“Something’s been Lost”: Pilgrim Office and the Portico of Glory

Pilgrim Office and the Portico of Glory

Reflecting on Pilgrimage along the Camino Portuguese

 
Arriving in Santiago de Compostela is a complex thing.  The euphoria of reaching the end of the Camino, the joy of arrival and the rush of excitement at the meeting of old friends are soon replaced with solitude and reflection.  One might also feel a deep sense of melancholy at having completed their pilgrimage.    In addition – days or weeks after you have returned home there are bouts of sadness about no longer being on the Way of St. James.  The routines of home and work are by no means the routines of Camino.

 
While these mixtures of emotion are by no means simple the fact remains that the arrival into Santiago that marks the end of one chapter also signals the beginning of another.   Often pilgrims wonder how to keep their Camino alive when they get home.
 

Pilgrim’s Office : Digital Cues and Digital Compostela

 
Our morning was uneventful, with us staying in bed until 7:30 AM and enjoying a breakfast of granola and café con leche in the downstairs café at 8 AM.
 
The first order of business today was to visit the Pilgrim Office and pick up our Compostela and Distance Certificates.  In years past visiting the Pilgrim’s Office has been a long, but wonderful experience.  Hours spend in line, chatting with other pilgrims, and reflecting on the journey.   Indeed time in the Pilgrim’s Office has always seemed to be the ideal way to conclude a pilgrimage.  Here we have re-met people that we had not since France or Oviedo or Madrid or Lisbon.  The process invariably led us to be politely called on, have us step up to the desk, and talk with the amazing volunteers who welcomed you, congratulated you, and who spent a few minutes figuring out the routes you had followed while calculating the exact distance travelled. 

Santiago Pilgrim Office Website Image

 
Post-Covid however, we were unsure what the situation there would be like.  What we could never have anticipated was the extent of the transformation of the Pilgrim’s Office. 
 
Walking from our accommodations, past the Cathedral and to the Pilgrim’s Office this year we were stunned to see the sheer number of upset people outside as security guards talked and led them through the new online registration.   As it turns out the revised process requires pilgrims to register their pilgrimage route and distance in advance online.  Soon after they have completed this procedure pilgrims receive a digital munzi code by email that allows them to be contacted online informing them when they can enter into the office to line up to get their Compostela.   

 
As it turns out in the modern age after completing your pilgrimage one must still navigate a maze of online bookings and digital check-ins in order to receive credit.  The human experience, communal endeavour, and spiritual aspects of pilgrimage have been stripped away.

 

Regardless, we still hoped to get our final stamp and Compostela and so, standing outside we too followed the printed instructions on signs posted outside the Pilgrim office. Now the complexity truly began.  Neither of our potential starting points – Faro or Lagos in southern Portugal – was on the accepted and programmed list.  This challenge was not unique to us alone.  One German couple a few feet away struggled to register as they had trekked from Berlin over the last 3 months and they could only enter Paris, Irun, or St. Jean Pied de Port as their potential starting points.  Similarly, those who had begun at their homes had no options and were shrugged off by the helpful security guards who could provide no answers for them as to what to enter.

 
Adding to the challenge of noting that we began on the Rota Vicentina there was no option to note that we had followed the Portuguese Coastal and Espiritual variant instead of the central way.  And so – online – the only option for our final documents available to us was choosing to declare that we had trekked from Lisbon or Porto on the Camino Portuguese. 

 
After choosing Porto (the most accurate option) we were soon emailed a munzi code which the security guard scanned.  Several minutes later we were given a spot in the physical line to get our Compostela.  Here we waited for an hour – distanced from other pilgrims surrounded not by lively conversations but in almost complete silence as those around us texted and watched YouTube videos on their phones.   Eventually, we reached the front of the silent line waiting for our assigned number to flash on a large digital screen indicating which assigned counter space we should proceed to.

