Commemorative scallop shell and glass tube with soil from the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James), upon the inauguration of the Rua Paulo Coelho in Santiago de Compostela on 23 June 2008. The shrine of the apostle Saint James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, said to contain the remains of the saint, is the endpoint of the Camino pilgrimage. Together with the yellow arrow, the scallop shell is used along the Camino to guide pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela.

Paulo Coelho’s 1987 book The Pilgrimage is a recollection of Paulo’s experiences as he made his way across northern Spain on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. The novel serves as part adventure story, part guide to self-discovery.