Best apps for offline maps?

[Amc]

Grateful if anyone can recommend a good phone app which allow us to download the Camino Frances maps and access them offline.

 

[trecile]

Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino are my go to apps for offline maps of the Camino.

A Complete Guide to the Caminos to Santiago de Compostela

A complete guide to the Camino de Santiago, including accommodation on the Camino Francés, Camino del Norte, Camino Portugués, Camino Primtivo, Vía de la Plata, Camino de Invierno, Finisterre & Muxía, San Salvador, Camino Olvidado, Caminho Nascente, Camino da Geira, Camino Inglés, Vía Podiensis...

www.wisepilgrim.com

A Complete Guide to the Caminos to Santiago de Compostela

A complete guide to the Camino de Santiago, including accommodation on the Camino Francés, Camino del Norte, Camino Portugués, Camino Primtivo, Vía de la Plata, Camino de Invierno, Finisterre & Muxía, San Salvador, Camino Olvidado, Caminho Nascente, Camino da Geira, Camino Inglés, Vía Podiensis...

www.wisepilgrim.com

I also like mapy.cz

Mapy.cz

NejpoužÃvanÄjÅ¡Ã mapový portál v ÄR s celou Åadou tématických map - základnÃ, turistickou, cyklistickou, dopravnà a plno dalÅ¡Ãch. NabÃzà možnost reálného leteckého, panoramatického nebo 3D pohledu. Rozsáhlé množstvà obsahu, firem a turistických bodů zájmu. UmožÅuje...

en.mapy.cz

 

[Bradypus]

The Spanish government app "Mapas de España" gives very high quality topographic maps. Camino routes are marked on the maps and gps route files can be used as an overlay.

 

[Pilgrim9]

OsmAnd is free general-purpose map and navigating app that uses also-free downloadable maps. It is feature-rich. The free version permits downloading up to, I think, three maps. One can make it show all sorts of user-selectable points of interest. One can optionally also use it to record your tracks.

One can purchase a $ version called OsmAnd+ (it's not costly) that permits downloading as many free maps as will fit on your device.

I love it and use it constantly, not just on Camino.

 

[mochilaverde]

I use a map app (OSMand) with the route marked on my phone. Once you have downloaded the map of the area you're in, you don't need to be connected to wifi or data to use the map!

https://osmand.net/

Once you install the app, download the regional maps for your camino route from within the app.

Next use the web browser on your phone to download gpx route from the Dutch camino association. (Scroll down until you find the table for Spain.)

https://www.santiago.nl/downloads/

Once you have the gpx route on your phone, you can display it over maps within OSMand from My Places -> Import Favourite.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Outdoor Active. Works offline, elevation profile with locator, all Camino trails mapped. Free.

 

[Traveller44]

Maps.org as another choice. I had Buen Camino and Camino Ninja, used them all.

 

[Thomas1962]

My choice is organic maps (free, no advertisements, offline) together with the kml downloads from the Dutch confraternity of Saint James.
Like @mochilaverde wrote, you can download them from that download page. You can also see what you can download at the interactive.map at the bottom of this page, on top you find a translate button:

Looproutes in Spanje - Santiago

De looproutes in Spanje naar Santiago zijn druk. Er zijn twee hoofdroutes: de populaire Camino Francés of de rustige Camino del Norte.

www.santiago.nl

 

[celticone]

Thank you for your contribution to the Dutch Confraternity Thomas. I do exactly that for every Camino. Also I use Organic Maps regularly at home.
Ena

 

[JustOneGuy]

I'm sure most of the apps suggested above are great (I haven't tried them all), but I use Komoot, although I don't know if it works well with Camino.

One reason is that if you have a good smart watch (a Samsung, Garmin, Apple), you can choose an app that is compatible with your watch, like Komoot. Then you can download the app to the watch, put your phone away, and let it guide you as you walk, without being constantly distracted or needing to check your phone to see if you are on track.

Komoot alerts you if you are going the wrong way, if there is a fork in the road, or if there is a sharp turn.

I guess that many other apps can do the same. I find this feature essential.

 

[Rita Flower]

I use Camino Ninja - the map is clear, can be used off line, and opens to your current location rather than the start of the route.

 

[DeansFamily]

We have used offline Maps.me for years successfully all around the world. And then I overlay the Dutch Confederacy routes found in Resources on the Camino Forum (santiago.nl/downloads/). Not only are there overlays for Caminos in Spain, all European pilgrimage routes are covered. We are currently using the French routes overlay for the Le Puy and it is very accurate. An amazing resource that is very appreciated.

 

[RRat]

Grateful if anyone can recommend a good phone app which allow us to download the Camino Frances maps and access them offline.

My observation, individuals using apps, routinely were unsure of their location and continually reviewing their apps. Those following the yellow arrows seemed more confident.

 

[Pilgrim9]

My observation, individuals using apps, routinely were unsure of their location and continually reviewing their apps. Those following the yellow arrows seemed more confident.

It is difficult to get lost if one remains alert to the yellow arrows, and I do that, but I have managed to go astray several times. Sometimes arrows cannot be found.

I once came to a remote off-road trail junction where one branch was well-made, and the other branch was a very rough stony track that appeared to be little used. No arrows to be found.

It was quite obvious that the well-made branch to the left was the main Camino and the other one straight ahead was just an animal track. So I followed the well-made path for 4 km, fairly steeply downhill, until it ended at a busy road. Hmmm. No arrows, nobody around, ... what to do?

Belatedly I checked my offline map and discovered that that rough animal track 4 km ago was the Camino.

So, back uphill for 4 km!

This was eastbound somewhere between Cee and the coal-fired power plant near Hospital.

So an offline map with GPS can help.

 

[Thomas1962]

My observation, individuals using apps, routinely were unsure of their location and continually reviewing their apps. Those following the yellow arrows seemed more confident.

Sure that all the confident Pilgrims following the arrows didn't have an app as well?

 

[MikeJS]

My observation, individuals using apps, routinely were unsure of their location and continually reviewing their apps. Those following the yellow arrows seemed more confident.

If you use wikiloc tracks it is even easier as you can set it to alert if you are more than 50m or so off track!

 

[dougfitz]

I have tried most of the apps that have been mentioned in both categories, general purpose navigation apps and specialist camino apps. I continue to rely upon OSMAnd+ and Wise Pilgrim, and from time to time Google Maps. I suggest you try them before committing to any one, and see if the interface works for you. What works well for some people might not work quite so well for you. While there may be other differences, choosing something that you find easy to use is probably the most important factor, and key to the choices I have made.

I would also put in a plug for the support offered by @wisepilgrim, who was incredibly responsive to issues that I noted with the data in the app, and had a correction published within hours.

The other app that I keep loaded is the Mapas de Espana app from IGN, who provide Spanish geographic information including topographic mapping. There is such exquisite detail in the presentation of the mapping information as one zooms in and out to the towns and villages across Spain and Portugal.