# Santiago de Compostela

The cathedral and the Pórtico, its granite roofs, the Mercado de Abastos and Santiago's viewpoints, an hour from A Coruña and Pontevedra.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/santiago-de-compostela · Revisado: 2026-11-13

Santiago is a small city with an enormous cathedral in the middle. Everything worth seeing is less than twenty minutes' walk from the Praza do Obradoiro, and almost all of it revolves around the church: you see it from inside in the basilica and the Pórtico de la Gloria, from above on the granite roofs and from afar in the Alameda and on Monte Pedroso. In between, the Mercado de Abastos and the stone streets of the old town, which is a World Heritage Site.

## How do I get there from A Coruña, Pontevedra or Lugo?

By car, on the motorway. From A Coruña it is an hour on the AP-9; from Pontevedra, another hour on the same motorway heading north. From Lugo and from Ourense allow an hour and a half. Without a car, the Eje Atlántico train links A Coruña and Santiago in about 30 minutes, and trains also arrive from Pontevedra, Vigo and Ourense; the station is about twenty minutes' walk from the cathedral. For a Sunday, the train is the most comfortable option from A Coruña: you don't have to look for parking.

## Where do I park?

Outside the old town, which is pedestrian. There are public car parks on the edge of the old city; the hotels in the centre, such as the Costa Vella or the Virxe da Cerca, will tell you the nearest one. The Parador, right on the Obradoiro, has a paid garage for its guests. Once parked, don't move the car again: everything is done on foot.

## How long do I need?

A day is enough for the essentials: the basilica, the roofs, a stroll along rúas do Vilar and Nova, lunch and the Alameda at sunset. With a night you add the cathedral museum, the Mercado de Abastos in the morning and the climb up Monte Pedroso to see the whole city.

## What else is there outside the cathedral?

If you arrive on foot, the last stage of the Camino Francés is 20.2 km from O Pedrouzo; from March to October you can do just the final part, from Monte do Gozo, with a guide. To eat with explanations, the Santiago Experience food tour combines market, old town and lunch or dinner, and the Galician wine and cheese tasting lasts a short afternoon. At night, the secrets and legends route leaves from the Quintana or the Obradoiro. In the rain, the Museo do Pobo Galego, in Bonaval, and the Cidade da Cultura on Monte Gaiás, with a free architectural tour.

## Which tickets do I need to buy?

The basilica is free and open every day from 7:00 to 21:00; you enter by Praterías, without a rucksack. What you pay for is the Museo Catedral, which sells timed themed tours. The roofs and the Carraca tower cost €15 (€12 reduced) and include the museum and the Gelmírez palace for seven days. The museum on its own, €9. The Pórtico de la Gloria is seen with a ticket and a maximum of 25 minutes. Buy at the Obradoiro ticket offices or on the museum website, and arrive fifteen minutes before your time. If you prefer to be told about it, the guided tour by Optimus Tours covers museum and basilica from €25.

## When to go

Santiago works all year: it often rains, but almost everything is under cover. May, June, September and October are the best months, with long days and fewer groups than in summer. In July, around the festival of the Apostle, the city fills up and hotels put prices up. Remember that the Mercado de Abastos is open only Monday to Saturday, from 8:00 to 14:00. At the end of 2026 the Holy Door opens for the Holy Year 2027: expect more visitors throughout next year.

