Maison Donamaria

I highly recommend staying here at the start of your Camino if you can. It is located a short walk along the river from the town centre (more quiet here than staying in town). I had a spacious double room with a large private bathroom on the first floor. The space is tastefully and thoughtfully furnished. Breakfast is included (fresh bread, marmelade, butter, cut fruit, maybe an egg if the hens have been productive). The price is certainly more than a basic albuergue, but so worth it to help you orient yourself. The owner, Marie-Hélène, is very kind and accommodating. She is also a knowledgeable source of information for the Camino as she has walked some of the different routes. On arrival she kindly prepared a herbal tea to help me sleep. She orients guests to the town with excellent recommendations. She also organized a taxi for me to pick me up at La Croix Thibaud to take me to Valcarlos where I had already booked my next stay - the weather turned out so well I could do the route Napoleon.

Beautiful place to stay. Situated on a picturesque stream close to downtown St. Jean Pied de Port and a few minutes from the start of the Camino. Hostess is wonderfully welcoming and helpful. Highly recommended.

We’ve been travelling for over 4 weeks only booking one or two days in advance. We found this Chambre d’hote via google and so glad we did. We booked directly via WhatsApp with Marie Helene 2 days before and our communications were quick and efficient . We were warmly greeted upon arrival, given all the information we needed for our stay and then shown to our lovely room overlooking the river. Bed was very comfy , beautiful clean linen and good shower. Extremely quiet , fell asleep to the sound of the river. Gorgeous pool , friendly dog and cat and homely atmosphere. Marie Helene was happy to share her detailed knowledge and experiences of caminos with us which was very helpful and offered to stay in Touch ID we had any more questions as we are planning our first Camino. We weren’t pilgrims but this would be a lovely place to start the Way of St James or finish the Camino from Le Puy. Thoroughly recommend we hope to be back soon ! Thank you Marie Helene.

As part of my ninety adventures in Europe, I had the pleasure to bring a friend to Maison Donamarie to enjoy a three night stay in a beautiful chambres d’hôtes under the ownership of Marie-Hélène. My expectations were high having stayed there four years prior as part of my solo Camino walk to Santiago de Compostela. While the circumstances were different this time, as a retiree I chose to come back to the place where I felt welcomed as a pilgrim and now a tourist. From the moment when I made contact with Marie-Hélène to schedule the reservations, she promptly responded to all the numerous questions regarding my upcoming stay including availability of rooms with a river view, laundry facility on & offsite, restaurant recommendations and places to visit in the neighboring basque towns of Biarritz, Bayonne, and Hendaye. What I didn’t anticipate, were unforeseen events that would greatly affect my plans which included injuring my shoulder while in Paris, and luggage left on the train when there was a problem with the railroad tracks into SJPdP. I stayed in communications with Marie-Hélène to explain the unexpected delays that might affect our arrival. She offered to meet my friend and I at the bus station to take us to Maison Donamarie. This timely gesture was greatly appreciated since I was unable to use my left arm to carry luggage. By the time we arrived at Maison Donamarie, she located my friend’s missing luggage and made arrangements with Eurostar to have it safely stored until it could be picked up. She even made a sling for my injured shoulder until I was able to see a pharmacist. These acts of kindness were not expected but were greatly appreciated. I can’t thank Marie-Hélène enough for her generosity, kindness, and professionalism. She went over and beyond her obligation to provide us with lodging; she made us feel like valued guests and I dare say, a friend. My friend has decided to walk the Camino in 2023 and will no doubt start her journey at Maison Donamarie which is the perfect place to relax or begin a pilgrimage to Santiago. Thank you Marie-Hélène; you are the best!

We stayed at Maison Donamaria. Jean Francois is a considerate, humble and very charming host. He makes great breakfast and is very welcoming to his guests. The family room is very clean and comfortable. The garden is beautiful . Zuwe, the dog always wants to play.