Santiago de Compostela is the capital city of Galicia, Spain. It one of the most important places in Catholicism because it is reputed to be the place where St. James, one of the twelve Apostles of Christ, is buried. It is the final destination of the Way of St. James, one of the most important Christian pilgrimage routes.
With a population of about 98,000 inhabitants (2019), Santiago is one of the seven major cities of Galicia. It draws more visitors than any other, with many of them attracted to its ancient history and the religious tradition. It was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its glorious cathedral and old city center.
The University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) is one of the oldest Spanish universities. It has more than 40,000 students, making Santiago one of the centres of the university education in Spain, with Salamanca and Granada.
Santiago de Compostela was founded by the Suebi in the early 400s, as part of the collapse of the Roman Empire. In 550 the whole settlement together with the rest of Galicia and northern Portugal was incorporated by Leovigild into the Visigothic kingdom of Spain. Raided from 711 to 739 by the Arabs, Santiago de Compostela was conquered by the Visigothic king of Asturias in 754. This was about 60 years before the identification of remains as those of Saint James the Great, and their acceptance as such by the Pope and Charlemagne, during the reign of Alfonso II of Asturias. The remains were found in the small and close town of Iria Flavia, but they were moved to Santiago according to political and religious reasons. From then on, this settlement was not just a city, but a holy city, and one of the main centres of Christian pilgrimage. Still, there are some who claim that the remains found here were not those of the apostle James. One of the most famous theories is that these are the remains of Priscillian. They are also thought by many to be someone else altogether.
Santiago de Compostela was captured by the French during the Napoleonic War. Its capture broke the spirits of the many Spanish guerrillas who were fighting the mighty invading armies of Marshals' Soult, Victor, Massena and Napoleon's brother, the new King of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte (called Pepe Botella by the Spanish resistance). During the war, many attempts were made to recapture it by Spanish partisans, who believed St James would come down on the field and destroy the French if they earned his favour by beating the French out of the holy city, which was St James's city. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Santiago was under the control of the fascists from the beginning. It suffered from very brutal repression during the dictatorship. After the Spanish Transition, when the democracy was restored, Santiago de Compostela was declared capital city of Galicia.
The climate of Santiago is typical of the Spanish Atlantic coast: wet winters with frequent rains which, in light or heavy bursts, lasts from September to June. The summers are slightly less rainy than the rest of the Cantabrian coast.
Temperatures remain mild throughout the whole year with a yearly average of 19ºC. They drop down to about 8ºC in January, the coldest month of the year.
The traditional way of getting to Santiago de Compostela is by walking there from your home. Nowadays the pilgrimage is mostly reduced to the last 780 km, from St. Jean Pied-de-Port in France, or some other place closer, on the Way of St. James. It is just as traditional to arrive on horseback, though considerably more difficult in terms of facilities. You may be able to stable your horse with a local farmer, but virtually no hostels provide this service. Cycling is also popular.
Another way of getting to Santiago is by bus. The bus station is in the outskirts of the city, but there you can get a public bus or a taxi to get to the city centre. You can get to Santiago by bus from several places:
If you want to arrive to Santiago by train, you should visit the RENFE webpage. The train station is relatively close to the city centre.
Luggage lockers are available in the airport's parking garage (-4 level), €5.07 per day.
The following airlines operate here:
Santiago is a relatively small city, and you can get anywhere by walking.
Even so, there are several bus lines that connect every part of the city. These services are offered by the company Tralusa. The ticket costs €1.00 for adults (for people under 18 it costs €0.55). If you are going to take several bus trips, you may buy a bono (Bus Pass) of 10, 20, or 30 tickets with a price of €0.55 for each one. You can buy these bonos from the bus drivers and you must pay a deposit of €3 that will be paid back to you if you return the card in good condition. The most interesting line for visitors is the number 5, that stops at the bus station and goes to the city center.
Taxis are not very expensive and the taxi drivers are usually kind and willing to help tourists.
Taxi from to and from the airport are available at a fixed rate of €23 (March 2023).
In the parts of the city most frequented by tourists, it's easy to find someone that speaks English or even French, Italian or German. Some restaurants have English menus. It's more difficult, but not impossible to find menus and signs in Japanese and Chinese. Due to the large number of students in Santiago, it's not difficult to find someone with a good level of English in the streets that will be willing to help.
The official languages of the city are Galician and Spanish. Galician has many similarities to Portuguese.
Praza do Obradoiro, 42.8806°, -8.54583°. In the heart of the city, it's named after the workshop of the stonemasons that was established during the construction of the Cathedral (Obradoiro is the Galician word for workshop). This is the arrival point of thousands of pilgrims every day and kilometer 0 of the Way of St. James is in the center of this square. The surrounding buildings are examples of different architectural styles. At the east, the baroque front of the cathedral with the museum at its right and the Gelmírez Palace at its left. At the West, the Rajoy Palace, which serves as the current city hall. At the north, the Catholic Kings Hostal, a plateresque building destined to host the pilgrims. At the south, the San Jerónimo College, an old students residence and now the head office of the University of Santiago de Compostela.
