00:00 The Camino de Santiago is a popular pilgrimage route to the Tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, attracting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year.

01:26 Santiago de Compostela is a city in Spain that attracts pilgrims because it is believed to be the resting place of Saint James, one of Jesus' apostles.

02:35 The tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela attracted pilgrims, especially during the Middle Ages, due to its significance and the difficulty of the journey.

03:44 The Codex Calyxtinus was a 12th century travel guide that provided advice and information for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, and the scallop shell became the symbol of the pilgrimage.

04:52 Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago would often have a scallop shell carved on their tombstones, which eventually became a symbol of the pilgrimage and a practical tool for drinking water and receiving food along the way, while a modern tradition involves obtaining a pilgrim's passport and collecting stamps in towns along the route, with the completion of the last 100 kilometers earning pilgrims a certificate called a Compostela.

05:59 The most popular route on the Camino de Santiago is the Camino Française, followed by the Camino Portugues and the Camino del Norte, with the Camino Inglis being the shortest route; there has been a significant increase in the number of people walking the Camino in recent decades.

07:11 The number of pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago has been steadily increasing, with a high of 327,000 in 2018, and while most people today are not doing it for religious reasons, 2021 was expected to have a high number of pilgrims due to it being a holy year, although the pandemic will likely decrease that number considerably.