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Does anyone know what's going on with the 'milestones'?

jefferyonthecamino

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there has been recent news about the Xunta having removed all the stone milestones on the Camino this january.

what i cannot figure out is if they have replaced them with newer ones (and if these will have the kilometre and place indicators), or if these indicators are gone for good.

cheers
 
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According to this article from the Voz de Galicia, the mojones are being replaced with newer markers. http://www.alberguescaminosantiago....ia-cambia-la-senalizacion-del-camino-frances/

But the article doesn't say what they are being replaced with, it only says that the markings will be more frequent. Really?! The Camino Frances needs more marking? I'd say the camino Frances suffers from too much marking and many generations of signs (the worst of which are the ones with that goofy looking figure with the big blue head) right next to each other. I think they should remove them all and go back to yellow arrows. Just my opinion.
 
The mojones seem to be at nearly every intersection, so getting "lost" will be hard. They have an arrow, some of which are already yellow. Galicia may just want consistency and elimination of random arrows. To me the battle against chaos is futile.
 
When we walked for the first time, we really appreciated the milestones, particularly the ones with distances on them. Knowing that we had 7 km left to the place we were planning to sleep, and not 12, made a huge difference.
 
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yeah, that's what i had read in la voz as well, but it does not state what these new markers will look like. i personally like the milestones, maybe not every 500 metres, but they were a 'part of the Camino' in galicia, in my opinion at least.

cheers
 
C clearly said:
In November I saw them being replaced by similar new ones. There was an arrow on each but no distance indicators. There was a place that looked like a plaque might be added.
Click to expand...

thanks, this makes sense. they may be opting in the future for the silly (in my opinion) metal plaques with lots of decimals being used on the POrtuguese Camino already (welcome to GPS world)
 
I finished the unfinished bit of the Frances and noticed lots of new milestones, yellow arrows on them but no plaque with distances,.... YET. Buen Camino
 
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C clearly said:
In November I saw them being replaced by similar new ones. There was an arrow on each but no distance indicators. There was a place that looked like a plaque might be added.
Click to expand...
And how long will a plaque last before it's pinched?
 
C clearly said:
In November I saw them being replaced by similar new ones. There was an arrow on each but no distance indicators. There was a place that looked like a plaque might be added.
Click to expand...

So I take it that this means that the old mojones will be replaced by new mojones, which will have an arrow instead of a conch shell? It's true that those shells can send a confusing message sometimes because of the radiating lines, but painting an arrow below the shell would have solved that.

Just like the new Xunta albergue for Ourense (800,000 euros if you haven't seen Kinky's post), you have to wonder about the decision to spend lots of money for an improvement that is certainly not the most pressing need.
 
I was thrown off a few times by all the local (business) yellow arrows. I always found my way but it did cause some confusion....and it was my first time on the Camino.
 
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Yes, if distance plaques are added, they wouldn't be too secure, but nobody is going to walk off with the concrete mojon! That's why I was glad to see that the arrows are cast or "engraved" in the concrete. As I walked along, I checked that they were all
pointing in the right direction! In my opinion the concrete markers blend into the landscape quite well, although they have a rather plain industrial look when new.
 
I Heard an read on Facebook the new milestones would be every 500 hundred meters ,and planted to make sure nobody get lost in any crossways, in theory is going to be easy for pilgrims to follow the way!
I feel sorry because this milestones were part of the WAY and we going to miss them!!!
Buen Camino !!
 
any photos of the new milestones?
 
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They are very similar. Rather than being a distance apart, they are located at "corners" and take the guesswork out of intersections. There is a place in each one for two plaques. Until some of the plaques are in place, I do not know exactly what the big one will be. It probably is a place name on a standard symbol, like the old shell. The small plaque will be the distance like the markers on the Camino Portugues.

Galicia knows about souvenir hunters, so the inserted plaques are likely to be difficult to remove. However, never underestimate the malice and enterprise of some pilgrims. If it takes a prybar, someone will bring one along. The old etched mojones were impervious to that kind of activity.
 
It is a wonder that Pilgrims a few hundred years ago ever made it to Santiago without all these markings.
 
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http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/notici...a-legado-elias-valina/0003_201601L23C7995.htm

This is the link to the original article in La Voz de Galicia.

There has been quite some discussion on social media over the past few days regarding the decision to remove the original mojones and replace them with new signs. The general consensus is that it has been done at a great sentimental and financial cost (in 2015 and 2016 about one million Euros will be invested) and is an assault on the legacy of Elías Valiña who started marking the Camino with yellow arrows.