Catedral de Santiago de Compostela (Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela), Praza do Obradoiro, 42.880556°, -8.543889°, +34 981 569 327. Daily 07:00-20:30. This cathedral has so many examples of different architectural styles that covering them all would be beyond the scope of this article. Maybe the most important are the Baroque front of the Praza do Obradoiro and the interior porch, Pórtico da Gloria. The tomb of Santiago (Saint James) is under the Cathedral, and it is possible to visit its tomb and even hug the sculpture that represents the saint. On regular occasions the church shows its "Botafumeiro", a huge solid silver incense burner which is swung from the ceiling of the church by a team of energetic men ("tiraboleiros") hauling it on ropes. 2015-11-10
Hostal dos Reis Católicos (Catholic Kings Hostal), 42.881389°, -8.545833°. The hostal was built as a hospital after the visit of the Catholic Kings to Santiago in 1486, to attend the pilgrims. With the years, the Catholic Kings ordered the building of a big hostel with the money they had earned with the conquest of Granada. Its style is Plateresque. At its front, two coats of arms of Castilla can be seen.
Palacio de Raxoi (Rajoy palace), 42.880556°, -8.546111°. An 18th-century building, it was built under the classic canons to host the city council, a jail, a seminary and the residence for the children of the choir. At the top, there's a sculpture of St. James riding his horse and fighting with the Arabs.
Colexio de San Xerome (San Jerónimo College), 42.88°, -8.545556°. It was founded by the archbishop Alonso III de Fonseca to host poor students. Its front has a Romanesque style. 2017-03-10
Palacio de Xelmírez (Gelmírez Palace), 42.881111°, -8.545278°. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, it's now the home of the archbishop of Santiago. It's a great example of the Romanesque civil architecture. 2017-03-10
Plaza da Quintana (Quintana Square). This is the square at the other side of the cathedral. It's divided in two, Quintana dos Mortos, just until the staircase and Quintana dos Vivos, the upper side. In the past it served as cemetery and market. There's a legend that if you're at this square alone at midnight, you will be able to see all the dead buried there.
Praza de Praterías (Silversmith's Square). Close to the Quintana, it has a well-known fountain and it offers one of the best sights of the cathedral.
Monasterio de San Martiño Pinario (San Martín Pinario Monastery), 42.881944°, -8.544444°. Benedictine monastery of the 9th century. The building is baroque. It's one of the most emblematic buildings of all the city. It's in the Praza da Inmaculada.
Casa da Parra (Parra House), 42.880917°, -8.543611°. At the Quintana dos Vivos, this building has the typical chimney of the 18th century.
Praza de Abastos (City Market). The second most visited monument. This market is the typical Galician market and one of the biggest all over Spain. It's the perfect place to buy some fresh seafood, vegetables and meat.
Cidade da Cultura (City of Culture) (http://www.cidadedacultura.org/), 42.870162°, -8.52567°. Peter Eisenman's ambitious project in the outskirts of Santiago, impressive especially for those interested in architecture. It consists of a museum, a library, cafeteria and archives, which are all open and functioning. Guided tours are available for free.
The city has several museums that are worth the visit. Some of them are:
The town is now a very important center for pilgrims. You can find all sorts of souvenirs related to "the camino": walking sticks, the typical water-bottles, and the shells that are typical for the camino. Also you can buy typical sweets and drinks in many shops at the Zona Vella (Old District). If you want to buy an original gift, visit the Sargadelos shop at Rúa Nova and see the modernist ceramics of this old and legendary factory in the province of Lugo. Also in the Old District you can find many jewellery shops where to buy typical jewels made of silver and jet, many of them of celtic inspiration.
If you want to buy clothes, move to the Zona Nova (New District) and visit the stores that are all over these district. Here you can find Zara, Bershka, Pepe Jeans... and other famous brands. Maybe the most original brand you could find is Rei Zentolo at Rúa Santiago de Chile, a Galician brand with original and really funny T-shirts and other clothes.
There are two shopping centres in the city. The first one, Área Central, is located at the district of Fontiñas (you can get there by taking the bus number 11 in the City Centre) and it has fashion shops, fast food restaurants and one big supermarket. The other one, Hipercor, at Rúa do Restollal, is a typical department store.
Galicia is known for "Pulpo" or cooked octopus. In general there are a lot of restaurants selling fish and seafood suitable for all budgets. The local cheeses should also be sampled, as well as delicious cakes like the "Tarta de Santiago". Expect long queues at popular pilgrim eating places. Also try pimientos de padrón. The saying goes, "Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non" meaning that in a single serving, some are spicy while others are not.
All these are in the Old Town around the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela:
Try the Albariño wine, a white wine from the south of Galicia. Other popular drinks are:
Later in the evening, there are several places to go because Santiago de Compostela is a city with a very interesting nightlife.
If you want beer or cocktails to begin the night, try Nido del Cuco or Momo, both at Virxe da Cerca. The last one, Momo, during the summer season has a big and nice garden and during the winter it has performances of singer-songwriters. Other interesting places are Casa das Crechas (Vía Sacra, very close to Praza da Quintana), where you can hear some folk music, A Calderería (Rúa da Calderería), spot where many foreigners get together and sometimes there are music performances or Modus Vivendi (Praza Feixoó).
To continue the night, Santiago has many pubs where drink and dance different kinds of music. The following ones are only examples of the great variety you can find in Santiago.
Just outside of Santiago is a small town called "Monte do Gozo". Some pilgrims stop there before entering the city. It's a huge center and has almost 2000 beds. There is a frequent bus line that will take you to walking distance of the town center.
People with a bigger budget can stay in the luxury Parador de Santiago, known as the "Hostal dos Reis Católicos", the former medieval pilgrim hostel, situated on the same square, O Obradoiro, as the cathedral. It is owned by the Paradores group, a large hotel-chain which operates hotels exclusively in historic buildings.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division