This summer, Santiago de Compostela has seen a surge in complaints from residents about groups of pilgrims arriving via the Camino. Videos circulating online show some singing loudly and crowding narrow streets; others drink in local bars before urinating in public corners of the historic center. The scenes have frustrated many locals as the seasonal influx increasingly disrupts daily life.
Tensions are especially acute in the old town, where the contrast between the Camino’s spiritual reputation and some visitors’ actions is stark. Residents say noise and disorder have tested their patience, and some feel alienated in their own neighborhoods. The paradox is clear: Santiago de Compostela owes its existence to the pilgrimage route, yet some pilgrims’ behavior now challenges the city’s social fabric.
The influx has continued to grow. The Pilgrim’s Reception Office reported issuing 530,987 Compostelas in 2025, then a record year for accredited pilgrimages. By October 2026, figures attributed to the office had already surpassed that mark, ranging from 531,442 to about 535,000 depending on the reporting date. The total has risen from 179,891 in 2004, roughly tripling over two decades. These figures count people who obtain the certificate, not everyone who walks part of the Camino without requesting one.
Changing routes also affect where visitors arrive and how the pressure is distributed. In 2025, about 46% of accredited pilgrims followed the French Way and 36% used Portuguese routes; in 2026, the reported shares were approximately 43% and 40%, respectively. The Portuguese routes had recorded about 213,000 pilgrims by 2026, compared with roughly 190,000 over all of 2025. Santiago has also increasingly become a starting point: reported figures rose from around 19,000 people beginning their journey there in 2025 to about 26,000 in 2026, adding visitors who use the city before setting out along the route.
The Camino’s changing profile is not just geographical. Foreign pilgrims accounted for about 61% of credential recipients in 2026, up from 57% in 2025; the 2025 total included people from 171 countries. That year, 43.9% identified religious reasons for their journey, 31.9% cited religious and other reasons, and 18.4% reported no religious motivation. The Camino now draws people for religious pilgrimage, walking tourism, cultural travel and personal challenges, with visitors arriving from varied backgrounds and expectations.
Historically, Santiago was established around the apostle’s tomb with the explicit aim of attracting visitors to a remote part of the kingdom. Over the centuries, the city’s identity has been shaped by the flow of pilgrims. Even the term “español” is said to have originated in the way medieval travelers referred to locals along the route. The city’s economy and culture remain closely tied to this tradition, making the current backlash against tourists especially complex. The Camino Inglés offers another measure of the expansion: it reportedly exceeded 30,000 Compostelas in 2026, compared with slightly more than 9,000 in 2015. Its route association estimates that 25% to 30% of pilgrims may not collect the certificate, a reminder that credential totals do not capture everyone using the trails.
Despite the irritation, many acknowledge that pilgrims are inseparable from Santiago’s character. Their annual arrival recalls the city’s origins, much like the sheep that cross Madrid each year as a reminder of its pastoral past. For now, residents are left to handle the challenges of peak season, hoping visitors will behave more respectfully and better understand the city’s unique situation. Growth is continuing ahead of the expected 2027 Holy Year, so pressure on local services and public space is not confined to a single jubilee season.
Similar tensions between locals and visitors have surfaced in other Spanish cities, as recent coverage of public reactions to influencer controversies has shown. A recent report on influencer disputes in Spain examined debate over social media personalities and their impact on local communities, part of a broader national conversation about tourism and public space.
Santiago de Compostela’s experience reflects a wider trend in Spain, where the benefits of tourism are weighed against its social costs. The city’s reliance on the Camino keeps the debate over tradition and economic interests, alongside residents’ quality of life, at the center of local concerns. As summer continues, residents and pilgrims alike face the challenge of coexisting in a city defined by its role as a destination.
For context, Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year. The Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, is one of the world’s most impressive Christian pilgrimage routes, with origins dating to the 9th century. The city’s historic center is renowned for its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture, and its economy depends heavily on tourism-related services. Managing mass tourism while preserving local life remains a basic issue for municipal authorities and residents.
