Santiago de Compostela has become one of the places of Christian pilgrimage since medieval times when the Tomb of Santiago el Mayor was discovered.

Santiago de Compostela together with Jerusalem and Rome constitute the three great pilgrimages of Christianity being thus declared by Pope Alexander VI. Visited by numerous people, among them the Catholic kings who, when they saw the need for a hospital that cared for the pilgrims, made the decision to build it in honor of the Apostle Santiago.

In Holy Year the number of pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela is much higher. It is celebrated when the festivity of Santiago (July 25) coincides on Sunday. Every 6- 5 -6- 11 years. Holy next year will be in 2021. Since according to the bull "Regis Aeterni" the plenary indulgence is granted to all those who visit the tomb of St. James, and the Holy Door is opened all that year as a sign of forgiveness.

There are different ways and ways to arrive on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela such as: Portuguese Way (pilgrimage route from Portugal), French Way (pilgrimage route from France), English Way (pilgrimage route from the province of Coruña arriving by boat North and West), Camino Aragonés (pilgrimage route from Aragón), Camino de Santiago by the North (pilgrimage route along the Asturian-Galician coast), Camino de la Plata (pilgrimage route from Laza, Verín, Extremadura or Andalucía), Camino de Madrid (pilgrimage route from Madrid), Camino de Finisterre ...

The Portuguese road from Lisbon or Oporto has several stages since entering Galicia by Tui, following either Vigo or Porriño, Redondela, Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis, Padrón and Santiago de Compostela.

A curiosity of the way are the scallop shells carried by those pilgrims whose custom is attributed by some to the legend of the "Knight of the Shells" and by others to the tradition of carrying it as a souvenir.

This legend tells that during the celebrations of a wedding that was celebrated in Bouzas (Vigo) with the guests participating in the ceremony of "abofardar" (in which mounted on horseback a spear is propelled into the air and collected before touching the ground) Spear fell into the sea and when searching for it, the groom disappeared among the waves, miraculously re-appearing next to the ship carrying the remains of Saint James Apostle. All the clothes of the man were covered with scallops, the sailors invited him to get on the boat considering it a miracle and decided that from then on all those who would visit the tomb of the Saint would carry a shell of Viera turning it into a symbol of pilgrimage.

The pilgrims' tradition of carrying a scallop shell is also attributed to the fact that the pilgrims arriving in Santiago were given a scallop shell to put on their clothes or a hat and a document certifying that they had made the journey. With what served as the hallmark of the pilgrims who had already visited the tomb of the Apostle on his return trip. Today is one of the various signs of pilgrims in any direction as is also the cross of Santiago Apostle, the pumpkin that served to carry water in antiquity or the cane that served not only to help you walk but as a defense of the animals that crossed on the road.

Also the scallop shell is one of the signs with which the official road of Santiago is marked.

Many pilgrims take the opportunity to get to know the most international  with Carlos Nuñez  our most famous bagpiper.