San Fermín Int. Youth Hostel: Simply different

Well, you may think… don't give me that "it's different" stuff, please. OK, fair enough, it is true that it may sound a bit reiterative, but that is what most of the people who stay the night there say… I am just quoting the most frequent comment.

To begin with, not very often do you find a Youth Hostel, which is at the same time a local Employment Office to give advice, orientation over the labour market, and even compile job offers for the unemployed people of the area (S.O.A.E.: Service for Unemployment Orientation), as well as an office for environmental activities and education (Aula-Huerto "Semilla"), and even more, it also hosts a "Oficina de Información Juvenil" (Information for the Youth).

All this sounds a bit too much for an International Youth Hostel… doesn't it? Certainly it is for a conventional one, but considering this one is managed by a local association, Asociación Proyecto San Fermín, which has always focused on the social and cultural development of the area, ever since it was created in 1991.

Then, don't be surprised if when staying there you learn that a project on environmental improvements of the area is being carried out, or if you see local people getting in because they are attending a job interview or whatnot. We have to say that this endows this peculiar lodging space with a very active and lively atmosphere, as well as with something which is extremely characteristic and important for the crew who run the Hostel as well as for the surrounding neighbours, the social exchange and high degree of communication between lodgers and locals.

Concerning the actual Lodging space, we have to honestly convey that it is the best Hostel in Madrid in terms of equipment and comfortability. This cozy space was finally rebuilt in March 1999, so it is quite a recent construction; therefore, bedrooms, toilets and the rest of facilities have very good standards to be a modest Youth Hostel.

However, those are not the only and most relevant facts of the enclosure. In fact, if you look at the pictures, one of the most outstanding qualities of this building is its cool front garden and the solarium of the roof top, from where Mini (one of the night receptionists) has to ask the lodgers gently to leave when it is late after midnight, since it is so pleasant that nobody wants to hit the sack… obviously. By the way, this Hostel is one of those very few in Madrid and Spain where you can arrive any time (open 24 hours a day).

Split into eight different size bedrooms from 5-bedded rooms to 8-bedded ones, some for women, some for men and others mixed. Rooms upstairs even have an en-suite bathroom. It counts with washing machine, tumble drier, lockers, and if you are planning to go accompanied by a group of people, you can even order meals and hire any of the classrooms, or even the indoor Auditorium for those who want to organize conferences, or any event of the sort.

Location & Surroundings? It is located in one of the humble outskirts of Madrid, San Fermín, at some distance from Legazpi, one of the central districts, exactly on Avenida de los Fueros, 36 (telephone number: 00 34 91 792 08 97). Drawbacks: Not very central, you have to take a bus from Legazpi (123), Atocha (85, 86 & 59). Assets: Precisely for not being that close to town, you can find a recently made biking path that goes alongside the river for about 15 kms. If you like biking along, good, if not so, simply nice to have a walk along the river in the Summer nights or any other time of the year.

Price: 1200 pts (7.22 Euros ) for those under 26, and 1820 pts (10.94 Euros), for those over 26. The rest of the facilities, such as locker, towels, laundry, connection to the Internet, etc... have almost symbolic fares.

They have a reservation system, if you dive into their website: www.san-fermin.org, where not only reservations you can make, but also get a lot more information about the Hostel and the additional many more activities we have mentioned above.

Ah, we almost forgot to mention the most important characteristic.. attention. Everybody there will make you feel as if you were at home. You'll definitely be longing to come back to this pyramidal house.