## Where do I eat and sleep?

For Sunday lunch, the Café de Altamira, opposite the market, with market cooking and a Bib Gourmand; for a special meal, A Tafona, with a Michelin star, which on Sundays opens at midday only. From Monday to Saturday, O Dezaseis is the eating house on rúa de San Pedro. To sleep, the Parador right on the Obradoiro; the Hospedería San Martín Pinario, simple and opposite the cathedral; or two hotels with gardens, the Virxe da Cerca and the Costa Vella.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Camino del Norte
- Cerca: Cambados (a 46.3 km), O Grove, A Toxa and A Lanzada (a 50.2 km), Combarro and Pontevedra (a 51.6 km), A Coruña (a 55.7 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Santiago Cathedral and the Portico of Glory** (1 h · Everyone · Basilica free · Portico with museum ticket): The cathedral is the goal of every Camino and the building that gave rise to the city. The basilica is open every day from 7:00 to 21:00 and admission is free; you enter by the Platerías door, without backpacks. Inside are the tomb of the Apostle and, at the high altar, the embrace of the image of Saint James. The Portico of Glory, however, is seen with a ticket and time slot.
A little history
According to tradition, the hermit Paio found the apostle's tomb in the year 814, in the forest of Libredón. On top of earlier churches, including the one Almanzor destroyed in 997, the basilica that survives today was begun in 1075: Romanesque, with a Latin cross plan. Between 1168 and 1188 Master Mateo solved the slope of the ground and closed the west façade with the Portico of Glory, and in 1211 it was consecrated. The 17th and 18th centuries dressed it in Baroque: Domingo de Andrade raised the Clock Tower and Fernando de Casas y Novoa finished the Obradoiro façade in 1750.
What to see inside
The main nave is 94 metres long and its barrel vault rises to 24. Walk the perimeter to the ambulatory and the chapel of the Saviour, where work began in 1075. At the high altar, beneath the Baroque canopy, is the 13th-century image of the Apostle that pilgrims embrace; below, in the crypt, the 19th-century silver chest with the remains of Saint James and two disciples. Look also for the pre-Romanesque baptismal font from which, according to tradition, Almanzor's horse drank, and the 18th-century organs, still in use. The Holy Door, in Praza da Quintana, is only opened in Holy Years, when 25 July falls on a Sunday.
If you coincide with a celebration, you may see the botafumeiro fly: a silver-plated brass censer from 1851, 160 cm tall and weighing about 60 kilos, which eight men, the tiraboleiros, swing through the transept up to 68 km/h.
Masses and rules
The pilgrims' Masses are at 7:30, 9:30, 12:00 and 19:30, and no visiting is allowed during services. On summer Saturdays the basilica closes at 20:30 for the pilgrims' vigil. Backpacks are not allowed in.
The Portico of Glory
The crowning work of Romanesque sculpture, with more than 200 figures by Master Mateo, is seen with a ticket and time slot from the Cathedral Museum: about 25 minutes at most, with an audio guide in Spanish, Galician or English, headphones and a leaflet. It is bought at the ticket offices on Praza do Obradoiro or on its website; you leave through the crypt reception. Photography is not allowed and it closes during liturgical services.
The full museum visit, which adds the Portico, the roofs and the other spaces, costs €23 (€19 reduced). For the museum on its own, see the Cathedral Museum and Gelmírez palace; to go up on the roofs, the cathedral roofs; and if you prefer to have it explained to you, the guided visit to the cathedral and its museum.
- **Cathedral roofs and Carraca tower** (1 h · No vertigo; not wheelchair accessible · Desde 15 € per person): You climb 140 steps up the inner stairs of a tower, walk with a guide across the granite roofs that step over the naves and finish at the Carraca tower, at about 72 metres, with the whole of Santiago at your feet. It lasts about 60 minutes and is in Spanish; there are English sessions.
What you see
The roofs are the cathedral's stepped granite rooftops, about 30 metres above Praza do Obradoiro, according to the Turismo de Santiago leaflet. From above you understand the building's plan and see up close what from the square can only be guessed at: the Baroque towers of the Obradoiro, the dome over the crossing, which reaches 32 metres inside, and the Clock or Berenguela tower, which Domingo de Andrade raised in 1680 to 73 metres. The Carraca tower, where the climb ends, was built by the same Andrade as a twin of the Bell tower, and takes its name from the wooden rattle it holds, the instrument that called people to Mass in Holy Week. All around, the rooftops of the old town.
Tickets and hours
Admission costs €15; €12 for under-12s, over-65s, students, unemployed people, people with disabilities, accredited pilgrims and large families with their family book. The reduced rate is verified at the entrance. The English session has a single rate of €15. It also includes free access to the museum's permanent collection, the Gelmírez palace with its exhibitions, the Portico crypt, the MuSar of the Sar collegiate church and the Diocesan Museum, on the same day and the following seven.
The museum is open every day from 10:00 to 20:00 and the ticket offices close half an hour earlier. It closes on 1 and 6 January, 25 July and 25 December, and on 24 and 31 December from 14:00; there may be further closures for religious services. Tickets are not refunded or exchanged.
What the climb is like
You enter through the reception of the Gelmírez palace, on the Obradoiro, at the time on your ticket and with 15 minutes to spare. You cannot go up in a wheelchair, or with bags, backpacks, umbrellas or pilgrim staffs, and animals are not admitted except guide dogs. The website sets no minimum age, but there are narrow stairs and you walk on stepped roofs: it is not for anyone with vertigo.
To combine
If you also want the Portico of Glory, the full Cathedral Museum visit (€23, reduced €19) combines roofs and Portico in a single ticket. The basilica, which is free, can be seen before or after: see the Cathedral and Portico of Glory. For the best photo of the cathedral from outside, the Herradura walk in the Alameda is five minutes away.
- **Guided visit to the cathedral and its museum with Optimus Tours** (1 h 40 · First visit to Santiago · Desde 25 € per person): If it is your first time, the cathedral is best understood with someone to tell you about it. The Optimus Tours visit goes through the museum (Master Mateo's stone choir, the library, the Relics chapel and the cloister) and then the nave, ambulatory and crossing of the basilica; with the Portico option, you end in front of it. It lasts between 1 h 40 and 2 h 15, from €25, with museum entry without queuing.
What is included
An official tourist guide accompanies you, and the Cathedral Museum ticket is included, with no queuing at the ticket office; the Portico of Glory ticket only if you choose that option. The company applies a reduced rate to over-65s, pilgrims and accredited students. The website does not break down the price of each option or say which duration goes with which: you see it when you choose a date. Optimus Tours is a travel agency registered in Galicia (XG-764) that also does private visits.
What you will see
In the museum, besides Master Mateo's stone choir, the library where the botafumeiro is displayed and the 16th-century Gothic-Renaissance cloister. In the basilica, the 94-metre Romanesque nave, the ambulatory with its chapels and the crossing, under the dome. With the Portico option you enter the more than 200 figures of Mateo, from 1168 to 1188, which the guide helps you read: the Old Testament on the left, the New on the right and Saint James in the centre.
Times and meeting point
It leaves from Praza do Obradoiro, opposite the cathedral; the guide carries an orange umbrella and you should arrive five minutes early. The Turismo de Santiago activities hub publishes sessions at 10:00, 12:00 and 17:30. Book on its website; the company warns that places sell out easily, especially in summer and on long weekends. The visit is in Spanish; there is an English version.
