Refuge Orisson

Perfect start to the Camino

Food is good atmosphere is great

Orisson was a great place to stop! Beds were comfy and the staff were very kind. They did a great job building community during dinner. Breakfast is bread, jam, and cereal. Not my favorite but definitely eat because the food truck may or may be there. I also got a ham and cheese sandwich to go which was super tasty.

I think that was me who posted the previous comment. It all worked out!
It was very chilly and wet, but warm and cozy inside . The communal dinner was special. A great way to start the journey,

I cannot say enough, good things about staying in Morrison the first night of your Camino Francis. Coming across the Pyrenees we were absolutely wiped out, and we were greeted with such kindness and concern, we were shown to our rooms to unload. Staff was very attentive to our needs, the communal dinner was lovely, I would highly recommend!

Like everyone else, I read heavily up on reviews prior to the Camino, and was a bit apprehensive after seeing mixed reviews of Orisson. I don’t know if others had different circumstances to me or just came in with too-high expectations. However, I have no complaints.

The rooms were clean (those in the separate building across the road from the restaurant appear to be brand new, and are very well kept) and warm enough for the rainy weather we were faced with in mid April. The 5 minute showers were enough, and it’s understandable why they need to institute the limit, being so remote. The communal dinner was great to meet other pilgrims and the staff did a wonderful job of facilitating it.

It took the pressure off my first day, especially given the gruelling weather over the mountains. I’d book again in a heartbeat.

We arrived in Orisson after walking our first day of the French Way and had read mixed reviews about this cAlbergue. Let me tell you, the place is amazing! The views are gorgeous, the staff has gone out of their way to meet our needs, the food is great, and we have blankets to keep us warm. And the best part of the stay is after dinner each person introduced themself. We’re in gratitude to be on this incredible journey!
🙏🥾🙏

If you have any physical ailments Refuge Orisson and Borda are your only real options, so if you can’t get in at Borda try and make it as positive an experience as you can at Refuge Orisson as you have probably already read some of the pitfalls, the real positive is you will still be in good shape to make to roncesvalles the next day

They know they are pretty much the only option for people that can't make the full stage in one day.

Timed showers with broken locks, toilets without seats, only cold water in the sinks, minimum charging options, wet/moldy sealing, there was also a hole in the floor next to our bed with dirt/ground peeking through... and the clothes lines were in the shade, so nothing really dried... That's if you can even wash anything properly in cold water....

Dinner was quite silly as well... The portions they bring for the whole table to split are ridiculous... My 3 year old niece coluld probably eat more ... You just have to keep asking for more... It was funny, because everyone at the table would clearly eat more, but after third refill you feel kind of awkward asking for more... Women at the table would pass those few paper-thin slices of meat to men as "having enough", but when we figured we can get another refill, they ate as well. It was still too little...

But the chance is that if you are reading this, you have no choice, but to stay anyway...

If you have an option, I would avoid staying here. The views are beautiful but the Albergue is aware that some people can't walk to Roncesvalles so are forced to stay. The staffs attitude towards people is like they don't care and the toilets don't even have toilet seats.

We stayed here for one night as it was too much for us to walk to Roncesvalles. Dinner was alright, portions were not great!
NO toilet seats in the toilet which was ridiculous!
Cold no heating, we used our body heat to heat the rooms so it stunk a bit of sweat!
We were treated quite poorly really, more like a school hostel naughty children!
The views are stunning, especially in the morning!
5 minute coin shower, be prepared

Pros- fabulous views. And a great introduction at dinner where everyone took it in turns to stand up and introduce themselves

Cons. Terrible food. They didn’t give us bread with the soup starter and said they were short on bread. Don’t get the sandwich , its dry and hard, they offer to sell you for the next days hike but stock up in SJPp instead.
No where else gives you a token to limit your shower to 5 minutes of luke warm water. The bunks are flimsy and feel they might tople over.

Small place. Friendly hosts. One charging station where you can plug in the usb cable and charge phone, watch , etc located on the central part of the facility. No Wi-Fi ( maybe a good thing). You will be provided w a coin to insert and start your 5 minute shower. hang clothes out to dry on the lines ( if it’s not raining). There was not enough room for all pilgrims to dine together. Some had to be separated. Dinner was warm and delicious. Be prepared to buy your lunch here to take to roncesvalles since it’s a long steep uphill trek.

Walking up the mountain on day 1 from SJPP is brutal. And, the only place to stay is Orisson. When you’re walking the last leg of the trail , you can’t see the Refuge. Then you notice the finally flat trail start to wind upward in the near distance and your heart sinks. But, alas right around the corner is Orisson waiting with food, drinks and camaraderie. Never been so happy to see the place.
Be prepared, there are no blankets and no heat. It was very cold.
There are literally 3 bathrooms for 30+ people. 1 men, 1 women showers, 2 stalls. They should invest in providing additional bath/showers! Coin provided for your 5 minute shower!

New number for Refuge Orisson + 33 6 86 99 82 03

Great place to meet pilgrims you might walk with during the rest of your Camino. A roof over your head in poor weather. The short walk from SJPDP means you won’t get far on your first day of walking. But can help you get the wrinkles out of your hiking plans. Bad is facilities get overwhelmed by number of people staying here, insufficient outlets for charging and no wifi. Owner apparently knows better than the guests what’s good for them when it comes to technology. Beds are flimsy and challenging to get in and out of top bunk. In inclement weather you have to go to bed after supper because there’s no common gathering other than the outdoor patio area. A gathering place for noobs not quite ready to shove off on their own.

I stayed there for my first night on the Camino from Saint Jean. Though you may get there earlier in the day, I would recommend staying here for the first day if you are an inexperienced walker as the trip to Roncesvalles may be taxing in the long term. Plainly, the amenities at Orisson are terrible: the beds are a tad uncomfortable, there’s a washer but no working dryer. However, I believe it is 100% worth a stay. The views that you get at refuge Orisson are once in a life time. In addition, the pilgrim dinner here (included in the price of the bed) is one of the best I’ve had.

Good meals, pleasant atmosphere . Good community. But the electric chargers for phones etc don’t work. It is a centralised system with cords for all types of phones…but a silly system.

Reglas, restricciones, escasez de servicios, infraestructura inapropiada, cocina escasa. Con una vista fantástica, el lugar no hace mucho por resolver necesidades notorias del peregrinaje: agua fría, tendederos descubiertos, restricciones en los horarios y venta de bebidas calientes están limitadas. Considere mejores opciones.

So glad I split up the first stage. Staff was great! Full of energy and very accommodating. Had a big steak for lunch and good pilgrim meal for dinner. Couldn’t get over the view!

We started in SJPDP in the afternoon and stopped at Orisson for our first night on the camino. Took us about 2 hours to get there. Great location with fantastic views. Nice communal dinner where you’ll meet people and have a nice start on your journey (if you, like us, start in SJPDP). The dorms were fine. Limited washing facilities. Breakfast included but rather simple. We stayed here in July 2021.