The first day we slept in a convent, we became pilgrims on El Camino — even if we didn’t yet know what that meant (and perhaps we are still reaching towards understanding). As such, we were given passports that would allow us to sleep for 5 euros each night in albergues, which is a word that really means refuge or shelter.
Before walking El Camino, I wondered about how enjoyable these albergues would be. I recalled the hostels of my twenties, filled with snoring drunk people stumbling in from a night of fiesta. I never liked hostels as a youth, and I doubted I would feel great in them in my thirties. But, they’re affordable and accessible all along our way.
I had no idea that finding shelter would mean so much more than a comfortable bed and a shower.
Shelter here means honoring the experiences of all pilgrims, in silence and in respect.
Shelter here is a sense of community and commitment to a shared journey.
The vast majority of pilgrims stay in albergues, and co-create a space of quietude and rest. Often, no one talks around the beds, as pilgrims might be resting at any time after their trying journey – perhaps having risen at 4am, or planning to the next day.
What I notice is that I feel incredibly safe in these refugios, where I often share space with 20-50 other humans – perfect strangers – in one big room.
Sometimes I am reminded of the mandatory naps in kindergarten. When the blue mats came out, it was time to lay our little bodies down, be quiet, sleep. Communally, we rested. Other moments, I think of pilgrims as a group of summer camp kids or a sports team – uniquely bonded by a common experience, politics and personalities pushed aside for a time, if possible.
There is something sacred about the albergues.
In fact, the two nights we’ve slept outside of the municipal or convent-sponsored shelters were the nights I couldn’t sleep as well. The albergue has been part of our walk. When we have left the communal sleeping shelters, I tend to feel anxious (to my huge surprise).
The shelters are like watering holes for all of us to recharge our stores of sustenance – physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually. It’s a place to connect with a sense of home, and each other. To step into the distinct world each albergue manifests.
Special treats at shelters:
Hot Water
Soap
Freshly laundered sheets (we typically use our own that we brought).
Two single beds we can push together to make one double
