About five minutes after leaving Leon on my first day of pilgrimage, I can across a

message spray-painted on the wall of an abandoned house: “El Camino real es

internal [The real Camino is internal].”

Seeing this prompted me to be on the lookout for other graffiti messages during the rest

of my Camino. Scrawled on road signs, painted on rocks and road markers, spray-painted

onto walls—they were everywhere.

Most of these were short, encouraging, and vaguely spiritual; intended to bolster

morale or give advice. (For example, “Let the wisdom of uncertainty guide you;” “Your

blisters will heal, but the friends you make will last a lifetime;” or simply “keep going!”

There were a few explicitly religious messages, which increased in frequently as I

approached Santiago. These included specific Bible verses, prayers to St. James, and

advice to “Pray and Chill.” Then there were the more humorous pieces: for example,

“Don’t write on the road signs!” written on a road sign. Finally, there was artwork: the

rarest category, which ranged from a smiley-face spray-painted onto a stop sign to

elaborate murals along the walls. In Sarria, there was a lengthy painting of shells,

silhouetted pilgrims, scenery from the route, and faces of historically-significant

individuals from Camino history. As Sarria is one of the most common starting points for

pilgrims, this piece served to welcome them, impart the history of the Camino, and give

them a sneak preview of the road that awaits them.

Another mural (spotted in a small town near Ambasmestas) consisted of several

stylized figures in a row, painted to look as if they were walking the Camino with us. The

group was led by a traditionally-dressed pilgrim, followed by major gods and goddesses

from other religions. This seemed to be a commentary on how the Camino attracts

pilgrims from all faiths and creeds, and has perhaps transcended its religious roots to

become something more.

The Camino is famous for its “community”—much has been said about the

friendliness and camaraderie that develops between pilgrims as they walk. But graffiti

goes beyond that, and forms a bond between people who have never met and probably

never will. Those who leave these messages behind leave more than words—they leave

advice, spirituality, and, most importantly, a community, that unites pilgrims not just with

the artist/authors, but with each other. The Camino graffiti doesn’t just offer encouragement and insight, but lets us walk up to another pilgrim and start a conversation just by asking

“Did you see that funny graffiti back there”?