second Stage: Rubiães-Tui (25km)
After bidding farewell to the pension early in the morning, we have a great day ahead: we’ll say goodbye to Portugal to enter Spain directly.
Today’s stage is Tui, the first Spanish city we’ll encounter on the Portuguese Way.
Today’s journey was long, wet, and windy, Tui seemed very far away, and although it’s only 3 km from Portugal, the longing for the Lusitanian land began to be felt as soon as I set foot in Tui.
Fortunately, this city with its slow charm and the hostel where I decided to stay eased my melancholy.
Ideas Peregrinas hostel in Tui is tailored for both pilgrims and tourists.
It has a lovely bar attached to the structure, where you can enjoy a good pinchos or savor a full meal while sipping a fresh Estrela de Galicia.
The bar also has a shop with excellent technical gear for trekking and stylish gadgets branded Ideas Peregrinas, of course.
The pros of the facility are:
- The location: the hostel is just a stone’s throw away from the splendid Cathedral of Tui (which I recommend visiting, the entrance fee for pilgrims is 3 euros, if I remember correctly).
Cloister of Tui Cathedral - The structure: it has a kitchen with everything necessary for cooking. Furthermore, the common areas are enchanting, with a reading room and a space dedicated to yoga and meditation; moreover, the Wi-Fi works throughout the structure.
- The room: the dormitory is warm and comfortable, as are the beds and the shower, which is not in the room but just a step away from it (literally).
- Hospitality: Monica and her staff (sorry, I don’t remember the names) made me feel truly at home, with a chat and advice on the journey.
- The price: 11 euros per night, for a warm and comfortable mixed dormitory just steps away from the Cathedral, seems like a very fair price.
Ideas Peregrinas was the best place for me to refresh and face the last 100 km, so I highly recommend it. Ideas Peregrinas is undoubtedly one of the best hostels on the Way of Santiago in terms of value for money.
If you want more information and then to book, you can visit the official website.
Twenty-third Stage: the best hostels on the Way of Santiago between Tui and Redondela (38km)
Leaving Tui at the crack of dawn, maybe even earlier, we head towards Redondela, always accompanied by our friend rain.
Today’s route is very long and burdened even more by the rain. Between an industrial area and a bit of nature, the 38 km of the day passed slowly.
I didn’t have a place to sleep for this stage either, so I decided to ask two guys, who I didn’t yet know would become my future travel companions, but that’s another story.
The guys recommended Albergue de Peregrinos Casa Da Torre, a facility specifically for pilgrims.
To sleep in this hostel, you need to have the Pilgrim Credential and prove that you are a pilgrim. Also, be aware that curfew is at 10:00 PM, after which the facility closes, whether you’re in or out.
The pros of the facility:
- The dormitory: warm and with comfortable beds, there are no blankets (so you need a sleeping bag), the shower is hot, and there is Wi-Fi throughout the structure.
- The price: 8 euros for a dormitory with all the comforts is a small contribution to these types of facilities specifically made for pilgrims.
On the downside, we can say that the kitchen doesn’t have utensils, so if you want to cook your own food, you also need to bring some cookware with you.
This issue is solvable since there is a restaurant just steps away from the facility. The restaurant offers a pilgrim menu for 10 euros, great for feeding a tired pilgrim.
If you’re interested in sleeping in a facility specifically for pilgrims, you can visit the official website of the Albergue.
We’re getting closer and closer to Santiago; but fear not because our review of the best hostels on the Way of Santiago is not over yet.
Happy journey, pilgrim, until the next article.