Albergue La Cabaña del abuelo Peuto

Super organised and with a wealth of the Spirit and heart of the Camino! It is the birth place and home of a serious missionary who has travelled EXTENSIVELY around the world to support the wellbeing and spiritual health of many many people. This place is well worth the walk. You can volunteer teer there also for 2 weeks. Loved it! Left feeling the blessing of God which is the root of this walk.

We arrived here mid afternoon with an open mind to what might unfold, such are the mixed reviews🙂
Welcomed with warm efficiency, water and biscuits. Green glorious setting of neighbouring mix of farming and other accommodation choices. Rooms ranging from sizes of 16 to 4 people, ours being 16, and all single beds, no bunks. Spacious, clean, mosquito free and a well used wash dryer machine. Plenty of sinks and clothes lines for the total 67 pilgrims that August16th evening. Gentle gentle place for rest, silence and/or chat. Invitation by 730pm bell ringing to hear the history of the hostel. Special to sit with such a number of tired but radiant fellow travellers, listening to this elderly person recount the history. All set in a communal casual space filled with expedition photos and folklore. Dinner in a line of tables looked like a banquet together. Simple very tasty pumpkin soup, bread, delicious vegetable rissoto, tipple of wine, followed by a yoghurt - and a gentle reminder to make our donation. Then a sleepy retiring to bed with the enchanting sound of the scops owl. Best sleep in a while, with basic breakfast of coffee and bread, all leaving nourished in body and mind for the long day to Mompia. Gracias Ernesto.

After a 31km day in the heat it would have been nice to relax, chat and eat. The bell rang at 7.30 and we had a one hour talk about Ernesto and his family. Dinner was at 8.30pm (very hungry by that point). It seemed to be a canned soup, plain pasta with tomato sauce, then a variety of strange flavoured yoghurts allocated out! After dinner we then got the exact same talk again from Ernesto himself, with no chance to leave! It was After 9.30 by the time we were released. This is time when I would normally have planned my next day, packed and reflected on the walk I'd just done. Unfortunately, for me, it ruined my normal peaceful Camino journey. I would have preferred to just pay a fee at the start and have the talks as optional for those who wanted to go, allowing others to enjoy the beauty and peace of the area.

The place exudes compassion, connections and love for humankind.. you will meet many pilgrims and feel the true Camino feeling. Lovely log fire for dinner and breakfast making the room feel very cozy.
Beds are very comfortable and clean.
Facilities are decent and clean.
Sun rise at the top of the hill is unfortunately beautiful.

Great place, beautifully maintained, this place definitely had a soul.

I had the chance to interact with the American volunteer. From the moment of arrival, her main topic of conversation was expressing embarrassment about being American, often repeating that sentiment. While everyone is entitled to their opinions and reflections on identity, the overall dynamic became difficult due to the nature of her communication.

Rather than fostering dialogue or showing curiosity about others, the volunteer dominated most conversations with personal anecdotes and commentary about her own experiences and previous Camino tales. There was little reciprocal interest in other pilgrims or volunteers. She also voiced dissatisfaction with elements of the current setup, including the room assignment and the approach of fellow volunteers.

The overall impression was that the environment felt less inclusive and balanced due to this dynamic. While passion and engagement are appreciated in any volunteer setting, they are most effective when paired with humility and active listening.

Even though we got a watered down version of Ernestos story, as we only spoke English (up Cork) I think he was just a man who is proud of where he comes from and to share his life learnings. The hostel was lovely with all the facilities you need. Food was delicious and donations were voluntary but we were told how the money would be used which was very nice. Worth a stop.

The facilities are very okay. Food is really perfect for pilgrims.
But: the talks of the padre were really peculiar.
One thing was very nice: meeting lots of real pilgrims. A lot of them already met during their first stretches.
Less nice was the group of French bus-tourist-“pilgrims” (we do only the easier stretches and gather sellos) who sticked together while completely (!) ignoring real pilgrims around them.
An utter insult.
I was warned for these kind of tourists in the albergue in Gerekiz.

I agree with the earlier reviews. The stay was great and the facilities were much nicer than they had to be. But I can’t understand why people here seem to worship Ernesto. They had us all in a room for an hour and translated his “important” message to us. But it boiled down to “we have an important history and we are special” but he never told us why. Just kept repeating that general sentiment over and over. It felt strange like there was a cultish sales pitch that just never came.

The comments below are just a meme. this is a very good place with good people with good intentions. this is a must have place to stop on camino.

I think the harsh reviews are a bit unfair. Yes the Host does go on a bit about the history of the Camino and his Alburgue. But at 87 he and running a free Alburgue for many years, he has earned a bit of leeway. Great moments with other Pilgrims. Talking and hanging out. No place can survive without paying the bills. So come here, have a good time and make a donation and keep on walking. Or go stay in a 4 star hotel and pay what you will. A very cool experience for us.

Ernesto loves the sound of his own voice to the detriment of the overall experience.. but I suppose if that’s what you’re looking for then .. it’s for you. I found it a bit much that he basically held everyone hostage for over an hour ( some very elderly and tired pilgrims ) until dinner, which was ok if you like children’s menu penne and bread. He then waffles some more after dinner to a kept audience , who wanted nothing to do but go to bed .. bit selfish .. also “devotino” alburges are tax exempt ..everyone gave at least 10 euro( I gave 20 ). Multiplied by 66 on our day . Guys making some coin .. didn’t fancy two goons who stood at door by donation box looking intimidating.. cynical yes but also realistic..

Very special albergue in the good sense of the word. Based on some previous comments I expected something strange but it was a very welcoming and cozy place to stay where they added something to your Camino not just accomodation and food.
There was no pressure on us regarding paying, it is a fact that they operate the place financially by the help of what we pilgrims give to them.

Beautiful place. So welcoming. Lots of grass, picnic tables and chairs to soak in sun. Clean rooms and lots of hot water. So kind and hospitable. Generous with food for dinner and breakfast. I’m so grateful to have been there. Will not forget this place.

There were many bed bugs in one of the rooms. We had to get up in the middle of the night and disinfect everything. It was a pretty terrible experience.

Very spiritual. Wonderful vegetarian community meal. And the founders talk was wonderful

Update: THERE IS NO BED BUGGS!!

We were welcomed with cookies and water and the volunteers took our wet stuff to hang it at the fire to dry!

The property is huge, cozy, heated, with lots of art and details. The vibe is incredible and you can feel the spirit of the Camino!

Dinner was completely vegan and plentiful.

This place is really like a warm hug

This has been the best albergue experience so far in the Norte.

It offers and amazing dinner and breakfast. Has a washer dryer combo and the hosts are most amazing people.

If you are on this route, this albergue a must visit.

Don’t forget to contribute to the donation box!

Already. So early in the season. They don't seem to care very much.

Weird place. On the one hand, hot showers, dinner served and has heat. On the other hand, strange to be lectured at for a long time time (especially when people are exhausted from walking), and to listen to how important this man's philosophy is. Was a rather uncomfortable experience.

We arrived in Guemes early so sat at the bar in town. Excellent beer! The albergue is significantly out of town but offers dinner and breakfast which were both good. The speech by the founder was a bit long winded but it’s all a donated based place so you just go with the flow. Lots of beds so you are guaranteed a space and nice to meet people.