Matt Munro

Santiago de Compostela

The final stop on the epic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail, Santiago is a unique city imbued with the aura of a millennium's worth of journeys. Long-gone centuries live on in its arcaded streets and magnificent stone architecture, of which the famous cathedral is the jewel in the crown.

Today some 300,000 Camino pilgrims and many thousands of others venture here each year, giving Santiago a greater international dimension than ever. Yet this is also the capital of the Spanish autonomous region of Galicia, with a strong local character – a place where the skirl of bagpipes wafts across plazas and the countless restaurants and bars specialise in fine Galician seafood and local wines.

It's hard not to be both wowed and charmed by this city. Even the precipitation has its upside: Santiago is, many feel, at its most beautiful when the stone streets are glistening in the rain.

Explore Santiago de Compostela

Catedral de Santiago de Compostela
The grand heart of Santiago, the cathedral soars above the city in a splendid jumble of spires and sculpture. Built piecemeal over several centuries, its…
Praza do Obradoiro
The grand square in front of the cathedral's western facade earned its name (Workshop Sq) from the stonemasons' workshops set up here while the cathedral…
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Museo da Catedral
The Cathedral Museum spreads over four floors and incorporates the cathedral's large 16th-century cloister. You'll see a sizeable section of Maestro Mateo…
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Hostal dos Reis Católicos
Stretching across the northern end of Praza do Obradoiro, the Hostal dos Reis Católicos was built in the early 16th century by order of the Catholic…
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Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago
The brightly displayed Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago gives fascinating insights into the phenomenon of Santiago (man, city and pilgrimage) down the…
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Museo do Pobo Galego
This museum in a former convent is a fascinating window into traditional Galician ways of life, which still persist in some rural areas. Displays range…
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Museo de San Martiño Pinario
The enormous church of the huge baroque Benedictine monastery of San Martiño Pinario is open to visitors as part of a museum that's well worth a visit…
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Praza da Quintana
Broad Praza da Quintana opens up outside the cathedral's eastern end. The cathedral's Puerta Santa here is opened only in holy years: it's flanked by 24…
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Museo de Arte Sacro
The Sacred Art Museum, accessed through the church of the Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares, contains the Ara (Altar) de Antealtares, the original altar…

Catedral de Santiago de Compostela
The grand heart of Santiago, the cathedral soars above the city in a splendid jumble of spires and sculpture. Built piecemeal over several centuries, its…
Praza do Obradoiro
The grand square in front of the cathedral's western facade earned its name (Workshop Sq) from the stonemasons' workshops set up here while the cathedral…
M
Museo da Catedral
The Cathedral Museum spreads over four floors and incorporates the cathedral's large 16th-century cloister. You'll see a sizeable section of Maestro Mateo…
H
Hostal dos Reis Católicos
Stretching across the northern end of Praza do Obradoiro, the Hostal dos Reis Católicos was built in the early 16th century by order of the Catholic…
M
Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago
The brightly displayed Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago gives fascinating insights into the phenomenon of Santiago (man, city and pilgrimage) down the…
M
Museo do Pobo Galego
This museum in a former convent is a fascinating window into traditional Galician ways of life, which still persist in some rural areas. Displays range…
M
Museo de San Martiño Pinario
The enormous church of the huge baroque Benedictine monastery of San Martiño Pinario is open to visitors as part of a museum that's well worth a visit…
P
Praza da Quintana
Broad Praza da Quintana opens up outside the cathedral's eastern end. The cathedral's Puerta Santa here is opened only in holy years: it's flanked by 24…
M
Museo de Arte Sacro
The Sacred Art Museum, accessed through the church of the Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares, contains the Ara (Altar) de Antealtares, the original altar…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Santiago de Compostela.

See
Catedral de Santiago de Compostela
The grand heart of Santiago, the cathedral soars above the city in a splendid jumble of spires and sculpture. Built piecemeal over several centuries, its…
See
Praza do Obradoiro
The grand square in front of the cathedral's western facade earned its name (Workshop Sq) from the stonemasons' workshops set up here while the cathedral…
See
Museo da Catedral
The Cathedral Museum spreads over four floors and incorporates the cathedral's large 16th-century cloister. You'll see a sizeable section of Maestro Mateo…
See
Hostal dos Reis Católicos
Stretching across the northern end of Praza do Obradoiro, the Hostal dos Reis Católicos was built in the early 16th century by order of the Catholic…
See
Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago
The brightly displayed Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago gives fascinating insights into the phenomenon of Santiago (man, city and pilgrimage) down the…
See
Museo do Pobo Galego
This museum in a former convent is a fascinating window into traditional Galician ways of life, which still persist in some rural areas. Displays range…
See
Museo de San Martiño Pinario
The enormous church of the huge baroque Benedictine monastery of San Martiño Pinario is open to visitors as part of a museum that's well worth a visit…
See
Praza da Quintana
Broad Praza da Quintana opens up outside the cathedral's eastern end. The cathedral's Puerta Santa here is opened only in holy years: it's flanked by 24…
See
Museo de Arte Sacro
The Sacred Art Museum, accessed through the church of the Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares, contains the Ara (Altar) de Antealtares, the original altar…

Guidebooks

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