I can think of many Caminos which could use beter signage and an overhaul of a few albergues. Too bad that the Xunta feels that the original mojones are out of date.
 
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They should sell them and invest the proceeds back into the Camino infrastructure. Going by the amount of km plaques that are removed by "pilgrims" on the routes that I have walked there should be a good market in Camino memorabilia.

Hopefully postage and package would be included in the cost!
 
C clearly said:
See my post above, but they're still in the truck.
Click to expand...
Hola! I seem to recall a post by Ivar (possibly) around 3 months ago regarding uniformity of Camino signs within Galicia, so maybe "uniform" distance markers is just a follow-up. Hopefully the distance marks will be engraved into the plinth so that some "mug" cannot remove them. I recall that back in the Najera/Azofra region I stopped and took a photo against the 580 km "milepost", unfortunately almost all the distance markers from there to Santo Domingo had been removed. Maybe the markers should also be 5 or 10 metres of the Camino so as to discourage drongos from writing their names all over the markers!!
What would be good, would be distances to the next town/village. These seem to be less frequent apart from those in the main roads. Cheers
 
Last edited:
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Thanks for all the above clarifications and info.

I'll miss the old ones.
 
Shipping would be a bitch, but I wonder if the old Mojones are available for purchase? I, for one would love one in my garden. The conversation starter to end all conversation starters...

Ivar...your mission...should you care to accept it, is to develop a secondary market in these stones.... Perhaps the apparently disposed of mojones could be removed to Cathedral property, there to be sold off, to the benefit of the process. I am thinking of an orderly "yard" of these stones, lined up in some order, and catalogued, so they could be ordered online by reference.

Yes, I KNOW they are heavy. But they can be shipped. Within the EU, it should not be too difficult to arrange surface shipping. We are not talking the Correos here.

Just a thought. You KNOW these stones will start disappearing from the piles they are presently in. If they can be collected, pressure washed and the carvings repainted appropriately so they are effectively restored to almost new condition, I would imagine that each Mojone could be valued at more than Euro 100. That is a lot of revenue to...someone...

I hope the new ones do NOT have the milage on them. That is what attracts vandalism IMHO. If the new stones were a simple directional indicator, and all were standardized, with more pointing one way, with some others pointing the other way for selected locations.

Just thinkin...
 
How long will it take for the indelible marker brigade to destroy the new ones . Why do people insist on scribbling on every flat surface the find ,have they not all got phones
Oldman
 
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Maybe the old stone markers could be placed in the memorial pilgrim park of trees planned in Astorga with the names of each pilgrim who passed while walking the Camino enscribed on the way markers...
The stones could be placed in an almost complete circle, like the Japanese Enso...it is the drawing of a circle (enso means circle) and symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and mu (the void). In the drawing of an enso...when the circle is open (even just a bit) it allows for and represents movement and development as well as the perfection of all things. Zen practitioners relate the idea to the beauty of imperfection...and aren't we all just a bit imperfect, and so therefore beautiful... as were our fellow pilgrims who were not able to finish their Camino walks?
 
As long as this God-forsaken one is removed, I'm all for it! 27.8?!?! Why would you do that???
 

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jeffnd said:
As long as this God-forsaken one is removed, I'm all for it! 27.8?!?! Why would you do that???
Click to expand...

On the Ingles, they get it down to the exact metre

Take care, be safe.
 

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jeffnd said:
As long as this God-forsaken one is removed, I'm all for it! 27.8?!?! Why would you do that???
Click to expand...

Oh and on the way to Finisterre too!! I have to say, I think they have their own charm

Take care, be safe.
 

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Personally, I think it's a total waste of money and, well.......I guess that "someone" has "someone " who is profiting by this!
 
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jeffnd said:
As long as this God-forsaken one is removed, I'm all for it! 27.8?!?! Why would you do that???
Click to expand...
Maybe this is one of "amended markers" that had a new distance entered after the Camino route was changed. But I agree it would be better at 30 km or 25 km point!!
 
Saint Mike II said:
Maybe this is one of "amended markers" that had a new distance entered after the Camino route was changed. But I agree it would be better at 30 km or 25 km point!!
Click to expand...

