San Nicolas de Puentefitero Hospital de Peregrinos

The Hermitage of San Nicolás de Puente Fitero sits just before the medieval bridge that carries pilgrims across the Río Pisuerga, marking the boundary between the provinces of Palencia and Burgos. The building itself is a small Romanesque hermitage of considerable age, and its position at a river crossing reflects the longstanding medieval practice of placing chapels and pilgrim hospitals at key waypoints on the Camino de Santiago.

The hermitage fell into disrepair over the centuries, but in 1996 the Confraternita di San Jacopo di Compostella, a pilgrimage association based in Perugia, Italy, undertook a careful restoration and established it as a hostel exclusively for pilgrims walking the route. The fact that an Italian confraternity took on this particular stretch of the Spanish Camino gives the place an appealingly international character, and volunteers from the association staff it throughout the season.

What sets San Nicolás apart from most pilgrim accommodation is its deliberate simplicity. There is no electricity in the sleeping areas, the space holds only twelve people in shared dormitories including a loft, and the hostel runs on a donation basis covering half board. The ritual washing of pilgrims' feet is still practiced here, continuing a tradition of hospitality that dates back to the great pilgrim hospitals of the Middle Ages. Community dinner and breakfast are offered as part of that same spirit of welcome. The hostel operates from May through mid-October, with no advance reservations taken.