Spain
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We run an Albergue for pilgrims that walk to Santiago de Compostela, by the Camino Frances, or the Camino. We live in the beautiful valley of A Balsa, in a natural surrounding, with many people passing our door from all over the world. We can host 16 persons per night, whom we serve a communal dinner and breakfast. We do all this with 100% organically certified products, while the house is reformed according to green house construction methods.
It's an idyllic and quiet place, where you can find a rural life, which you can enjoy during your free time. Key words are good will, daily routine, peace and tranquility.
We are a small group, a family of 2 with a small child, that manage the non profit association. Normally there are 2 volunteers at the Albergue hosting the pilgrims. The family lives in a small wooden house and the volunteers live in the Albergue. The family is present but also live their family life.
It's a social place where you share your time with pilgrims.
Good to know in advance is that we are vegetarians and only buy organic certified food. No other food is allowed in the Albergue.
Hospitality/Tourism
You can experience an organic and vegetarian lifestyle, and talk about this with the people that you meet in the Albergue. There's much to learn about the pilgrimage, as typically the pilgrims are in a moment of change or reflexion in their lifes and have many fascinating stories to tell.
The volunteers that like to help at our Albergue, normally do this for 1 month.
The tasks includes registering pilgrims, attend their needs, clean the kitchen and dormitory.
The Albergue opens at 6 in the morning till 10 at night. The volunteer help is every day the same, the only thing that changes are the people, so liking people and socializing is one of the main activities, a part from the help and responsabilities given. We work in morning and afternoon shifts.
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
The volunteers share a room, normally 2 persons, showers and toilets. We offer you this, meals and drinks. The room is next to the public room. The public room you share with the pilgrims.
We live in a village with 15 people and no services. There's a small village with basic services (supermarket, pharmacy, bank, bars, wifi, etc.) at 20 minutes walking, 2km.
Normally people that enjoy staying with us, don't want to visit tourist sites and prefer to stay at the Albergue to enjoy the peace and walk or read a bit in their free time. They normally enjoy the work and actually don't live it as work but as their daily life. Joys are found in a really basic lifestyle and daily routines.
There's a bus from Triacastela to Sarria once a day. Triacastela is 2km walking from the Albergue.
There's possibilities for creative activities like manualities or gardening, but only at the initiative of the volunteer.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Two
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