What to bear in mind
It is not wheelchair accessible, does not allow pets and you may not enter with a large backpack or staff into the museum or the Portico. Inside the museum you may not take photographs. If you prefer to go on your own, the basilica is free and the museum has its own ticket: see the Cathedral and Portico of Glory and the Cathedral Museum. To see the rooftops, the cathedral roofs are done with a guide from the museum itself. To ask about other visits in the city, the tourist office is on Rúa do Vilar.
- **Cathedral Museum and Gelmírez palace** (1 h 30 · Rainy days, Romanesque art · Desde 9 € per person): The Cathedral Museum occupies the cloister and its rooms, beside the Obradoiro façade, and tells the story of the cathedral and the city. The ticket also includes the Gelmírez palace, with its temporary exhibitions, the Portico crypt, the museum of the Sar collegiate church and the Diocesan Museum. Allow an hour for the collection and half an hour more for the palace.
What you see
The museum was founded in 1930. According to the Turismo de Santiago leaflet, a single ticket gives access to the inside of the cloister and its rooms, the Relics chapel, the Royal Pantheon and the Treasury. The cloister is Gothic-Renaissance, the work of Juan de Álava and Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón in the 16th century, with a star vault and Plateresque cresting, and can only be visited with the museum ticket. In the Royal Pantheon are the tombs of Ferdinand II, Alfonso IX, Raymond of Burgundy, Doña Berenguela and Juana de Castro.
On the upper floors are the Library, where the botafumeiro is displayed, the Chapter House and the great collection of tapestries with cartoons by Goya and Rubens, and the balcony. One of the key pieces is the stone choir of Master Mateo, reconstructed. The museum also devotes sections to the Romanesque cathedral, the Platerías and Paraíso façades and the Royal Pantheon.
The Gelmírez palace, the archbishop's residence, is a Romanesque-Gothic medieval palace from the 12th century that can be visited, with temporary exhibitions; allow 20 to 30 minutes. The crypt, built by Master Mateo to support the Portico and overcome a 12-metre drop, is entered under the Obradoiro staircase. The MuSar, in the Sar collegiate church, outside the old town, needs another half hour and can be left for another day.
Hours and price
It is open every day from 10:00 to 20:00; the ticket offices close half an hour earlier. It closes on 1 and 6 January, 25 July and 25 December, and on 24 and 31 December the last entry is at 14:00. General admission costs €9 and reduced €7 (large families, unemployed, students, accredited pilgrims, people with disabilities and over-65s); accompanied under-12s do not pay. It is valid for the same day and the following seven. The museum guide costs €5.
What to bear in mind
You enter through the museum reception on the Obradoiro or, from the basilica, through the Treasury door. Bags, backpacks, umbrellas and pilgrim staffs are not allowed, nor are animals except guide dogs, and you may not photograph in the rooms. Tickets are not refunded. It is a good plan for a rainy afternoon.
This ticket does not include the Portico of Glory or the roofs: for that there is the full visit (€23, reduced €19), or separately the cathedral roofs, which do include the museum. The basilica is free: see the Cathedral and Portico of Glory. With a guide, the guided visit to the cathedral and its museum takes in the choir, the library and the cloister.
- **Santiago Abastos Market** (45 min · Everyone · Free entry): It is eight stone halls on Rúa das Ameas, in the old town, with stalls selling fish and seafood, cheeses, bread, meat, vegetables and flowers. It is open Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 14:00; on Sundays it is closed. Turismo de Santiago presents it as one of the city's must-sees, and the market itself says it is the second most visited place in Santiago.
A little history
The current building dates from 1941. It replaced the so-called City Market, the first attempt to bring Compostela's scattered markets under one roof, which was demolished in 1937 to build today's market hall. Turismo de Santiago attributes the design to the architect Joaquín Vaquero Palacios.
What is there
The market's website arranges the stalls by sections: eggs and poultry, salt cod, butchers, delicatessens, frozen food, flowers, fruit and vegetables, bread, fish and seafood, cheeses, teas and perfumes, crafts and kiosks. There are also about ten bars and small restaurants inside, such as Pulpería Abastos, Ostrería, Febras, Salvaxe, Cantina 3, Amoado or Abastos 2.0. At Mariscomanía they cook the seafood you have bought in the market.
Go before eleven, when the women sellers from the villages arrive with their vegetables and cheeses, and the market is in full swing.
Left luggage and delivery
There is a left-luggage service: buy in the morning and collect until 21:00, so you do not have to carry your shopping all day. If you want to take something away without going there, the market has online and phone sales, with a personal shopper service that buys for you; deliveries within about 15 km cost between €2 and €5, depending on the amount. Phone: 981 583 438.
Hours
The market publishes on its website Monday to Saturday 8:00 to 14:00. Turismo de Santiago gives wider hours, 7:00 to 16:00, and closures on Sundays and special holidays. If you go after two, confirm first.
To combine
If you fancy eating afterwards, the Café de Altamira is on the same street, opposite the market. Next door, the Hotel Virxe da Cerca has a garden with views of the towers. From Rúa das Ameas, you can walk up to the cathedral in a few minutes.
- **Herradura walk in the Alameda** (40 min · Everyone, with pushchairs · Free): The Alameda park is five minutes' walk from the Obradoiro. On its east slope, the Herradura walk gives the frontal view of the cathedral over the rooftops of the old town: Turismo de Santiago calls it the city's most photographed postcard and best-known urban viewpoint. On the other side, a balustrade looks towards the Campus Sur. Come back at night, with the cathedral lit up.
The park
Since the 19th century the Alameda has been the great promenade of the people of Santiago and the city's main urban garden, on the slope of Mount Santa Susana. It covers about 85,000 m² and takes about half an hour to walk. It is divided into three parts: the central Alameda walk, which keeps the 19th-century corridors designed for the different social classes; the Santa Susana oak grove (in the park is also the chapel of Santa Susana); and the Herradura walk, with horse chestnuts and a pergola with views.
Along the way you will see splendid eucalyptus trees, the church of El Pilar, a dovecote, the bandstand, an acoustic bench, ponds with ducks and many statues and sculptures. The granite benches have Sargadelos cast-iron backs.
The view
The Herradura circles the hill on the east and looks onto the west façade of the old town. With the cathedral in front of you, the towers of the Obradoiro rise above the stone rooftops. Turismo de Santiago recommends going at any time and especially at night, with the lighting.
Practical
The park is open 24 hours and is free. It has gentle slopes, pedestrian paths, lawns and shade, benches, drinking fountains, a playground, public toilets and night lighting; Turismo de Santiago lists it as accessible for people with physical disabilities and suitable for bicycles. It works with a pushchair and with small children. Dogs may enter on a lead. There is parking nearby; the viewpoint listing places it on Paseo dos Leóns.
To combine
It fits well after the cathedral or the roofs. If you want another view, higher and more distant, at sunset, go up Mount Pedroso, to the west. For dinner afterwards in the old town, O Dezaseis, on Rúa de San Pedro, is a Galician eating house.
- **Climb up Mount Pedroso** (1 h 30 · With some fitness; continuous slope · Free): It is Santiago's western mountain, protected for years so that no building competes in height or visibility with the cathedral. Turismo de Santiago calls it the viewpoint par excellence for seeing the city and the cathedral at sunset. From the top you see the whole of Santiago and, at the end of the day, the golden sun reflected on the towers.
