Villatuerta

I spent last night at albergue Etxeurdina, in Villatuerta. I ended up there by mistake, but turned out to be great.

This is a small village and not many walkers stop here. Most would continue to Estella, a larger town 6k up. I meant to book 'Albergue Villatuerta', a.k.a. 'Casa Magica'. When I Googled 'Albergue Villatuerta' I clicked on the top result and booked without paying too much attention. Then I realised it wasn't the one I had recommendations for. Oops!

I went back to Google to compare, as I could still change the booking. But I found out that Casa Magica is closed, and Etxeurdina is a very new albergue, only opened last year, that's why it's not well known. The reviews on the website were about as good as those I had read for Casa Magica, so I kept the booking with the confidence that it was a good choice.

And it was! For starters, I almost had the whole place to myself, except that a pilgrim without booking turned up at the last minute. But hey, sharing with one only is a great deal. The place was nice and quiet, and I slept very well.

Jordi, the host, was super friendly and helpful. He suggested an alternative route for today's walk, which was in fact the original Way, but these days few people know about. He reckons this way is more enjoyable, all through nature with good shade until a village halfway to my destination, and passing by the ruins of Zaraputz.

If anyone reading this ever walks the Camino, take note, I highly recommend this place.Read more