Albergue de peregrinos de San Juan de Ortega

I have to admit that this place is a much better for a pilgrim than many others with a superb score. Above all, it's really quiet, which means that one is able to have a rest. It definitely provides the pilgrim with the right environment to meditate. There's really warm water in the showers and they also offer a nice diner for 8 euros.

Disaster. The whole albergue has not been cleaned for years. There was dirt everywhere on arrival. Under the beds had probably never been cleaned. The bathroom has never been cleaned either, that's for sure. The sheets and duvets had never been washed, lucky they had to give us disposable sheets and pillowcases. Only cash was accepted. Compared to the other albergues, this was the worst possible place, but of course they charged the same as the other clean and tidy places. Just because it was something simple and old it could still be clean like the other places on our trip. 09.05.2024

Pilgrims, do not stay here!! Mold on the walls, poor hygine in the bathrooms, cold in the rooms…This place is an absolute desaster! The worst albergue in my entire Camino! I would recommend to keep walking to Agés or Atapuerca and skip this place.

I stayed here in mid-May 2023. It was the lowest quality albergue I've stayed in along the Camino, I stayed in many municipal and private albergues and this was worse than the poorest-quality municipal albergue I experienced. The 2nd floor men's bathroom floods, and smells like an open sewer by late afternoon, with your sandals and feet inundated by water if you want to go to the toilet. There are almost no electrical plugs for charging devices compared to the large number of very old creaky bunk beds placed in each old and crumbling room, which packed so tight that you have to squeeze sideways to get into the lower bunk and the upper bunk is accessible only from climbing up at the foot of the bed. Visit the monastery itself and move on to the next town for accommodation. The priest did not come to the Mass to bless the pilgrims, there has been no garlic soup since the start of the pandemic and they have discontinued it permanently, so there is NOTHING 'religious or spiritual' by staying there. The pilgrim dinner we bought was cold by the time it was served to us. I felt bad for three very tired-looking volunteers who were working hard to deal with a crumbling old albergue. While we were lined up waiting for the albergue to open, a delivery truck unloaded many kegs and cases of beer for the bar/restaurant attached next to the monastery albergue. So, that part of the property is being looked after quite well.

One of the most spectacular villages to spend the night on the Camino Frances. If you can afford a hotel, stay in a hotel across from the albergue.