The climb on foot
It takes about 40 minutes on foot from Ponte Asén, in the Galeras park. First you cross the hamlet of Casas Novas and then follow the path marked by the Stations of the Cross, always uphill. It is a continuous slope that calls for some fitness. Allow an hour and a half in total with the descent and a while at the top.
By car
If you do not want to walk, you can drive up the road that leaves from O Carme de Abaixo: at the junction turn right and follow the signs for the television transmitters.
At the top
At the summit, since 2024, there is a night-time viewpoint with a celestial planisphere engraved in granite, designed for stargazing and as an introduction to astronomy. By day, the view takes in the city with the cathedral in the centre. Bring a torch if you come down at night.
The Granxa do Xesto
At the foot of the mountain is the Granxa do Xesto park, halfway between an urban park and a wood, with small artificial lakes, a quiet wooden café and good views over the city. Turismo de Santiago recommends it for going with children.
To combine
It is the counterpart to the Herradura walk in the Alameda: there you see the cathedral head-on and close up; from the Pedroso, far away and from above, with the whole city around it. A good afternoon is to walk down through Galeras to the old town for dinner, for example at O Dezaseis, on Rúa de San Pedro.
- **Last Stage of the Camino Francés, from O Pedrouzo to the Obradoiro** (5 h 5 · 20.2 km · Walkers with a whole day; the guided version, from age 6 · Desde 40 € per adult): The last stage of the Camino Francés leaves from O Pedrouzo, in the municipality of O Pino, and ends in Praza do Obradoiro after 20.2 kilometres. The Xunta estimates it at about five hours' walking: ten kilometres to A Lavacolla, beside the airport, another 5.6 to Monte do Gozo and a little over four on the descent through the city to the cathedral. If you don't have the whole day, start at Monte do Gozo and walk only the end, independently or with the guided departure from Galicia Experience.
The stage, stretch by stretch
From O Pedrouzo you rejoin the Camino at the petrol station at the village entrance and go along tracks among eucalyptus trees and hamlets: Santo Antón, where the climb towards Santiago begins, O Amenal, Cimadevila and San Paio. A Lavacolla marks the halfway point. Its name is linked to the stream where pilgrims used to wash before entering the city. Monte do Gozo, at 380 metres, is the hill from which you first see the cathedral's towers; there stands the large hostel built in 1993. From there the Camino descends through districts and streets to the Porta do Camiño and the old town.
To plan it, the Xunta's official Camino website offers the Camino Francés guide as a PDF and the route to download to your phone. To get to the starting point, look at the regional buses between Santiago and O Pedrouzo on the Galician Public Transport planner (bus.gal) or on its phone line, 981 546 100; you can also go by taxi from the centre.
With a guide: Pilgrim for a Day
Galicia Experience, a company of official tourist guides of Galicia with an office on Rúa de Tras Salomé, organises a short version for those who aren't coming as pilgrims. They take you about nine kilometres back from Santiago, the guide waits for you at Monte do Gozo and you walk down together to the Obradoiro. It lasts about three and a half hours and leaves on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 10:00, from March to October. It costs €40 for adults and €25 for ages 6 to 15; under-6s don't pay. It includes walking poles and a cap, a gift and photos of the morning, and is held in Spanish or English. The listing speaks of hotel pickup and also gives its office as a meeting point, so confirm where you meet when booking. There is no departure on 1, 5 and 6 January, 25 July, or 24, 25 and 31 December.
The Compostela: what counts and what doesn't
The Compostela is free and is issued by the Pilgrim's Office, at Rúa Carretas, 33, every day from 10:00 to 19:00, except 25 December and 1 January. To request it you must have walked or ridden on horseback at least the last 100 kilometres continuously along a single route, or 200 by bicycle. Those who do only the minimum distance stamp their credential at the start and end of each stage, with the date. Walking only the last stage, or the stretch from Monte do Gozo, does not entitle you to it. On arrival you scan a QR code, fill in your details and they send you a code that you note on the credential; it is handed over in person and one at a time, never by phone or online.
- **Santiago Experience Food Tour, by Day or by Night** (4 h · A first visit, if you want to eat well without choosing the place yourself · Desde 70 € per adult): Santiago Experience is the Galicia Experience tour that combines a visit to the old town with the table. There are two versions of about four hours. The daytime one starts at 11:00 with a Galician wine at the Mercado de Abastos, continues with the old city and the inside of the cathedral, and ends at a Galician eatery. The night one leaves at 20:00: an hour and a half's walk with an official guide, dinner and the queimada with its incantation. The day one costs €70 and the night one €80; under-15s pay €40 and under-4s don't pay.
What you eat in each version
By day, the aperitif is at the market, among the fish and vegetable stalls in the stone halls. Lunch is at a traditional Galician restaurant, with dishes such as broth, octopus, raxo (pork loin) or small scallops, depending on the season. Dessert and coffee are taken at a well-known café in the old town. At night, dinner is at a typical restaurant with seafood, octopus and other seasonal dishes. The company does not publish the names of the venues or the set menu for each day, so, if you have allergies or don't eat seafood, say so when booking.
How to book and where to meet
Both leave from Praza do Obradoiro, in front of the cathedral, every day. Look for the guide with the white umbrella and arrive a few minutes early. Book on the Galicia Experience website, which also answers on 981 11 48 73, 625 166 440 and at info@galiciaexperience.com. The tours are in Spanish or English. Its guides are accredited as official tourist guides of Galicia. There are no departures on 25 July, 24, 25 and 31 December or 1, 5 and 6 January.
Who it is worth it for
It works if it is your first time in Santiago, you have only one day and want to eat well without researching where. The day one fits Monday to Saturday, when the market is open; on Sunday the Mercado de Abastos is closed, so ask how the aperitif changes. The night one is the good one for those who arrive in the afternoon or already saw the cathedral in the morning. If you prefer to choose yourself, the Mercado de Abastos on your own and a meal at the Café de Altamira, opposite, give a similar morning for less money.
- **Tasting of Three Galician Wines and Three Cheeses in the Old Town** (Adults; couples and small groups · Desde 28 € per person): A short tasting to understand what is drunk and which cheese is eaten in Galicia, without leaving the old town. It is organised by Galicia Travels, a Santiago agency founded in 2018 with code XG-682. In a venue in the old quarter, a guide serves you three Galician wines, whites and reds, and three artisan cheeses, and explains where each comes from and how to taste it. It costs €28 per person and is held in groups of one to ten people.
What you taste
The listing does not give the closed list of wines or cheeses, because it changes, but it does give the approach: whites and reds from Galicia, with albariño and mencía as the reference, and artisan cheeses of the region, such as tetilla or Arzúa-Ulloa. It is a good introduction if you are afterwards going to the Rías Baixas or the Ribeira Sacra: you leave knowing what to order. If you want to see the cheeses in their place, at the Mercado de Abastos, a few minutes away, there are cheese stalls from Monday to Saturday morning.
Times, booking and meeting point
