When you stay at a Donativo do you ever wonder about the person behind the desk? Do you know they are volunteers? What is their day like?
In 2023 I walked my first Camino, the French way. I was really scared that I would not be able to do it. When I woke up on the second day and I felt OK and realised “I can do this”.
I quickly passed through the physical and mental barriers and got into the spirit. By the time I reached Santiago my overwhelming feeling was ‘I don’t want to stop’. So, I walked on to Finisterra.
That was not enough so I resolved to return and really get immersed in the Camino; walk more routes, learn some Spanish, experience life as a ‘local’ and “give something back”. I have now done 6 Caminos and been Hospitalero five times.
My first placement was to the Parochial Donativo in Ponferrada. It is served by 4 hospis. It was a great first experience as I had the support of 3 others, two of which had been there before.
The hostel is owned by the local church and is managed by the local priest, but he has a light touch. The work is organised by 4 volunteers drawn from all over the world. 2 local women came in to clean the chapel and help mid-week; A local handyman came in to do repairs. I was the only one not fluent in Spanish, so Spanish was the language of the albergue. I communicated with the priest by leaving little notes in the donation box. He explained the use of the lawn mower in Spanish!?!
The staff had a private room each with a shared bathroom. A staff kitchen was stocked by the staff, but the cost was reimbursed. There is also a staff common room and laundry.
A Day in the Life..
The hospitaller’s day starts as early as 5am to unlock the doors and gates. Often there were pilgrims, with packs already on, waiting to be let out. We took turns to do this, so we could sleep-in 3 days out of 4. Between 8 and 11 the doors are locked again and the cleaning started. All the toilets and basins are wiped with bleach every day. Flat surfaces are mopped with disinfectant every day. The mattresses wiped with disinfectant every day. This is why you have to leave by 8am.
Travellers Tip: Strip the bed! It helps the volunteers and you might find something that would otherwise have forgotten. One pilgrim left behind his Insulin Pack. He would have found it if only he had stripped the bed!
Each of us had a territory, which we had agreed at the beginning of the week. Mine was the courtyard, the overflow toilet/ laundry and workshop area.
At 11 it was time for a communal brunch; the priest would come to count the takings and pay any bills. Between 11 and 2 we were free to explore the town.
From 2pm to 10pm we would open the gates again and began checking-in the new pilgrims. Most had been through check-in often enough to know what was expected. Hospis were expected to be local experts in everything. The most common questions are about laundry, pack transport, mass times and bicycle storage.
I remember one pilgrim who had a question but was coy about asking. I heard a southern USA accent and guessed “Are you concerned by the Black Clansman statue?”. She replied an emphatic “YES”. I explained “its not a clansman, it is a Knight Templar. They used that uniform long before the Klu Klux Klan” Exit one relieved pilgrim.
We split the evenings into 2 shifts so that we had an afternoon off every second day. That gives you 7 consecutive hours to thoroughly explore the city or walk in the countryside. I used some of this free time to improve my local knowledge and to do some gardening.
One day I was doing some gardening when a policeman arrived in an impressive uniform. He walked straight up to me and asked what was I doing. For a moment I wondered “have I breeched my visa?”. I said I was just pulling weeds (Moras). He smiled and thanked me for looking after the garden. I found out later he was the Chief of Police and sometimes visits his friend, the priest who manages the albergue.
Around 10 we would chase the revellers off to bed. Some resented the curtailment of their social life, but were complaisant when reminded that the dorms would be noisy again in 8 hours. One task was to switch off the lights in the chapel. This involved going behind the altar. It was a unique experience to be behind the altar, looking down at the pews.
I my time I have accommodated pilgrims with horses, dogs, a donkey and one woman with a cat. We also had visits from two Capuchin monks, a group of podiatry students and the chief of police.
Late one evening a woman arrived with a horse. She had ridden from her home in France to Finisterra and was returning. But what to do with the horse? Imagine, 9 o’clock at night and three Hospitaleros trying to improvise a corral. Definitely not in the training!
The long evenings filled the grape arbour with an international crowd eating, drinking and sharing stories. Some evenings, there was a local guy who came in to play the guitar. The pilgrims were well behaved. Most were weeks into their pilgrimage and knew how to live communally.
Tales From a Hospi
The Christian welcome.
In the training to be a hospitelero, they emphasise the importance of a generous welcome. I think this is what differentiates Donativos from other hostels.
I remember one time a pilgrim came in who was obviously distressed. The stage into Logrono is 28 km; it was hot and she was somewhat overweight. We insisted she immediately sit and rest. I lifted the backpack off her shoulders. My colleague took her poles and fetched some water. Then her story tumbled out: she had been turned away by 3 other hostels. She had forwarded a bag but did not know where it was. She was tired and distressed.
We assured her she had a bed and a meal. My colleague used his Spanish to find her bag. She was too tired to fetch it so we saw her to a bed. She forgot to take her backpack, but I carried it after her. After an hours rest, she went out and collected her bag. She returned rested, rehydrated and relaxed, THEN we checked her in. By the time she sat down for the communal meal she was as raucous as any other. We don’t know if she made a donation.
Will she remember the soft beds or the clean toilets? Or will she remember the generous welcome? That is the Donativo way.
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I lied.
Late one night, just before lights out, a pilgrim came to me asking if there were any blankets to be had. I told her no, not at that donative as we had no way to clean them. She persisted. She had nothing, no sleeping bag, no sheets, no pillow case. I showed her where the linen for the Hospiteleros was kept. We found her some linen but there were no blankets. She persisted, it was already cold, she would not sleep well. I relented. I went into my room and returned with a blanket. I told her not to tell anyone where she got it. “It is from my bed and I don’t have another”.
I lied.
It was not off my bed, but it was from a small stock reserved for Hospitaleros. I lied to forestall any further requests. If she felt a little special, all the better. My kindness was a bit fake, but I hope she passes on a real kindness to someone else.
Becoming a Hospitalero
Before you can be a Hospitalero you need to do a two-day training course. The courses are run by the Camino Confederation in your country. The course is easy and fun. You will meet a lot of like-minded people.
The trainers will introduce you to the Spanish organisation called Hospitaleros Voluntarios (HosVal). HosVal will organise your placement, taking into regard any preferences.
Each albergue has a local coordinator that you can contact if there is a problem.
Language skills are highly regarded. Spanish is the most common first language, but English as a second language is almost universal. A few props and Google Translate and you can cope. I ran Salamanca and Estella by myself, coping with different languages, providing breakfast and even dealing with a broken hot water service.
One time a mature pilgrim arrived with a Japanese flag on his backpack. I have maybe 10 words of Japanese from a trip there 40 years ago. But I was able to greet him and thank him for his donation in Japanese. He gave me a hug! I guess he had not heard his native tongue for a long time.
To be a hospi you need the right mind-set. It is about giving, not getting. Pilgrims arrive hot and tired, they want a shower, not a discussion. They often disappeared into the pre-dawn darkness without a word. The cleaning can be solitary work. Against that, you meet a lot of people from all over the world. In my fortnight in Logrono Parochial I checked-in some 405 pilgrims from 46 different countries. The interactions can be fleeting, but many linger and swap stories.
In my time I have received many a thank-you, hugs, small mementos, a well done from the chief of police and two personal blessings. In Estella I was thanked by name 4 times in the comments book. That’s more than I got in 40 years in the public service.
Would I do it again? Yes! I will be at Estella in late June 2026. Come say hello.
