What I hear along the
Camino Frances, is pilgrims nattering all day long in a language in which they are confident. So either they seek each other out or they are naturally drawn to each other along linguistic competency lines. I don’t hear them exchange all day long the few words and phrases they may have taught themselves in Spanish.
I understand a lot of spoken Spanish and can read even more. My active Spanish is poor. In fact, I’ve been lazy with my learning and feel ashamed how atrocious my conversational skills are. Of course local people are gracious, often the elderly, and seem happy to listen and respond. But I’ve come to the conclusion that a few words and phrases are not enough. You need to know your verbs, how to decline them at least in the I and you/usted form and you need a past tense. Where I strongly believe any past tense will do. That’s what I did with French for years and years: passé composé and nothing else.
The overwhelming majority of conversations I had with pilgrims along the
Camino Frances was in English, French, German and Dutch, roughly in that order. Rarely in Spanish. Was/is it different for most of you if you are not a native Spanish speaker or competent in Spanish???
So I fully support the OP‘s quest to seek out English speakers. Perhaps that’s because I know more than a few words and phrases in a few (European) languages ....?