The listing shows it at 18:00 and the booking calendar also offers a slot at 12:00; check both when choosing a day. Book on the Galicia Travels website at least one hour before; after payment the voucher with the exact meeting point arrives by email. Turismo de Santiago places it on Rúa das Casas Reais. For private groups or questions they answer at info@galiciatravels.com and by WhatsApp on +34 654 030 828, every day from 10:00 to 20:30. Changes and cancellations are requested 24 to 48 hours ahead, according to the conditions of each activity.
Who it is for
For adults with a free hour in the afternoon, a couple or a small group of friends. It is not a visit to a winery or a cheese dairy, but a guided tasting in the city: if you are looking for vineyards, the closest with a visit is in Cambados, at the Martín Códax winery. The website does not publish a minimum age, but with wine it is normally for adults; ask if you are going with teenagers. The agency works in seven languages.
- **Night Tour of Secrets and Legends Through the Old Town** (2 h · Families with older children and adults; on foot over cobbled streets · Desde 15 € per person): Santiago at night, with empty squares and wet stone under the streetlamps, lends itself to stories. There are two ways to walk it with a guide. Compos Tours runs a two-hour night tour for €15 that leaves from Praza da Quintana and ends at the foot of the cathedral, at Praterías. Optimus Tours has a free tour of mysteries and legends lasting an hour and a half, pay-what-you-like, in groups of up to six people, which leaves from the Obradoiro.
Secrets of Compostela, with Compos Tours
Compos Tours is the project of Juan Segade, an official guide of Galicia with licence GE-364-XG and more than eleven years in the trade, according to his website. His night tour passes through the best-known corners and monuments of the old town as night begins to fall, and talks about symbols, legends, the city's Roman past and the medieval Jewish quarter; Turismo de Santiago adds that it also touches on taboo subjects, such as sex and death. It ends in Praza de Praterías with an explanation linked to the pilgrimage. It leaves from the arcades of the Casa da Conga, in the Quintana. The website offers it every day, and Turismo de Santiago's activities centre gives the departure as 20:00. It costs €15 and includes an official guide, public liability insurance and a gift for each attendee; Turismo de Santiago says under-12s don't pay. It is in Spanish, with places for about 20 people, and is not adapted for wheelchairs. The weather may affect the departure. Book on its website, on 678 894 867 or at compostours@gmail.com.
Mysteries and legends, with Optimus Tours
The free tour by Optimus Tours, the same agency as the guided cathedral visit, lasts an hour and a half. It goes from the Obradoiro to Praterías, the Quintana, the Inmaculada and Praza de Cervantes, passes the university and the Porta do Camiño and ends at Bonaval park. It is led by an official guide, is held in Spanish and allows pets. It has no price: you pay at the end whatever you think fit. The group is six people at most, so you must book on its website; the listing does not publish departure times, which you see when you choose a date. You meet at the Obradoiro with the guide with the orange umbrella, five minutes early.
Which to choose
If you want a night-time route in the dark, at a fixed price and with places for more people, the Compos Tours one. If you prefer a very small group, are going with a dog or want to see Bonaval park, the Optimus Tours one. Both are on foot over paving that is slippery in rain and are in Spanish. Afterwards, cross to the Alameda to see the illuminated cathedral head-on.
- **Cidade da Cultura de Galicia and Its Free Architecture Tour** (1 h · Anyone who wants to see a different Santiago, the contemporary one; also with accompanied children · Free): The Cidade da Cultura (City of Culture) occupies the summit of Monte Gaiás, southeast of the old town, with stone-and-glass buildings that ripple like the terrain. The winning design was by the New York architect Peter Eisenman. To understand it, the foundation itself organises a free architecture tour of about 60 minutes, Tuesday to Sunday, with prior registration. It covers the central square, the glass façade of almost 43 metres of the Museo Centro Gaiás and the green areas of the hill, with views of Santiago.
What is on Monte Gaiás
The complex brings together the Museo Centro Gaiás, the Library and Archive of Galicia, the Fontán Building, the Creative Entrepreneurship Centre and the Cultural Innovation Centre, as well as the Forest of Galicia and the Hejduk towers. The grounds open every day from 8:00 to 23:00 and you can walk around the outside freely. The Museo Centro Gaiás and the Fontán Building open from 10:00 to 20:00, although the exhibitions close on Mondays. The library has a reading room and exhibitions from 9:00 to 21:00. At Christmas the museum closes at 15:00 on 24 and 31 December and doesn't open on 25 December or 1 January.
In November 2026 there are three exhibitions: Ser—Noutras, a dialogue with the Galician art collection of the Museo Reina Sofía, until 28 March 2027; Voces del Pacífico, until 29 November; and Outro e sobre si, by Andrés Rodís, until 10 January. There are also free guided talks on the exhibitions, booked on each one's page.
How to book and how to get up
The architecture tour is booked on the Cidade da Cultura website, choosing day and time, or at the information point of the Museo Centro Gaiás, which is also the starting point. Large groups call 881 997 584. Minors must go with an adult and the route may change for organisational reasons.
To go up without a car, city bus line 9 runs Monday to Friday, with departures almost every hour from Casas Novas, and on Saturday mornings. On Saturday afternoons, Sundays and public holidays line C11 runs, with few departures: on Sundays, at 10:30, 13:30, 17:15 and 19:30. You can enter the grounds in a private car. Check the times on the TUSSA website before setting out, especially at weekends.
- **Museo do Pobo Galego at Santo Domingo de Bonaval, with a Guide** (2 h · Those curious about traditional Galicia; wheelchair accessible · Desde 15 € per adult): The Museo do Pobo Galego (Museum of the Galician People) tells how people lived in the Galicia of the sea and the countryside, and occupies the former convent of Santo Domingo de Bonaval, next to the Porta do Camiño. Its most famous feature is the Baroque triple-helix staircase. Galicia Experience tours it with a guide in two hours, Tuesday to Sunday at 11:00, from March to October, for €15.
What you see on the visit
The convent was abandoned after the disentailment and was recovered in the 1970s as a museum and as the Pantheon of Illustrious Galicians. The visit goes through the sea room, with traditional boats; the countryside room and its crops; the trades room, with milkmaids, itinerant trades and the zoqueiros who made clogs; and the basketry and textiles room, with the lace of the palilleiras of Camariñas. It takes in the triple staircase and the rooms on traditional music and folklore and ends in the church of the former convent.
Price, times and meeting point
The visit costs €15; €12 for students with a university card and retirees, and free for under-6s. You meet at the museum entrance, with the guide with the white umbrella, at 11:00, Tuesday to Sunday between March and October. It lasts two hours, is held in Spanish or English and is wheelchair accessible. The listing does not make clear whether museum admission is included in the price: ask when booking. Book on the Galicia Experience website or on 981 11 48 73. There are no visits on 25 July, 24, 25 and 31 December or 1, 5 and 6 January. From November to February the company publishes no slots: if you go in winter, go on your own and check the museum's hours beforehand at its office or at the tourist office.
To round off the morning
Next door is Bonaval park, the last stop of Optimus Tours' free tour of mysteries and legends. From here, the Mercado de Abastos is a few minutes' walk, going down towards the old town, and is open until 14:00 Monday to Saturday.

