Editors at
AllMusic rated this album 3 out of 5 stars, with critic Mark Deming writing that this album has a more somber mood than
La Costa Perdida and this release "finds them playing with a technical skill that puts their early classics to shame but sounding curiously short on the joy and spontaneity that were once this band's trademark". Hal Horowitz of
American Songwriter rated this album 2.5 out of 5 stars, writing that "the music contains CVB’s mix of country, folk, rock and gypsy soul", but "the songwriting and general groove is not up to the quirky quality expected from CVB". Matt Melis of
Consequence of Sound scored
El Camino Real a B−, praising the "disconnect between the music and what Lowery’s actually singing" and summed up that "irony, tight songwriting, and a delightfully askew window on the world make any new Camper record worth a spin". In
Louder Sound, Stephen Dalton highlighted that this music mixes "sardonic social commentary with sincerity", with "a surprisingly big-hearted, warm-blooded empathy" that draws comparison to
Bruce Springsteen.
PopMatters John Garratt wrote that the band "do not seem too preoccupied with sounding like their former selves" on this recording and "no one else sounds quite like them" with their mix of "themes of work, joy, paranoia and peace"; his ranking was a 7 out of 10. In
Record Collector, Paul McGuinness gave this work 2 out of 5 stars, ending his review, "There’s plenty of sun throughout, but it’s a rougher road and they’re a wearier set of travellers this time around... It feels as though CVB may have overstretched themselves with this second leg; while
La Costa Perdida was worth the wait,
El Camino Real leaves the listener having enjoyed the trip, but glad to be getting home." ==Track listing==