 
Once at the main desk, a disinterested individual quickly scanned one's digitally assigned munzi, and printed off the appropriate Compostela.  For the first time ever, no one at the office even glanced at my Camino passport which I have so diligently stamped, protected and carried since starting in southern Portugal.  When I tried to talk to them about where we actually started and the routes we took, I received absolutely no comment in return.  Apparently, there is to be no conversation at the desk anymore, and no figuring out the appropriate distances.  The system is now streamlined and impersonal.   The online information from the drop-down menu states that we trekked from Porto to Santiago de Compostela and so that is what it is on our official documentation.  The information given is the information printed off.  Amendments are not forthcoming.  My Compostela was printed off and shoved into my hands.

 
When I asked for a distance certificate as well the volunteer rolled their eyes, clicked the mouse on their computer, and reached under the desk to pull out another printed-off form.  It too was briskly handed over and I was pointed off away from the desk.  Amid this neither of us was given our final stamps for arriving in Santiago, instead, the volunteer just announced ‘Next’ and dismissively waved us off.  The entire impersonal and silent process at the desk in the Pilgrim’s Office took less than 2 minutes. 

 
Watching the same series of impersonal events at the next teller station another pilgrim turned to me and bluntly stated “so much for a grand arrival.  Here we are after a thousand kilometres of walking, being screamed at by a security guard and standing in cue to get a code to get into another cue to get a piece of paper printed off by a computer.  I don’t know whether to say it is all a joke, a bit dehumanizing, or whether something has simply been dropped.  Certainly not the way one wants to end in Santiago.”
 
Dispirited we went to another desk and bought a tube to protect our Compostela. Here again, no words or even a smile were offered, merely a demand for the right number of Euros.  After which we walked out back into the streets feeling unseen and that our efforts had been entirely discounted.  Our pilgrimage had been reduced to a digital registration, a financial transaction, and incorrect Camino statistics.

 
While it is easy to be critical of this situation, the simple fact is that the ever-rising number of pilgrims now walking into Santiago daily has reduced this once warm and welcoming office into an institution filled with caring volunteers who simply cannot keep up with the pace of people who come in.  There is no time anymore to talk with pilgrims the goal is simply to process people as quickly as possible to get them in and get them out.   As a result, the conclusion of one’s spiritual quest to Santiago is now dealt with in all the cold efficiency that a bank teller or utility company might offer as you pay your monthly bills.   

 
We clearly were not the only ones feeling this shift in attitude.  As we left there were 4 Australian ladies without a cell phone being refused entrance to the Pilgrim’s Office because they could not enter their information online in advance.  They were in tears and devastated by this reception after walking over 1000 km along the Caminos Via de la Plata and Sanabres.  Even my offer to give them my phone to help did little to help.  They eventually simply walked away in tears without their Compostela.  In response, the Spanish security guard just shrugged and turned away. 
 
After weeks of walking for weeks dealing with profit-driven albergues, Camino commercialism, and group tours the fact is at the end of the day, it is ironically the Pilgrim’s Office itself that most personifies the crisis we are facing today.  It has become a completely modern institution relying on an online world where individuals are all being reduced to simply being a number in line.
 

In Search of the Last Stamp

 
Having not received a final stamp at the Pilgrim Office we set off on one last Pilgrimage quest – to find our Last Stamp.  Thankfully a kind waitress at a bar suggested that the Santiago Tourism Office has one for the city.  And so we set off!  Eventually, we located the building and gratefully received a final stamp for our pilgrim passports!  

The friendly ladies that chatted with us reminded us of the Pilgrim Office of old.  They asked about our favourite moments and made suggestions for nature spaces and local parks that we might enjoy across Santiago.   They chatted about their favourite birds that they had seen around Santiago.   The coup de grace being that they also provided us with a ton of information about birding in Galicia!  To them, we owe a huge thanks!
 

Exploration of Santiago Cathedral

 
With hope in our hearts that the events at the Pilgrim’s Office were simply a bump along the way we set off to enjoy today’s Pilgrim Mass, explore the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela, hug the statue of St. James, pay our respects to his remains, and to visit the recently renovated (and now open) Portico of Glory!

 

Walking into the Cathedral in Santiago is always an exciting experience.  The restored altar, the warm side chapels, and the interior aesthetic are all beautiful spaces to spend time in.  Before wandering and admiring we took a few moments to sit, say a prayer of thanks and give gratitude for allowing us a safe pilgrimage.  