## Dónde comer
- **Café de Altamira** (Restaurant, Santiago de Compostela, €€). Qué pedir: octopus with potato cream, line-caught hake or beef cheek in Mencía, and the San Simón cheesecake
- **O Dezaseis** (Restaurant, Santiago de Compostela, €€). Qué pedir: grilled octopus, black spaghetti with elvers and prawns and cheese flan
- **A Tafona** (Restaurant, Santiago de Compostela, €€€€). Qué pedir: the long tasting menu if you are not in a hurry; mention allergies when booking

## By car: Leave the car outside the old town
The old town is pedestrianised. Arrive by car, park on the edge and do everything on foot: from the Alameda to the Abastos Market it is no more than fifteen minutes' walk.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–130 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Parador de Santiago, Hostal dos Reis Católicos** (Hotel): The north side of Praza do Obradoiro is closed off by the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, the former royal hospital that is now the Parador, with the cathedral on one side and the Raxoi palace opposite. It is a five-star hotel. You step out of the door and you are in the square, a few metres from the cathedral façade, and inside the building is arranged around four courtyards, with a garden, and a chapel.
The hospital of the Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs decided to found it in 1492 to care for the sick and for pilgrims, and the building was raised to a design by Enrique Egas, the royal architect; Turismo de Galicia dates it to 1499 and Santiago Turismo to 1501. The Plateresque doorway was carved by the French masters Martín de Blas and Guillén de Colás: on the frieze are the twelve apostles and, above the arch, the medallions of Isabella and Ferdinand, with the window of the Royal Chamber above. Between the four courtyards stands the Gothic chapel, Latin-cross plan, declared a National Monument in 1912. The building was remodelled in 1989.
The courtyards and chapel used to be open to visit for non-guests, but Santiago Turismo now lists the visit as cancelled because of restoration works.
Canopies, library and shops under one roof
The superior rooms have period furniture and some have a canopy bed. All have television, telephone, minibar, hairdryer, safe, heating, air conditioning and wifi. There is a restaurant and café-bar, library, lounge, shops, a terrace with garden, lift and laundry. Turismo de Galicia notes staff who speak English, French and German, and describes the building as accessible but not adapted: if you need a prepared room, ask beforehand.
By car to the Obradoiro
It is one of the few hotels in the old town with its own garage: €20 a night according to Paradores, subject to availability on arrival and without prior booking, with an electric car charger. Traffic on the Obradoiro is restricted, so follow the Parador's directions when you book to arrive by car.
The cathedral, as you step out
From the door you have the cathedral and Portico of Glory, the climb to the roofs and the cathedral museum with the Gelmírez palace. All of that, with lunch and the Alameda at sunset, fits into the plan Sunday in Santiago. For dinner out, A Tafona and the Café de Altamira are about ten minutes' walk away.
- **Hotel Virxe da Cerca** (Hotel): The Virxe da Cerca is a four-star hotel at number 27 Rúa Virxe da Cerca, the street that skirts the east of Santiago's old town, opposite the Abastos Market. The cathedral is about 400 metres away, five or ten minutes' walk entering through the old area. The hotel joins two houses two centuries apart: an 18th-century building and a modern one, with a garden behind. It belongs to Pousadas de Compostela.
Stone in the superiors, classic style in the standards
It has 42 rooms. The superior rooms are in the historic building, with dark wood and exposed stone; the standard ones, in the modern one, with classic decoration. All have their own bathroom with shower or bath, air conditioning and heating, free wifi, flat-screen television, safe, minibar, desk, hairdryer and toiletries. If you care about old stone, book a superior.
The garden at the back
Behind the buildings there is a garden with lawn, sculptures and a terrace, from which you see the old town's towers. In the very centre, it is a quiet place to read or have a drink. Breakfast is a buffet, and during the day a café operates. The restaurant only opens for groups with prior booking, so for lunch and dinner go out: it is a step away.
Services and what it lacks
Reception 24 hours, lift, free left luggage, laundry, computers with a printer for guests, a social lounge with a library and iron loan. Turismo de Galicia notes staff who speak English, French and German, and the hotel has meeting rooms for up to 90 people. What it lacks is its own car park: the hotel refers you to the public car parks nearby. The website does not publish prices or rules on pets.
Eating on the same street
At number 7 on the same street is A Tafona, Lucía Freitas's restaurant, and on Rúa das Ameas, beside the market, the Café de Altamira. The Abastos Market is open opposite Monday to Saturday in the morning. For a sunset stroll, the Alameda and its Herradura walk are on the other side of the old town.
- **Hotel Costa Vella** (Small hotel): Beside the Porta da Pena, one of the gates of medieval Santiago, in the northern part of the old town, the Costa Vella occupies number 17 of the street of the same name. The Obradoiro is about five minutes' walk, downhill along San Martín Pinario. It is a small hotel, with 14 rooms, and is part of the Compostela Boutique Hotels association.
A garden against the wall
What sets the house apart is the garden at the entrance. It has apple trees, lemon trees and old magnolias, a traditional vine leaning on the medieval wall and a fountain, and you enter it from the street through a gateway. In the garden is the hotel café, also open to local residents: it is where you have a leisurely breakfast or spend the afternoon. From inside you see the old town behind the trees.
Galleries of wood and glass
The 14 rooms are all different and keep Santiago's traditional architecture, with stone and wooden joinery. The windows and the wood-and-glass galleries look onto streets nearly nine centuries old, stone façades and the garden, with the old town's towers behind. The website publishes neither the size nor the equipment of each room, nor prices: you see them in its search engine when you choose dates, or ask on 981 569 530 or at hotelcostavella@costavella.com.
Night reception and parking 150 metres away
Reception 24 hours, free wifi, a common area with computer and internet, laundry and car hire. It has no garage of its own: the hotel points to a car park 150 metres away. To enter the old town by car, ask when booking how to get there. The website says nothing about pets or extra beds.
Rúa Porta da Pena and around
Going down the street you reach San Martín Pinario and the north façade of the cathedral; from there, the Portico of Glory and the Obradoiro are a couple of steps away. In the other direction are the convent of San Francisco and, to the east, Rúa de San Pedro, where you eat at O Dezaseis. For sunset, the climb up Mount Pedroso starts on the west side of the city.

