Karama

While walking the Camino de Santiago, I stayed at this guesthouse; it's the only one in Peón. It was essential for me, otherwise I would have had to walk an extra 13 km. I had a spacious room with good lighting and everything a pilgrim needs for the night. The only slightly inconvenient thing was the shower, which didn't have a tray to catch the water, so it splashed out a bit, as the floor was the same throughout the bathroom and shower. The gentleman who ran the guesthouse was incredibly kind. The room was like an apartment, as it opened directly onto the street 😊

The house needs cleaning and maintenance throughout. It has potential, and perhaps it could work for pilgrims or visitors just looking for a shower and a bed, but it's not suitable for a large group to live in. We spent five days there, using it as a base for visiting other Asturian villages, thinking it would be less isolated. We were wrong. The house is over 20 km from Villaviciosa, in a mountain hamlet, difficult to find if you don't know the area (the GPS took us close, but we couldn't find it). It's damp and dark, and the smell of mold is so strong that we ended up buying spray and air fresheners to try and neutralize it. We had to move a wardrobe away from the wall for space reasons, and the damp and mold stain was huge (I'll upload a photo). The kitchen is small and only has one refrigerator, and to get the whole group together we had to go outside to an adjoining room, because the living-dining room didn't have enough tables or chairs for many people. The furniture is almost all old and in poor condition (I've uploaded photos of some of it: armchairs with patches, sofas with torn seams, threadbare covers, misaligned shower screens, etc.). The walls desperately need a coat of paint; they're scratched and stained, and the door frames are peeling and swollen from damp. As for cleanliness, the less said the better—we've become friends with the spiders on the ceiling and their webs. In short...best forgotten. The host, Mario (who tried to downplay some of the issues, but was generally polite), told us he'll make some improvements after the season ends, but it's going to be difficult for Casa Karama to become a clean, welcoming, and appealing place.

Large house, with several bedrooms and an en-suite bathroom in each room, which is good in that respect, but it's very neglected and dirty. We found spiders everywhere and cobwebs in every corner and on every lamp, and the musty smell was unbearable. The kitchenware was poor—different plates, old cutlery, no toaster, no blender, and the glasses were in another room that you had to go outside to get. There was no dryer (which is great because it's a humid place and clothes wouldn't dry at all). The house isn't in Villaviciosa (which is what they advertise); it's in a very small village called Peón, quite far from everything. In conclusion, it needs a lot of improvement, and I wouldn't recommend it at all. However, I must say that Mario was very helpful to us.