Camino de Santiago symbols
Updated:
The scallop shell is the pilgrim’s badge since the Middle Ages; the yellow arrow, painted since the 1980s, marks the way; stone markers show the route and, in Galicia, the distance to Santiago; the staff (bordón) is the pilgrim’s stick, and the cross of Saint James is the red, sword-shaped emblem.
Get your quoteThe scallop shell
The Codex Calixtinus (12th century) says pilgrims returning from Santiago sew the shell to their cloaks as a sign of the journey. (Source: Xunta de Galicia (education material), accessed 24/10/2026)
The yellow arrow
It is credited to Elías Valiña, parish priest of O Cebreiro, who began painting them in the 1980s to waymark the Camino. (Source: Vive Camino, accessed 24/10/2026)
Stone markers (mojones)
They mark the route with the shell; in Galicia many also show the kilometres left to Santiago. They are signs, not souvenirs: do not paint or take them.
The staff and gourd
The bordón is the pilgrim’s tall staff, often with a gourd for water: both appear in the traditional image of Saint James as a pilgrim.
The cross of Saint James
A red, sword-shaped cross, emblem of the Order of Santiago; you will see it on tarta de Santiago and souvenirs.
Follow the signs
Frequently asked questions
Why is the shell the symbol of the Camino?
Since the Middle Ages pilgrims brought it back from Galicia as proof of their journey, as the Codex Calixtinus already records.
Who painted the first yellow arrow?
It is credited to Elías Valiña, parish priest of O Cebreiro, in the 1980s.
What do Galician markers show?
The route and, in many cases, the kilometres left to Santiago.
Free, no commitment: tell us the section and dates and we reply within 24 h.
Get your quote