## Car-free: By train and on foot
Santiago is one of the few cities that can be seen whole without a car. From A Coruña it is about 30 minutes by train, and trains also arrive from Pontevedra, Vigo and Ourense.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–120 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Parador de Santiago, Hostal dos Reis Católicos** (Hotel): The north side of Praza do Obradoiro is closed off by the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, the former royal hospital that is now the Parador, with the cathedral on one side and the Raxoi palace opposite. It is a five-star hotel. You step out of the door and you are in the square, a few metres from the cathedral façade, and inside the building is arranged around four courtyards, with a garden, and a chapel.
The hospital of the Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs decided to found it in 1492 to care for the sick and for pilgrims, and the building was raised to a design by Enrique Egas, the royal architect; Turismo de Galicia dates it to 1499 and Santiago Turismo to 1501. The Plateresque doorway was carved by the French masters Martín de Blas and Guillén de Colás: on the frieze are the twelve apostles and, above the arch, the medallions of Isabella and Ferdinand, with the window of the Royal Chamber above. Between the four courtyards stands the Gothic chapel, Latin-cross plan, declared a National Monument in 1912. The building was remodelled in 1989.
The courtyards and chapel used to be open to visit for non-guests, but Santiago Turismo now lists the visit as cancelled because of restoration works.
Canopies, library and shops under one roof
The superior rooms have period furniture and some have a canopy bed. All have television, telephone, minibar, hairdryer, safe, heating, air conditioning and wifi. There is a restaurant and café-bar, library, lounge, shops, a terrace with garden, lift and laundry. Turismo de Galicia notes staff who speak English, French and German, and describes the building as accessible but not adapted: if you need a prepared room, ask beforehand.
By car to the Obradoiro
It is one of the few hotels in the old town with its own garage: €20 a night according to Paradores, subject to availability on arrival and without prior booking, with an electric car charger. Traffic on the Obradoiro is restricted, so follow the Parador's directions when you book to arrive by car.
The cathedral, as you step out
From the door you have the cathedral and Portico of Glory, the climb to the roofs and the cathedral museum with the Gelmírez palace. All of that, with lunch and the Alameda at sunset, fits into the plan Sunday in Santiago. For dinner out, A Tafona and the Café de Altamira are about ten minutes' walk away.
- **San Martín Pinario Guesthouse** (Hostel): The guesthouse occupies part of the Benedictine monastery of San Martín Pinario, now the Major Seminary, a 16th-century building that has received pilgrims since the end of that century. The door is on Praza da Inmaculada, opposite the Azabachería façade of the cathedral, on the north side: you reach the Obradoiro in a couple of minutes by going round the church. Guests sleep inside the monastery, with its cloister and its garden.
Monks' cells with wrought-iron furniture
It has 126 rooms with full bathroom, doubles and singles, which recreate the monks' old cells, with wrought-iron furniture made to order by a local artist. The bathrooms have a shower and hairdryer, and the rooms have a telephone, heating and free wifi. They are sober, in keeping with the building.
57 rooms for those who arrive on foot
Separately there are 57 simpler and cheaper rooms, which the house reserves mainly for pilgrims who arrive on foot. If you finish the Camino and only need a bed and a shower before Mass or the Compostela, they are the house's most economical option. For several days of sightseeing, one of the 126 full rooms is more comfortable.
The website does not publish prices: ask by email, at reservas@sanmartinpinario.eu, or on 981 560 282.
The dining room under the vault
The guesthouse has two dining rooms. One is the monumental dining room, under a stone vault, looking onto the cloister and the garden. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner menus of home cooking with fresh produce, and offer half board and full board. There is also a café and a television room, and reception is open 24 hours, useful if you arrive late by train or at the end of a long stage.
On foot from the station or car park
The old town is pedestrianised and the website does not mention parking: leave the car in a public car park on the edge and walk in. From the train station it is about a twenty-minute walk up to the cathedral. From the door you have the cathedral and Portico of Glory next to you and, for the afternoon, the climb to the cathedral roofs. The Hotel Costa Vella, smaller and with a garden, is about two hundred metres away, on Rúa Porta da Pena.
- **Hotel Virxe da Cerca** (Hotel): The Virxe da Cerca is a four-star hotel at number 27 Rúa Virxe da Cerca, the street that skirts the east of Santiago's old town, opposite the Abastos Market. The cathedral is about 400 metres away, five or ten minutes' walk entering through the old area. The hotel joins two houses two centuries apart: an 18th-century building and a modern one, with a garden behind. It belongs to Pousadas de Compostela.
Stone in the superiors, classic style in the standards
It has 42 rooms. The superior rooms are in the historic building, with dark wood and exposed stone; the standard ones, in the modern one, with classic decoration. All have their own bathroom with shower or bath, air conditioning and heating, free wifi, flat-screen television, safe, minibar, desk, hairdryer and toiletries. If you care about old stone, book a superior.
The garden at the back
Behind the buildings there is a garden with lawn, sculptures and a terrace, from which you see the old town's towers. In the very centre, it is a quiet place to read or have a drink. Breakfast is a buffet, and during the day a café operates. The restaurant only opens for groups with prior booking, so for lunch and dinner go out: it is a step away.
Services and what it lacks
Reception 24 hours, lift, free left luggage, laundry, computers with a printer for guests, a social lounge with a library and iron loan. Turismo de Galicia notes staff who speak English, French and German, and the hotel has meeting rooms for up to 90 people. What it lacks is its own car park: the hotel refers you to the public car parks nearby. The website does not publish prices or rules on pets.
Eating on the same street
At number 7 on the same street is A Tafona, Lucía Freitas's restaurant, and on Rúa das Ameas, beside the market, the Café de Altamira. The Abastos Market is open opposite Monday to Saturday in the morning. For a sunset stroll, the Alameda and its Herradura walk are on the other side of the old town.
- **Hotel Costa Vella** (Small hotel): Beside the Porta da Pena, one of the gates of medieval Santiago, in the northern part of the old town, the Costa Vella occupies number 17 of the street of the same name. The Obradoiro is about five minutes' walk, downhill along San Martín Pinario. It is a small hotel, with 14 rooms, and is part of the Compostela Boutique Hotels association.
A garden against the wall
What sets the house apart is the garden at the entrance. It has apple trees, lemon trees and old magnolias, a traditional vine leaning on the medieval wall and a fountain, and you enter it from the street through a gateway. In the garden is the hotel café, also open to local residents: it is where you have a leisurely breakfast or spend the afternoon. From inside you see the old town behind the trees.
Galleries of wood and glass
The 14 rooms are all different and keep Santiago's traditional architecture, with stone and wooden joinery. The windows and the wood-and-glass galleries look onto streets nearly nine centuries old, stone façades and the garden, with the old town's towers behind. The website publishes neither the size nor the equipment of each room, nor prices: you see them in its search engine when you choose dates, or ask on 981 569 530 or at hotelcostavella@costavella.com.
Night reception and parking 150 metres away
Reception 24 hours, free wifi, a common area with computer and internet, laundry and car hire. It has no garage of its own: the hotel points to a car park 150 metres away. To enter the old town by car, ask when booking how to get there. The website says nothing about pets or extra beds.
Rúa Porta da Pena and around
Going down the street you reach San Martín Pinario and the north façade of the cathedral; from there, the Portico of Glory and the Obradoiro are a couple of steps away. In the other direction are the convent of San Francisco and, to the east, Rúa de San Pedro, where you eat at O Dezaseis. For sunset, the climb up Mount Pedroso starts on the west side of the city.
### Servicios
- **Atlantic Axis train to Santiago**: From A Coruña, about 30 min · also from Pontevedra and Vigo · Renfe

