Santiago de Compostela is the capital of northwest Spain’s Galicia region. With a population of over 95,000 it is most famous as the destination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage walk. Pilgrims come from around the world to do all or part of the famous walk. Each year around 300,000 pilgrims walk at least 100 kilometres and earn a Compostela, a certificate of completion from the Pilgrims office.
Of course, many more than this walk shorter distances and many more simply visit Santiago De Compostela as tourists.
Santiago de Compostela is a great town to just walk around and enjoy the sites. The old town surrounding the Cathedral is very picturesque. Unfortunately, you will find that nearly every shop and restaurant is catering to the tourist Camino market. Having said that, if you look around and especially if you look slightly away from the really obvious tourist spots, you will still find some great little restaurants and bars serving traditional Galician food. After all, the locals have to eat somewhere.
For example, around 150 metres from the Cathedral is this tiny unappealing alley (turn the picture to the right a little) coming off one of the main streets leading to the Cathedral. Up this alley, you will find two restaurants that only locals eat at.
Speaking of eating, while in Santiago de Compostela you have to try Tarta de Santiago, a dessert cake native to Santiago but also found throughout Galicia. You will find it for sale in almost every restaurant in Santiago as well as every tourist shop.
If you are still on the move near the old town you might want to relax in Alameda Park. This beautiful 16th-century park has historical monuments and gardens featuring many ornamental trees & shrubs. There are some lovely views across to the Cathedral and it is a really lovely place to relax. It´s also a good place to walk off some of that Tarta de Santiago.
“My number one tip for Santiago is don’t forget to take your umbrella or wet weather gear.“
After at least a dozen visits to Santiago, I think it has rained more than 50% of the time. So you have been warned, it will rain.
If you are looking for shopping areas, the streets near the old town and park have some very good shops. If you are looking for a shopping mall you will have to catch a bus or taxi. There are 2 malls that are about 10 to 15 minutes away from the old town by car.
If you are looking for more things to do during your stay, check out our Day Trips from Santiago page for ideas.
You can fly directly to Santiago with many major and budget carriers. For example Ryanair has regular flights to Santiago with flight times from Londons Stanstead airport of just over an hour.
Excellent rail service connects Santiago with the rest of Galicia making it a great place to base yourself and explore. It is only 28 minutes to A Coruna in the north of Galicia and 50 minutes to Vigo in the south of Galicia.
The high-speed rail was recently completed between Madrid and Santiago with the journey taking a little of 3 hours.
Another great way of getting to and from Santiago de Compostela is by using rideshare apps. Blablacar is very popular in Spain. Santiago is a University Town so there are always rides going away from the city on Fridays and back to the city on Sundays. This is especially true around end of term and big holidays when students visit their home towns. Check out our article on using Blablacar in Spain