GPS Map for Spain

[Barry Corbett]

We are planning on walking the Caminos Vadiniense and Salvador this fall. Are the trails well marked or should we bring along a GPS as a back up? If so, we have an old Garmin GPS map 76CSx but it only has North American maps loaded. What map set would you recommend for Spain (Europe). Thank you for any suggestions.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Have you used a GPS app on your smartphone? You could install apps, maps and tracks on it beforehand to serve as backup in case the yellow arrows fail you. Probably most maps downloaded would be by province. Some apps are wikiloc, osmand and maps.me. Google may help too but I haven't seen many trails shown on their maps.

There is a sub-forum here that could be of help to you:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/gps-and-the-camino-de-santiago.102/

 

[trecile]

For the Salvador I used the Wisely Salvador app

Wisely : Camino de San Salvador - Apps on Google Play

Welcome to Wisely! Built from the same up to date database as the other Wise Pilgrim Apps and Guidebooks, 'Wisely' was designed to fill the two most requested needs for pilgrims: Offline Mapping: Download the maps to your phone while you have an internet connection, and enjoy them while you...

play.google.com

‎Wisely : Camino San Salvador

‎Welcome to Wisely! Built from the same up to date database as the other Wise Pilgrim Apps and Guidebooks, 'Wisely' was designed to fill the two most requested needs for pilgrims: Offline Mapping: Download the maps to your phone while you have an internet connection, and enjoy them while...

apps.apple.com

 

[MileHighPair]

For the Salvador, I used maps.me and downloaded the GPS file for all Caminos in Spain from this forum. But I will say that there were a few places on the Salvador where the track led me astray. There were a couple of spots where the route had definitely been changed since the track was made, and there was once where the person making the track simply took another option from where I wanted to go, and this caused me quite a bit of extra walking. I simply missed the sign to the village where I hoped to spend the night, and continued straight, which is where the GPS track went. The track gave me false confidence in being on the correct route!

Most of the Salvador is well marked, but there are several spots that created some confusion. I did meet other pilgrims that were quite frustrated by the time they arrived at the albergue, after spending a lot of time trying to figure out where the "correct" path was. The locals are always helpful, but in some of the little towns it was not easy to find anyone!

I'm not familiar with the Vadiniense. Buen Camino!

 

[KinkyOne]

Waymarked Trails - Hiking

hiking.waymarkedtrails.org

http://centrodedescargas.cnig.es/CentroDescargas/loadCamSan.do

Visualizador de los Caminos de Santiago en Europa del IGN

Visualizador de cartografía de los Caminos de Santiago en Europa creado por el Instituto Geográfico Nacional y el Centro Nacional de Información Geográfica con la colaboración de la Federación de Asociaciones de Amigos del Camino de Santiago.

nco.ign.es

Todos los senderos GR actualizados en una sola web

SenderosGR es una nueva web que contiene toda la información para planear la logística de las aventuras senderistas. Desde la información de las etapas hasta los lugares de interés turístico…

www.desnivel.com

Los senderos de Gran Recorrido en España: los GR Españoles | Vitanud

Llevan con nosotros más de 25 años y hoy todavía muchos confunden sus señales con grafitis de algún gracioso. Sin embargo sus inconfundibles marcas blancas y rojas son sinónimo de un precioso camino…

vitanud.com

 

[trecile]

For the Salvador, I used maps.me and downloaded the GPS file for all Caminos in Spain from this forum. But I will say that there were a few places on the Salvador where the track led me astray. There were a couple of spots where the route had definitely been changed since the track was made, and there was once where the person making the track simply took another option from where I wanted to go, and this caused me quite a bit of extra walking. I simply missed the sign to the village where I hoped to spend the night, and continued straight, which is where the GPS track went. The track gave me false confidence in being on the correct route!

Most of the Salvador is well marked, but there are several spots that created some confusion. I did meet other pilgrims that were quite frustrated by the time they arrived at the albergue, after spending a lot of time trying to figure out where the "correct" path was. The locals are always helpful, but in some of the little towns it was not easy to find anyone!

I'm not familiar with the Vadiniense. Buen Camino!

I found the Wisely app to be accurate

 

[Anamya]

The Lebaniego part of the camino (from San Vicente up to Monastery of Santo Toribio) is well marked with red arrows, we walked the this April. We did not need a gps and only once in 4 days I had to check google maps to confirm some distances.

Cant advise on the rest of Vadiniense or salvador, though.

 

[Lirsy]

The Camino is well marked ... but always is a good idea to count with a track ... just in case!

I just use google maps. Previously I load into my mobile the track from rayyrosa (www.rayyroosa.com) and the area in google maps in order to be able to use the map without conection (in the primitivo you have several zones without internet).

 

[dougfitz]

Open Street Maps (OSM) is a good source for mapping for Garmin devices. However, in most cases, smartphones with the OSM app or other navigation app will be just as good if all you want to have is a supplementary navigation aid.

I carry a Garmin GPS to record my walking tracks, so I know the temptation to cross check and double cross check even if you are on a well marked path. And then there is the issue that even with a GPS, you will miss a flecha, and need to either retrace your steps or plot a new course. Don't ever think they are going to eliminate all navigational challenges!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Barry, I got confused and noticed that I've been responding to you on two threads when I thought I was doing it all here. Go to https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/last-minute-mistake—now-what.62919/#post-768549 and read it and a few posts below it to see some of mine that would fall into the category of Introduction to Smartphone GPS.

 

[Caminogoat]

We are planning on walking the Caminos Vadiniense and Salvador this fall. Are the trails well marked or should we bring along a GPS as a back up? If so, we have an old Garmin GPS map 76CSx but it only has North American maps loaded. What map set would you recommend for Spain (Europe). Thank you for any suggestions.

I downloaded Google map (entire Spain) for offline use. I used it along with the Camino app to double check. It was also useful in finding lodgings as I didn't stay in alburges. I first checked out prices and facilities in Booking .com and then found numbers in the Google map to call them directly. I usually got 10% off of Booking.com price.

 

[Thomas1962]

Here you can find a manual how to put tracks into your smartphone.

There were a couple of spots where the route had definitely been changed since the track was made, and there was once where the person making the track simply took another option from where I wanted to go, and this caused me quite a bit of extra walking. I simply missed the sign to the village where I hoped to spend the night, and continued straight, which is where the GPS track went. The track gave me false confidence in being on the correct route!

Hi @MileHighPair, do you know what part of the track was not right any more? The person making these tracks would be happy to make it correct again.

 

[Ferdinand the Bull]

I highly recommend Windy Maps App for IPhone and Android. It has all the Caminos in Spain plotted in (as far as I can see). It is very accurate and detailed (beautiful maps in good old paper look style), it works off line in map mode, it doesn't have to be "on" alle the time so it is a "low energy & battery friendly solution". Still it is very fast when suddenly switched on in acquiring your exact position even in remote mountain areas with no Internet.
In the streets in towns, villages and bigger cities it is still very accurate, faster and more reliable than ie. Google Maps especially in route direction mode.
In on line mode it has a search function for nearest supermarkets, hostels etc. Very handy when you are tired.
I used it a lot during my recent walk on the Camino Aragones. And I spared carrying a GPS and the extra weight of that.