## As a family: A city to explore on foot, with children too

The centre is pedestrianised and compact, and what children like best is up high: the cathedral roofs and Mount Pedroso. Split the day into short stretches.

### What works best
Cathedral roofs: 140 steps and an hour over the rooftops, €12 for under-12s

The embrace of the Apostle and the tomb, inside the basilica, free

The Alameda park, flat, with fountains and playgrounds

The Abastos Market on a Saturday morning

### Where to sleep
Hotel Virxe da Cerca, with a garden

San Martín Pinario Guesthouse, opposite the cathedral

### Where to eat
O Dezaseis, mid-priced eating house

Café de Altamira, on Sunday

### Good to know
The roofs cannot be climbed in a wheelchair or with a pushchair

Backpacks are not allowed into the basilica

The cobbles are slippery in the rain: shoes with grip

### Qué hacer as a family
- Santiago Cathedral and the Portico of Glory
- Cathedral roofs and Carraca tower
- Guided visit to the cathedral and its museum with Optimus Tours
- Santiago Abastos Market
- Herradura walk in the Alameda
- Climb up Mount Pedroso
- Last Stage of the Camino Francés, from O Pedrouzo to the Obradoiro
- Santiago Experience Food Tour, by Day or by Night
- Night Tour of Secrets and Legends Through the Old Town
- Cidade da Cultura de Galicia and Its Free Architecture Tour

## Consejos

### Go up to the roofs in the morning
In morning light the stone looks better and the afternoon slots sell out sooner.

### The Alameda, at night
The frontal view of the illuminated cathedral from the Herradura promenade is the one you can't miss.

### Shoes with grip
The paving of the old town is slippery in the rain, which is frequent.

### Rucksack at the hotel
Neither the basilica nor the museum admits rucksacks.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Do you pay to enter the cathedral?
No. The basilica is free, from 7:00 to 21:00. You pay for the museum, the roofs and the Pórtico de la Gloria.

### How much does it cost to go up to the roofs?
€15; €12 for under-12s, over-65s, students and pilgrims. It lasts an hour and includes the museum.

### Is the Mercado de Abastos open on Sunday?
No. It is open Monday to Saturday, from 8:00 to 14:00.

### Can you go to Santiago without a car?
Yes. The train from A Coruña takes about 30 minutes and the city is toured on foot.

### Where do I park in Santiago?
Outside the old town, which is pedestrian. The Parador has a paid garage for guests.

### Where do you collect the Compostela?
At the Oficina del Peregrino, rúa Carretas 33, from 10:00 to 19:00. It is free and requires the last 100 km on foot, without a break.

### Can you see it with children?
Yes. The roofs, the Alameda park and the hug of the Apostle work very well; the centre is flat and pedestrian.