They were every half a kilometer in Galicia, as I recall. And not being the fastest walker, it was disheartening to think you'd gone quite aways, only to to discover that you'd only gone half a click. Then we see this one come up. And we're thinking, "Oh wow, we must really be moving! We're at the half-kilometer mark already! NOPE! Stupid 27.8! If I remember right, that was the only strangely numbered marker we came across.
 
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Here's a photo of the new ones taken a couple of weeks ago. I think the carved arrows will be nice - harder for vandals or no-do-gooders to "reroute" the camino. This photo was taken as leaving Portomarin- in some areas they aren't all set yet (or they are in the middle of also doing a reroute) which made for some confusion.
 

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Is it me? They look exactly the same.....
 

Ok, Xunta, you've put up the new mojones, time to take down that metal sign that adds nothing to the equation. I think maybe falcon or whoever said it is right, that the drive to take down the many generations of camino signage is weaker than the drive to plop down new markers. Sort of the way dogs and cats mark their territory by urinating.
 
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I was thinking the same thing.
 
I think it is sad getting rid of those old ones, They just made the camino seem so authentic. You think they could be cleaned, the ones with grafitti. Just leave them there as signs of the past. I walked in 2005 and 6 and at the time, found new signage along the way seemed so garish, Loved all the old monuments and things. Since then I have done a couple of hospitalera stints In Najera and El Burgo Ranero but not walked. So I do not know the newer signage.
 
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Well, most have been said already, but I would like to say what has been going through my head the last few days...: a lot of people have been complaining that the mojones were being removed and demanding they put them back in their place. But it seemed as if they thought that NOTHING was going to be installed instead of the old mojones (at least they never mentioned that fact); in fact, new ones are going to be installed, as you all already know. They are being changed because of the new rules regarding Camino signing: on the new mojones, the shell will always point its lines in the same direction (not necessarily towards Santiago), and only the arrow will indicate direction the to Santiago.

And yes, I have also thought that it is a waste of income to just destroy or store the old mojones somewhere (in fact, I don't know if that is what will happen). I think they should be picked up keeping exact track of where they were placed (which Camino and near or in which town, village, monument...) and then be offered for sale. I am sure many pilgrims and Camino businesses (albergues, bars, etc...) would purchase them. This would be a source of income for the Xunta in order to partially pay for the cost of the whole operation, and would give many pilgrims the chance to have a real, little piece of the Camino in their backyard

Here's a pic of a recently installed new mojon in San Xulian do Camino, just after Palas de Rei (C. Frances), two weeks ago:



Bye for now!,
 
falcon269 said:
A pile of the old ones entering Melide:
Click to expand...


I am sorry, but this just looks WRONG on so many levels!

I favor deep-pressure cleaning, repainting, and repositioning where they belong. Perhaps applying a sealer that prevents writing on the surface with any felt type pen would help. The anti-graffiti coatings DO exist. Just check with the NYC Subway system folks...
 
So here we are....New mojones. SOMEONE ordered them, for someone to cut them to size and add the carving bits. One bomb of money is involved here, in my opinion!
 
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If I cannot figure a way to recycle one of the old ones, and bring it home from Spain as a souvenir, I have the detailed sketches provided in a link by Theo, above, I will pursue "Plan B." I always have a Plan B...

Plan B:
  • Take DETAILED measurements (in cm) when I am next on Camino this year. I always carry a tape measure.
  • Obtain a ceramic arrow tile, and the Camino shell tile at Santiago,
  • Take more detailed photographs of Mojones, in situ.
  • Use GPS to establish the EXACT coordinates of the center of the Plaza Obradoiro, the measuring point
  • Buy a new home in Florida
  • Move into the new home
  • Have a local person fabricate an EXACT replica of a Mojone, using either concrete or some resin with concrete dust product, according to the dimensions I bring home from Spain.
  • Epoxy glue the ceramic tiles in the proper direction on the Mojone.
  • Have an engraved kilometer distance plate with the distance from my home in Florida to the Cathedral.
  • LOVE my personalized Mojone...
Sounds like a very good plan to me. If anyone copies my idea, please let me know how I can obtain a clone of your Mojone... You know, this could be an interesting business opportunity if the personalized "Garden Mojone" can be made in a resin mixture product that weighs far less than solid concrete and can be shipped easily.

Making it thick-walled, but hollow, would also be a good idea. It could be filed with soil or something else when it got to the final location... A target weight of 20 Kg is good, as it allows the Mojone, wrapped in something to be checked on a plane a luggage. Most airlines have a 23 Kg checked bag limit for most travelers. High mileage or premium class travelers usually can take this to 32 Kg (@ 70 pounds).

