Albergue de Peregrinos del Escamplero

Located in the Asturian municipality of Las Regueras, the Albergue de Peregrinos del Escamplero serves walkers tackling the early stages of the Camino Primitivo. Often reached on the first day of walking from Oviedo, this municipal shelter provides a traditional pilgrim experience as the route moves from urban centers into the rugged interior of northern Spain.

The village name of Escamplero shares a linguistic root with the Spanish verb escampar, which refers to the weather clearing up or the rain stopping. This is a highly appropriate association for anyone hiking through the notoriously wet and green hills of Asturias. The shelter itself reflects a broader tradition along the Camino where rural communities repurpose vacant civic buildings or former local schools to house the steady flow of passing walkers.

Visitors need to be aware of the local check-in system to avoid backtracking. Registration, key collection, and the distribution of disposable bed linens take place about 300 meters before the albergue at Restaurante El Tendejón de Fernando. Pilgrims must stop at the restaurant first to handle their logistics. The restaurant takes its weekly rest day on Wednesdays. When the doors are locked, a sign typically directs walkers to the nearby local butcher shop to pay their fee and pick up the keys.

Inside the albergue, the sleeping arrangements are entirely functional and designed to accommodate as many walkers as possible in a small footprint. The dormitories feature a mix of standard two-tier bunk beds and much taller three-tier bunks. Because beds in municipal shelters are claimed on a first-come, first-served basis, travelers who are uncomfortable climbing a ladder to a third-story mattress should aim to arrive earlier in the afternoon to secure a lower bunk.

While the Camino Primitivo focuses heavily on the medieval footsteps of King Alfonso II, the immediate surroundings of this albergue offer a window into a more modern era. A short walk from the village center leads to the Trincheras del Escamplero, a series of defensive trenches and concrete bunkers built during the Spanish Civil War. These fortifications were heavily used during the siege of Oviedo in 1936 and 1937. Today, they remain visible in the landscape, providing an unexpected piece of twentieth-century history to explore after settling into the hostel for the evening.