Santiago de Compostela

The end of the Camino: cheering pilgrims in the cathedral square, a stone-built old town and Galician octopus, plus trips to Finisterre at the "end of the world".

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia in northwest Spain and the shared finishing point of every route of the Camino de Santiago. According to tradition, the remains of the apostle Saint James were discovered here in the 9th century, and for more than a thousand years since, pilgrims from across Europe have walked here, making this small city of fewer than 100,000 people one of Catholicism's three great holy places; the old town was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1985. The heart of any visit is the granite old town, which you can cross on foot in 15 minutes: the four squares around the cathedral – Obradoiro, Platerías, Quintana and Azabachería – monasteries such as San Martín Pinario, the seafood taverns of Rúa do Franco and the Mercado de Abastos. Outside the old town are Alameda Park, Bonaval Park and the City of Culture designed by Peter Eisenman. The classic day trip heads about 90 km west to Cape Finisterre at the "end of the world", Muxía and the Ézaro waterfall on the Costa da Morte; alternatively, take the train (just over 30 minutes) to A Coruña to see the Tower of Hercules. The climate is rainy and Atlantic, with plenty of rain all year and cold, damp winters; May–Sep is the best time to visit. Around the Feast of Saint James on 25 July there are fireworks and celebrations, and it's also peak pilgrim season, so book accommodation early. Getting there: Santiago Airport (SCQ) is about 20 minutes from the city by airport bus; the high-speed train from Madrid takes about 3.5 hours, and Porto is about 4 hours by road. Stay 2–3 days: 1–2 days for the old town and 1 day for a coastal excursion. Tips: in high season, book the Cathedral Museum, the Portico of Glory and the rooftop tour online in advance; most shops close for lunch from 2pm to 5pm; bring rain gear, as the stone streets get slippery. To experience the pilgrimage, walking at least the final 100 km (about 5 days from Sarria) qualifies you for the Compostela certificate at the Pilgrim's Office.

Top sights

• Santiago de Compostela Cathedral – The end point of the pilgrimage route. This Romanesque cathedral holds the remains of Saint James. Its Portico de la Gloria and the giant c…
• Praza do Obradoiro – The grand square where pilgrims arrive at the end of their journey, surrounded by the cathedral, the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, the Pazo de…
• Cathedral Museum & Rooftop Tour – Climb onto the stone roofs of the cathedral for views over the old town. The museum includes the Portico de la Gloria, the cloisters and th…
• Cape Finisterre – Once seen by the Romans as the “end of the world,” Cape Finisterre is the extension of the pilgrimage route. Watch the Atlantic sunset from…
• Hostal dos Reis Católicos – A hospital built in 1499 for pilgrims, said to be one of the world's oldest hotels, now a state-run Parador hotel.
• Praza da Quintana – A stepped square east of the cathedral. The Holy Door opens only in Holy Years, and the “pilgrim's shadow” cast by the bell tower at night…
• Praza das Praterías – A small square in front of the cathedral's south façade, with its original 12th-century Romanesque doorway and a horse fountain. It is name…
• Monastery of San Martiño Pinario – Galicia's second-largest monastery. Its baroque church has an ornate high altar and carved choir stalls, and it is quieter than the cathedr…
• Monastery of San Paio de Antealtares – A Benedictine convent east of Praza da Quintana, with a museum of religious art and handmade almond biscuits from the nuns.
• Mercado de Abastos – Galicia's second most-visited attraction, a market of stone arcades selling seafood, cheese, and produce. You can have your seafood cooked…
• Alameda Park – A century-old park southwest of the old town. The horseshoe promenade offers the cathedral's classic distant view, and there are two statue…
• Rúa do Franco – The liveliest food street in the old town, lined with seafood eateries, Galician octopus, and tapas bars.
• Colexio de Fonseca – A Renaissance college from 1544, the origin of the University of Santiago de Compostela, with a quiet plateresque courtyard open to visitor…
• Convent of San Francisco – Said to have been founded by Saint Francis himself on his pilgrimage, with a huge baroque church and a Franciscan pilgrim museum.
• Museo do Pobo Galego & Bonaval Park – A Galician folk museum in a former monastery, with a triple spiral staircase as an architectural marvel, and a tranquil park built on the m…
• Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago – A free museum that tells the history of the pilgrimage routes and the city's transformation. Its top-floor terrace offers close views of th…
• City of Culture of Galicia – A massive complex designed by Peter Eisenman, its stone roofs rising like the hills they sit on. The exterior and rooftop walkways are free.
• Monte do Gozo – The last hill on the French Way, where pilgrims first glimpse the cathedral spires. It features a monument marking a papal visit.
• Collegiate Church of Santa María a Real do Sar – A 12th-century Romanesque church whose interior columns lean noticeably because of a sinking foundation, with striking flying buttresses on…
• Muxía – A fishing village on the Death Coast, known for the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Boat on the seaside rocks and the “Wound” monument. Ofte…
• Ézaro Waterfall – One of the rare places in Europe where a river waterfall plunges straight into the sea. Water pours down a granite cliff from Monte Pindo…
• Pazo de Oca – A noble estate known as the “Versailles of Galicia,” with stone-bridged pools, grape pergolas and century-old camellia gardens.
• Padrón – A small town where legend says the remains of St. James came ashore. It is a stop on the Portuguese Way and home to the poet Rosalía de Cas…
• Melide – A town where the French Way and the Primitive Way converge, famous for market-style octopus and its long-established octopus restaurants.

Where to eat

• Abastos 2.0 – A restaurant set inside stalls at the Mercado de Abastos, using fresh market ingredients of the day, with its dining ro…
• O Gato Negro – A century-old tavern opened in 1922 and run by five generations of the same family, famous for its cuttlefish, shellfis…
• A Noiesa – A cozy Galician home-style restaurant on Rúa do Franco in the old town, famous for its octopus and excellent value.
• Asador Gonzaba – A steakhouse featuring a dry-aging cabinet at the entrance, specializing in large Galician beef steaks and operating fo…
• Casa Marcelo – A Michelin-starred restaurant near the Cathedral, where the chef serves a single tasting menu blending Galician, Asian…

Itineraries

• Green Spain Coast-to-Coast Road Trip – Drive west from San Sebastián along the Bay of Biscay to Santiago de Compostela, connecting the coasts and mountains of…
• Rail Journey: Madrid to Santiago via Burgos and León – Travel west by train along the Camino de Santiago, visiting three grand cathedrals and ending in Santiago de Compostela.
• Galicia Coast & Canyons Grand Loop – Starting and ending in Santiago de Compostela, loop through the Costa da Morte, Rías Baixas, Sil Canyon, and the northe…
• Camino de Santiago: Sarria to Santiago Walking – Hike the final 100+ kilometers of the French Way to Santiago, bookended by visits to Lugo and Finisterre.
• Porto to Galicia Coast by Train – Cross the border north from Porto, connecting Vigo, the Cíes Islands, Santiago de Compostela, and A Coruña.