Watching the light stream in above us we also took time to reflect upon all we had seen and experienced along the way. This Camino was undoubtedly a very different experience, but it has nonetheless been a pilgrimage full of blessings that we are deeply grateful for.

 
With our prayers finished we stood up to leave the pew that we had been sitting to explore the interior of this historical church. 

It was at this point that a cathedral volunteer quickly prompted us to give funds to the cathedral and pointed to a nearby Tap and Pay donation pedestal against the wall.   Looking around we quickly realized that in addition to the scaffolding being removed from the Cathedral donation pedestals had been added and were spaced throughout the church.  Each had similar employees or volunteers continually prompting visitors and pilgrims to donate.  And so even here, in the heart of the Cathedral de Santiago, the economy of pilgrimage and commerce is in full swing.  Sigh.
 

The Portico of Glory

 
Over the years we have arrived at a Cathedral covered in scaffolding during its restoration, we have enjoyed a rooftop tour, walked through the Door of Forgiveness, watched the Botafumeiro swing, and prayed at the remains of Saint James.  This journey, however, marks the first time that the work both outside and inside the cathedral now seems largely completed.
 
Yet despite the completion of the renovations the front doors of the Cathedral remain sealed and one of the key pilgrimage sites that we have yet to visit, the Portico of Glory, is still hidden from view.

 
The Portico of Glory, or the Portico da Gloria is the arch and tympanum at the western side of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela and is one of the most iconic landmarks on the Camino Pilgrimage.   Commissioned and partially funded by King Ferdinand II and created by the sculptor Master Mateo from 1168-1211, the Portico is an exquisite example of Romanesque style art and architecture influenced by French, Spanish and Italian traditions.

 
It was designed to serve as both an architectural masterpiece and a symbol of divine salvation, welcoming individuals who had journeyed long distances to reach the final destination of their pilgrimage.  The Portico is composed of three large arches, and the tympanum across the top is adorned with angels, prophets and apostles.  At the top centre of the archway is Jesus, while sitting beneath him as the central support is St. James holding a pilgrim’s walking staff.   The intricate carvings reflect themes in both the Old and New Testaments and have symbols of pilgrimage as well as depictions of judgment, glory and resurrection. The goal of these carvings is to symbolically join the individual’s pilgrimage with the universal and eternal message of faith in the church. 
 
For pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, the Pórtico de la Gloria is an important landmark, marking the culmination of their spiritual journey as they reach the Cathedral.  The Pórtico is a place of reflection and reverence, where many pilgrims pause to contemplate their journey before entering the Cathedral to pay their respects to the relics of St. James. The tradition of crawling into the Cathedral and touching the Portico provided pilgrims with a deep connection to not only the religious aspects of their journey but also reiterating humility while allowing them the opportunity to place their hands on El Portico.   
 
The traditional place where pilgrims have touched the Portico of Glory has resulted in a cavity being formed by the countless pilgrims throughout history who have arrived to Santiago.  This is showcased in Martin Sheen’s movie The Way when Youst crawls humbly on his knees to place his hands on the doorway. 

It is not just pilgrims however who have a tradition of touching the doorway.  The inside of the Portico, behind the statue of St. James has a statue of Master Mateo himself.  The carving of Mateo that is kneeling is known as the Santo dos Croques.  It is here that students used to come and tap their hands again to ask for wisdom and understanding.  Unfortunately in the 21^st century, both of these practices for pilgrims and students have been stopped in the name of conservation.

 
Adding insult to injury visitors cannot even see the Porto of Glory or the statue of Master Mateo as the section of is sealed off from the rest of the Cathedral by a series of fabric dividers.  The reasoning given is that these dividers reduce the humidity that the Porto is exposed to.  However, they also successfully serve to block any views of this masterful work from non-paying visitors.
 
The famed Porto da Gloria, once a highlight of any pilgrimage, now requires a reservation and paid ticket for a brief, controlled visit. Once allowed in Pilgrims are escorted by a security guard, told not to touch the sculptures or take pictures.  As a result, even this once-sacred space now feels like any other site in a paid tourist attraction.  As the security guard directed our tour group: “No phones, no cameras, no pictures! If you want a picture buy a postcard at the gift shop!”

