WiFi On The Camino de Santiago
Wifi Accessibility
One of the big questions for me when planning my Camino was: 'Is there WiFi along the Camino?' The frequency of WiFi along the Camino is good, and it should be possible to find a WiFi hotspot somewhere along the way every day... however if you want access everyday you will need to be looking out for it.
Is there WiFi in the albergues?
Whether or not there is WiFi in the albergues depends on the individual albergue- some do and some don't. There is no rule depending on the type. For instance, some municipal albergues have WiFi while others don't, and the same goes for the slightly pricier private albergues.
A general bit of advice would be to avoid the small albergues (less than 20-25 beds) as in my experience they are less likely to have WiFi. If you end up in a bigger town at the end of your walk for the day with energy to spare, you could go around to the different albergues and try to find one with WiFi.
Where else can I find WiFi on the Camino?
In most towns, you should be able to find a WiFi connection in one of the bars. Not all bars have WiFi, but look out for small stickers on the window saying that they are a WiFi zone. Or you can just go in and ask. If you have no knowledge Spanish, simply asking 'WiFi'?, possibly while gesturing to your phone/laptop/tablet should be enough.
Bars consist of both a bar and tables, and most have some food on display on the counter. Ordering a cup of tea or coffee or some of the food should be reasonably cheap. Most of the places I had tea at cost €1, with the occasional place charging €1.50 or more. Tortilla is one of the more common foods to find in the bar. It is the thing that looks like some sort of cheese pie. It is delicious (in my opinion) and a slice shouldn't cost any more than €2. In most places it will be €1.50 or less.
There may be WiFi in the local library, or a public area such as a park.
The best way to find out is ask at your albergue, as they should know where you can get WiFi access.
Do you really need WiFi? Do many people bring phones on the Camino?
Some pilgrims think it is better to leave items such as mobile phones and tablets at home, and get away from technology for the Camino. Whilst it is certainly easy enough to see the benefits of doing that, you will not be alone if you decide to bring technology. Lots of people bring their smart phones (with the occasional tablet) and use them for internet and to keep in touch with people from home.
