The Scallop Shell - Symbol of the Camino

The scallop shellis the symbol of the Camino de Santiago, and it is used to guide the pilgrim walking to Santiago.  It is painted on trees, sidewalks and posts along the way.  The scallop shell help pilgrams find their way.

The shell is used as a metaphor; its lines represent the different route pilgrim's travel from all over the world, walking trails leading to the tomb of St. James in Santiago.  Medieval pilgrim's often wore the scallop shell on their cloaks or hats during their journey to Santiago.  More than being just a symbol of the pilgrim, it also had a practical purpose .  It was a handy replacement for a bowl, so the pilgrim used it to hold their food and drink on the way.  Pilgrim's would also be given food at churches and other establishments, and the scallop shell scoop was the measure for the food they would receive.

The shape of the shell also resembles the setting sun, which was an important symbol in pre-Christian times.  It is no coincident that the Way of St. James is a journey to the West, finishing at the "end of the world" (Fisterra) and the setting sun.

The modern day pilgrim carries the shell on their backpack indentifiying them as a pilgrim on the Way.