Hmmm, this is starting to get better as I spin it out here...

I hope this helps.
 
It has all the hallmarks of a "make-work" project. Someone got a grant and has to spend it all this year in order to get the same funding next year... or perhaps just another case of inter-governmental corruption and malfeasance.
The Frances has so many different kinds of markers and signs, it's ridiculous and pathetic in a country with huge economic problems.


Please be aware that the pilgrim memorial park is NOT a reality yet... we now are looking eastward!
 
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The old style mojones in Falcon's photo are maybe being replaced, at least in part, because the distances are incorrect. They have been wrong ever since the runway was extended at Lavacolla! The actual distance is approx 5kms more than given on the old mojones.
 
I would prefer to see this money spent on the occasional toilet and a few more rest areas.
 

As I said, "planned"!
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.

Maybe if enough people here in the US wants one we could do a collective shipping from Spain to some central point in the US. I can think of nothing more fun than using my Ford F-150 pick-up and spending the summer delivering them to the new owners around the country.
 
Do be careful with what you say. I will be working at the Pilgrim Office for July and August this year. Who knows what might happen?

I will contact you via Private Conversation to coordinate shipment, IF it becomes likely. Hiring a 20-foot container is an no-brainer. Stacking the stones with wood strapping in between is similarly easy. Picking the right stones is another matter. People would get "A" mojone, not necessarily a particular one. They could be photographed on arrival and the photos posted on a sales web site.

All stones would be shipped 'as is." Buyers would be responsible for cleaning and reconditioning. I am thinking that the best I could do would be to select the mojones in best overall condition. They would have all features intact and not suffer from major chips or cracks. But then again, I am just thinking out loud...

We would have to charge enough to cover all costs: collection, shipping, insurance, customs duties (for stones?). Shipping from the central "stone yard" to the buyer would have to be borne by the buyer as well. Until I can calculate the all-in price of these stones delivered in the lower 48, and likely southern Canada as well, can be accurately determined. this need go no further.

The bottom line question might be, are you willing to pay USD 400. to have one of these stones delivered to your front door? However, I DO NOT yet know what the ball-park price might be. I was just tossing an example out.

Be careful when you pull my trigger. I often go off...
 
Has anyone done an environmental analysis of the CO2 emissions from all this transportation of heavy concrete objects to satisfy our sentimental urges?
 
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C clearly said:
Has anyone done an environmental analysis of the CO2 emissions from all this transportation of heavy concrete objects to satisfy our sentimental urges?
Click to expand...

I know that satisfying my personal urge to travel produces a considerable amount of CO2 emissions and I fear that I weigh considerably more than the aforesaid "heavy concrete objects."
 
Albertagirl said:
I know that satisfying my personal urge to travel produces a considerable amount of CO2 emissions and I fear that I weigh considerably more than the aforesaid "heavy concrete objects."
Click to expand...
I totally realize my contribution to the CO2. This was meant as a reminder that there are pros and cons.
 
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C clearly said:
Has anyone done an environmental analysis of the CO2 emissions from all this transportation of heavy concrete objects to satisfy our sentimental urges?
Click to expand...

My truck meets all of the 2011 environmental requirements.

Delivery might have to come with overnight accommodations (and maybe un cerveza). Couldn't think of anything more fun than meeting pilgrims from this forum.

I may get one for myself to serve as the headstone for my grave (when the inevitable happens).
 
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All the new marker stones have now been replaced in Galicia and this week the new distances have been added to eack stone as well as the yellow arrow and new Scallop Shell plaques. The distance is now shown as accurate to 3 decimal places and also been re calibrated. Our local marker used to be 24.5km and now shows the new distance of 25.193. The 100km marker is Sarria has been moved approx 2 km further back to Mirallos.
 
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Thanks. That is what I cited earlier today 4 posts above
at 2 39pm.
 
HeidiL said:
When we walked for the first time, we really appreciated the milestones, particularly the ones with distances on them. Knowing that we had 7 km left to the place we were planning to sleep, and not 12, made a huge difference.
Click to expand...
… or knowing you have 7 kms left to the place vs the 4 you thought….
 
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This is interesting to read 5+ years later, especially since those "new" mojones were already missing their brass number plaques by the time I walked in Galicia for the first time in September of that same year!
 
uhh..yeah...but maybe just a good cleaning would do it?
 

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