Albergue San Martin - Miraz

Real sheet, real coffee, clean area, lovely and funny volunteers! I meet many warm people here! Also they have big kitchen, that is very important because there is only one restaurant in this town!

Excellent albergue. However they don't state basic courtesy guidelines to pilgrims on the last 100km and it was the loudest night and morning on my 30+ days camino, (people fooling around until late and being incredibly noisy in the morning; at least 10 phone alarms went off...).

My 26th day on the Camino del Norte and I arrived, after a 35k trek from Vilalba, to the lovely, quiet rural CSJ San Martin albergue in Miraz. An oasis of calm, friendship and good humour. The welcome by Tina, Karen & Johnny (all volunteer hospitaleros) was superb. Nothing was a problem for them to solve. Knowledgeable and helpful. A feature of the stay included a tour of the wonderful ancient Iglesia de Santiago de Miraz, with it's 1000yr old carved stone (hidden behind a pew) and the wonderful 1717 wooden altar "retablo" behind the altar, with its gold paint highlights, still in wonderful condition, featuring in order, on top the 'Moor Killer' (controversial), San Roque (left bottom) & Santa Lucia (right bottom). In recent years there has been a tendency to usher pilgrims on a suggested 8k shorter route that avoids Miraz. All I can say is that I'm glad that I walked that 'extra' 8k to discover this gem, its rural idyll & the opportunity to enjoy one of the highlights of the Camino. 10/10. Really loved it! Laobhán Ó Flannagáin (Éire/Irlanda)