Sticker Mania?

[Elle Bieling]

I am not a fan of the Camino Francés, I have never walked it and most probabaly never will. (Please don't discuss the pros/cons of this route on this thread). However, despite my strong opinions about the route, I chose to walk from Melide to SdC on the Francés (yes - I know about the Camino Verde from Lugo), in order to complete the Camino Primitivo, about a week ago. While I had walked this section before, I was very surprised at a phenomenon that is new - at least to me. Stickers!! I have not seen this on any other Caminos I have walked. Is this phenomenon only on the final 100 km of the Camino Francés or is this on the rest of the route? Is it on other Caminos? The stickers cropped up in so many places after Melide, even obscurring the name of the town "Salceda," in the second photo, and a stop sign also obscurred in the 3rd photo. The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I saw stickers from Taiwan (!), tour agencies, Camino-related stickers, restaurants, etc, and some that made no sense to me whatsoever. Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this? Do you believe this is a wonderful way to leave your mark on the Camino, or is it yet another form of Camino pollution?

 

[Tincatinker]

It’s pollution. It’s no different to the local foxes that leave their scat on my patios and steps “I was here and it’s mine”.

“I looked up from my‘phone and there wasn’t any noise so I made some.”

And no it’s not just the Francés, though that’s where you’ll find the highest density. On the Cuckmere Pilgrim Path last month every marker had a sticker “Polly and Pete [date] ”. Unfortunately no contact details because I would really have liked the opportunity to meet “Polly and Pete” and to have had the opportunity to shake them warmly by the throat…

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Elle, this is absolutely nuts! I haven't walked that stretch for quite a few years, but have never seen such a thing and no idea where people are getting access to so many different stickers. The only positive thing I can think of is that apparently they are not on the mojones...yet!

2015 and then 2017.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I've seen a few taxi stickers and unbelievably a few with QR codes advertising a very popular camino YouTuber (who should know better) on the Primitivo, but nothing like the quantity you're showing.

Just like graffiti, I think of it as vandalism.
Truly horrible.

 

[trecile]

The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I like the stickers on the Santiago sign. It makes the sign much more interesting than how it originally was, and to me symbolizes all those who have walked this path before me.

I have seen stickers on all of the Caminos that I've walked, but of course there are a lot more on the Sarria to Santiago stretch of the Francés because of the sheer numbers of pilgrims on this section.

I saw quite a few of these stickers on the Camino Portuguese south of Porto. This photo was taken near Azinhaga.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

We took our kids to Wall Drugs on our way to Mt. Rushmore many years ago. That sticker is totally misplaced.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

I like the stickers on the Santiago sign. It makes the sign much more interesting than how it originally was, and to me symbolizes all those who have walked this path before me.

I have seen stickers on all of the Caminos that I've walked, but of course there are a lot more on the Sarria to Santiago stretch of the Francés because of the sheer numbers of pilgrims on this section.

I saw quite a few of these stickers on the Camino Portuguese south of Porto. This photo was taken near Azinhaga.

View attachment 179695

I also like them on the entry sign into SdC... and I have a fridge magnet from SdC that embraces the stickers...
I do think they are dangerous on road signs and I just don't know what people are thinking when they seek to obscure a village sign, speed limit sign, etc etc.
I do like street art, and I don't object to the graffiti in bridge tunnels -- some of it, long ago, was my first entry into the complex politics of "Spain" (and that it wasn't *just* a Basque thing or a Catalan thing). I *like* being brought into confrontation with my own ignorance at street level that way...
But some of this does amount to cluttering up information that it important; it also strikes me as rather ironic that in a world in which people are constantly worried about waste, and excess... that people will engage in the wasteful excess of sticker manufacture and sticker use... It is so *without reasonable purpose*... I am stymied...

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I only remember seeing one sticker on my 2019 Camino Catalan but I saw it in many albergues slapped onto walls and refrigerators. I only looked it up now. I was surprised finding that it was advertising the book that @Rebekah Scott translated into English.

F

Thread 'El Gran Caminante /The Great Westward Walk'

Sep 6, 2017

If this is not in the correct section, let it be re-routed.

www.feadulta.com/es/buscadoravanzado/item/2024-antxon-el-gran-caminante.html
The above is a link to a review in Spanish of the book which has been translated by Rebekah. I am going to get both of them, as I would love to read the original, but I am also keen to see how Rebekah has dealt with the translation. I know a very little about translating and appreciate that it is a talent, a skill honed by a search for the translation of the meaning, not always the words. Rebekah's account of being persuaded to translate the book...

• Former member 49149
• Replies: 19
• Camino de Santiago Forum: 📚 Books about the Camino

• 

 

[woody66]

For me they are the same as covid masks, boots hanging in trees, burning clothes and any other nonsense! Leaving your mark only satisfies you;;;no one else cares it's another form of toilet paper.
You wouldn't want it in your street outside your home so why is it OK to do it in someone else's backyard.
Don't condone it!

 

[J Willhaus]

I didn't really notice that many stickers last year in June 2024 or again in January 2025. There were some of course, but not as excessive as the photos you posted. I guess I didn't pay attention to the Santiago sign and thought it was just supposed to be variegated. I thought it was supposed to look like that. The graffiti I remember was more with sharpie markers. The stickers I remember were mostly about taxis.

There was a news article last year I think from Santiago warning people not to follow the QR codes due to downloading some software or something.

 

[Elle Bieling]

Elle, this is absolutely nuts! I haven't walked that stretch for quite a few years, but have never seen such a thing and no idea where people are getting access to so many different stickers. The only positive thing I can think of is that apparently they are not on the mojones...yet!

2015 and then 2017.
View attachment 179692View attachment 179693

This change from then to my photo is quite dramatic!

 

[Anamiri]

I am not a fan of the Camino Francés, I have never walked it and most probabaly never will. (Please don't discuss the pros/cons of this route on this thread). However, despite my strong opinions about the route, I chose to walk from Melide to SdC on the Francés (yes - I know about the Camino Verde from Lugo), in order to complete the Camino Primitivo, about a week ago. While I had walked this section before, I was very surprised at a phenomenon that is new - at least to me. Stickers!! I have not seen this on any other Caminos I have walked. Is this phenomenon only on the final 100 km of the Camino Francés or is this on the rest of the route? Is it on other Caminos? The stickers cropped up in so many places after Melide, even obscurring the name of the town "Salceda," in the second photo, and a stop sign also obscurred in the 3rd photo. The worst, in my opinion was the stickers on the Santiago city sign, in the last photo.

I saw stickers from Taiwan (!), tour agencies, Camino-related stickers, restaurants, etc, and some that made no sense to me whatsoever. Is this some new fad or what is the purpose of this? Do you believe this is a wonderful way to leave your mark on the Camino, or is it yet another form of Camino pollution?


View attachment 179688 View attachment 179689 View attachment 179690 View attachment 179691

I have a photo of that same bridge covered in stickers from May this year , I'm sure there weren't stickers on it the last time I walked.
The Santiago sign though has looked like trash every time I've passed it. much worse than your recent photo. It usually has stuff hanging off all over it to the point its barely readable. Must be like the Cruz de Ferro, they clean it up but it builds up again.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

This change from then to my photo is quite dramatic!

Yes, it is, and possibly your photo even has layers and layers of stickers built up.