 
Between the plethora of bustling gift shops and the increasing cost of accessing sacred sites, the spiritual journey to Santiago de Compostela now seems to have become entirely entangled in the financial aspects of modern tourism.  As one pilgrim visiting the Porto of Glory noted as the security guard made them delete their cell phone image of St. James, “the magic of the Camino is being overshadowed by money and greed.”
 

Pilgrim Banco and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

 
One of the central tenets of the founding of this Cathedral was to draw the faithful, those in need, and those seeking guidance to visit St. James.  Throughout history, Santiago de Compostela has had several periods of reassurance where the numbers of pilgrims visiting swell.  The modern age, despite being more secular has seen perhaps the greatest number of people trek across Europe and the world to hug the saint and rest their anxieties at the feet of St. James.  Yet Santiago now appears to be a victim of its own success.  

 
Pilgrimage routes in Spain and Portugal have fueled their economies, funded the restoration of churches across the Iberian Peninsula (this cathedral included), and supported countless local businesses.  Yet even this doesn’t seem to be enough to quench the drive for more money.  For years the cost of tours in the Cathedral de Santiago was always premised on the notion that the rising prices went “towards the restoration of the cathedral”, yet even now with things completed the costs and demands continue.   
 
The scaffolding removed and the altar now polished up does not read as “welcome to all”, instead it barks “pay but do not touch”.  Pilgrims pay for access to parts of the Cathedral.  Pilgrims pay to go on tours, Pilgrims pay for the museum, and they pay to see traditional pilgrimage sites.   The culmination of this process can be seen in the fact that Pilgrims are directed to depart the Cathedral through the Gift Shop.

Santiago Cathedral Gift Shop

 
The reception of pilgrims from years ago when they could proudly march into the Cathedral from the courtyard after their trek, were welcomed, could follow historic traditions, and could be received to mass has disappeared.  Today pilgrims must leave their backpacks outside, they cannot climb the front stairs, and they cannot touch either the statue of Santiago or Master Mateo in the Porto of Glory.  Instead, visitors are continually prompted to donate for additional access, directed to the gift shop and urged to buy mementos of their visit.   The Cathedral now seems more focused on the economic benefits of pilgrimage rather than on the souls of the Pilgrims themselves.

 
As one lady filling in her own information outside the pilgrim office said today “I feel that something has simply been lost in the process here.  It is dispiriting that it all comes down to cell phones and donations.”
 

Dinner in the Old Quarter

 
With a mixture of feelings, about arriving into Santiago de Compostela, about completing our Camino, and about the challenges we have faced today we wandered the beautiful cobblestone streets of the old quarter.

 
Walking without direction we reminisced and chatted. Around almost every corner we depressingly found rows of nearly identical-looking shops hocking souvenirs and tourist tack. Wondering why anyone would want a pilgrim bobblehead or a wooden toy gun with the inscription of Santiago de Compostela on its barrel we continued on. 

 
In the late afternoon, when the temperatures began to rise we sat and had a cold beer.  Here we would pass the latter part of the day talking with other pilgrims whom we had met, enjoying Padron Pimentos and drinks while exchanging stories from the Camino.  One lady at the table summarized the experience of walking on pilgrimage best commenting that

 
“Camino is my therapy.  Walking helps focus my mind.  Being outdoors helps me stay grounded. It brings all the pieces inside of me and in my mind together, gets past all the distractions and gives me a single focus.”

 
As time passed we talked about our previous visits to Santiago, remembering the places we’d been, the people we have been blessed to have travelled with, and the different life paths that the Camino has put us on in the last decade.  As always our time in Santiago is connected to our memories….and entwined with those we have shared so many journeys with over so many years.
 

Visiting the Plaza del Obradoiro

 
Eventually, as the day’s light began to fade we wandered back to the Plaza del Obradoiro.  While we have arrived here on foot after a number of pilgrimages in the last decade– following the Camino Frances, the Camino Portuguese, the Camino Primitivo, and Camino Finisterre each time is a unique and beautiful experience.  Beyond our own arrivals, this square has always been the highlight of our time in Santiago for us. 

