In Spain and France, as in the rest of the European Union, it is illegal to discriminate based on nationality, racial or ethnic origin, gender, religion, belief, age, disability, sexual orientation or identity, or gender expression, in the provision of goods and services.

You may meet pilgrims from almost everywhere in the world (see Pilgrim Office statistics for countries of origin). Historically, people of colour have not formed a significant proportion, although this is beginning to change. Reports from people of colour indicate that they are received hospitably. There is a discussion on the Pilgrim forum on this subject.

Spain and France are considered to be LGBTQ+ friendly countries. See here for a discussion on this.

Whether pilgrims are walking alone, in a couple of any type or in a group, mixed dormitories provide single bed accommodation for everyone. Double rooms are taken by two people of any gender mix, and may have a double bed or two single beds.

A contributor to the Pilgrim forum wrote: "Like anywhere else, people can make assumptions (sometimes based on a lack of knowledge, sometimes on intolerance) that can take a bit of emotional energy as you decide to engage or ignore. But, one of the exceptional things about the camino is how open people are to others, and how often you find yourself havng incredible conversations with people of very different backgrounds."