Hotel Costa Vella

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 [email protected].

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.