 
The energy and excitement of people walking in at the conclusion of their own pilgrimage is wonderful to witness and experience.   The moments are always smiles, glory, and celebration. Here all the pain, discomfort, and complaints of the way dissolve amid joy.  Her old and new friends find themselves.   Here, pilgrims come together to rejoice in their accomplishments, exchange stories, and share in the excitement of their shared journeys. It is one of the most heartwarming places to simply sit and be part of. 

 
Seated on a stone bench taking in these moments we came to see that while the Cathedral and albergues may have changed over the years, the people who walk the Camino still embody the central spirit of the Way of St. James. The camaraderie, the triumph, and the deep sense of personal transformation are as alive today as they were centuries ago. Undoubtedly, and perhaps fittingly amid an age increasingly dedicated to making money and to being online, it is the communal energy of people from around the world where the true soul of the Camino still resides as strong as ever.
 
Tonight in front of the Cathedral in Santiago sitting in the Plaza del Obradoiro comes the wonderful reassurance that the heart of the Camino is alive and well in the hearts of those who travel it.
 

The Nature of Pilgrimage

 
We are fortunate enough to have again had the opportunity to undertake the pilgrimage to Santiago and we are once again sad that it has come to an end. 

 
It has taken years, several pilgrimages and thousands of kilometres to see that the pilgrimage does not end when one arrives into Santiago, visits the Cathedral, witnesses the swinging of the butafermerio, or even receiving your Compostela.  It is not about getting a certificate, hugging a golden statue, or stepping into a holy site.  Camino is so much more than these moments.
 
The true reward of the Camino lies in the journey itself—the act of walking, the act of faith, and the act of meeting and talking with others.  This is perhaps best personified by those who meet in the Plaza del Obradoiro where the Joy of Pilgrimage is evident in all who walk the Way.  The Camino is about finding purpose, regaining direction, asserting control in life, and belonging to something larger than ourselves.

There are undeniable frustrations with the commercialization and changes on the Camino.  Yet the fact is that the Way of St. James has always been constantly evolving, shaped by the forces of economics, technology, and tourism. 
 
Regardless, however, the true essence of pilgrimage—its transformative power, the connections it forests, and the joy it brings—remains. It is in the shared moments, the laughter, the tears, and the triumphs that the true magic of the Camino is found. Despite the changes, the Camino de Santiago continues to inspire, challenge, and bless those who walk its path. Ultimately, the Camino remains a journey of hope, reflection, and a renewed sense of common purpose and community that no amount of commercialism can overtake and replace. 

 
The wonder and transformational power of the Camino is definitely still here – it has, as it has always done, simply morphed.
 
No matter how much the world around the Camino changes, the heart of the pilgrimage remains steadfast in the pilgrims who walk it, making the Way a timeless journey.  As pilgrims continue to walk it's paths, spend time in nature, and connect with others they are reminded that the pilgrimage is not just about the destination, but about the journey itself and the spirit of the Camino in the people you meet and events you experience along the Way. 
 

Clarity and Hope on the Camino

 
As the light began to fade and singers began to assemble at the back of the courtyard in the archways and arcade of the Concello de Santiago de Compostela we knew that our time in Santiago and the Camino was once again coming to an end. 

 
As we stood up and began to make our way back to our room we heard the unforgettable scream of a Red Kite, its voice was so piercing that it cut through the sounds of hundreds of pilgrims gathered.  Almost as a whole people from across the Plaza del Obradoiro looked up.  The amazing bird could be found perched on the central iron cross above the statue of St. James on the front of the Cathedral.  For a few brief moments, it was the focus of the gathered crowds in attendance. 

Red Kite - Wikipedia

Then as pilgrims watched transfixed by the site the Kite called out one last time before launching himself and soaring across the plaza gracefully flying off to the west.  And so once again, and one last time this year, the Way has found a way to remind us that wonder and possibilities are always out there if we keep our heads up, our eyes alert and our minds open.  New perspectives and horizons are there to be found. 

 “…the end of pilgrimage is not the end of searching…”