Signs by the Wayside: Messages and Sayings That Give Pilgrims Courage
On stones, trees and walls along the Camino, messages are waiting for pilgrims – words that encourage, comfort or make you smile. A photo collection from the community.
The Camino calls to you from afar – everyone who has walked it knows that. At some point the moment comes when you suddenly hear the call and say to yourself: Yes, I’m going to walk it too.
But the Way doesn’t only call from a distance. Along the route it also whispers to you up close: to the right and left of the path, people have left countless messages for pilgrims – on stones, trees, signs and walls. Sometimes a single word, sometimes a whole thought, sometimes an affectionate wink.
Messages instead of waymarks
For once, this isn’t about scallop shells, yellow arrows and distance markers. This page collects the sayings and thoughts that strangers have written by the wayside for you – words that encourage, comfort or simply make you smile. All the photos come from pilgrims who discovered them along the way and shared them with us.
If you’re more interested in the waymarks themselves: you’ll find the most beautiful ceramic shells among the Camino tiles, and signposts with distances among the most distant Camino signs.
Courage, love and a little defiance
Photographed in Belorado by Iris Schramm
“Don’t give up before you’ve experienced the miracle!” – Photo by Marcus Poschlod
Photo by Rainer Odenhoven
“More love, please” – Photo by Klaus Mertens
“(Im)possible” – Photo by Tino Segredo
“You are unstoppable” – Photo by Katrin Briese
“Did you know? You are beautiful! Yes, you!” – photographed just before León by Britta Leeling
Dirk Bachmann photographed this graffiti in a motorway underpass on the Camino Francés. He writes: “It changed the way I look at life, and its message is still with me today.”
Wisdom on stones and trees
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” Stone on the Camino Duro between Villafranca del Bierzo and O Cebreiro – Photo Jens Hauptfeld
“We cannot fight the night, but we can light a candle.” – Found on the Camino from Schwabach to Gunzenhausen, photo by Andrea Schutzbier
Eucalyptus tree just before Lavacolla – Photo Jens Hauptfeld
“To attain forgiveness, love or contentment … you must first have forgiven yourself …” – Photo by Gudrun Gentili
On the way from León to Villar de Mazarife – Photo Stefan Englert
“Don’t only walk the smooth roads. Take paths no one has walked before, so that you leave footprints and not just dust.” Found near Rubiães. Photo by Yvonne Weißensee
Photo by Rainer Odenhoven
For the moment – and for afterwards
Photo by Ch. Neuwirth
Photo by Gudrun Gentili
“Don’t be afraid of forgetting what happened on the Camino. Your feelings will always remain.” – Base of the cross near Faro – Photo Matthias Scheidl
“Now is this moment” – Photo Judith Sebastian
“Have a nice day. I love you. Yes, you!” – Photo by Michael Kmieciak
Patience! – Between O Cebreiro and Triacastela. Photo Iulia Dragan
The classic. Photographed by Susi Chairmen
Photo by Werner Köhne
“Love” – Photo by Andrea Schutzbier
Photo by René Rohr
Photo by Tanja Ranft
“Imperfect a(lso) k(nown) a(s) I am perfect” – a play on words: “Imperfect, also known as: I’m perfect”. Photo by Marén Öhlschläger
“Happiness only becomes real when it is shared” – Photo by Tanja Ranft
“Love yourself” – Photo by Angelika Knauder
“For where would we end up if nobody went to see where we would end up if we went?” – Photo by Yvonne Schneider
To the end of the world
Heart-shaped stones at the Cruz de Ferro, photo by Gertrud Müller-Jurt
“It’s not what you do that matters, but what you feel.” In Finisterre, photo by Uwe Wingerning
“This message carried me,” says Pia Nörenberg, after reading it between Zubiri and Pamplona.
“Keep going and you will find your way – be brave!” – Photo by Michel Hoffmann
“The end of the Way, or its beginning. That’s up to you.” Found in Fisterra on the boardwalk to the beach by Friedeborg Seitz
In Finisterre, photo by Christine Burk
Melanie Etzweiler found this particularly refreshing message, photographed it and hopefully enjoyed it too.
Have you discovered a message too?
Did you photograph a saying by the wayside that moved you? Write to us at info@caminoninja.com – we’ll be happy to add it to this page.
The cover photo is by Carolin Drößiger.
More on this: The most beautiful Camino quotes · Camino tiles · The most distant Camino signs