# Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is the capital city of Galicia in northwest Spain. It's named for Saint James, one of the twelve Apostles of Christ, and in legend is his burial site. It's therefore become a pilgrimage destination, the focus of several routes known collectively as El Camino. With a population just under 100,000 in 2024, Santiago has a glorious cathedral and old city centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

## Understand

    "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." — Matthew 4:19
In the 8th century the Arabs captured much of Spain, but the Visigoth Christian lands to the north pushed back. Christian leaders sought symbols of cultural identity to rally and unite this isolated region of fishermen and subsistence farmers, with its coastline littered with scallop shells. It would also help, in an era when pilgrimage to Jerusalem was closed off, if there was some icon or relic as a focus. They cast around and landed a whopper.
James, cousin of Jesus, was a fisherman in Galilee and together with his brother John (author of St John's Gospel) was among the Apostles. In 44 AD King Herod Agrippa had him beheaded in Jerusalem, where he almost certainly lies; Peter was thrown in jail but busted out by an angel. As the first martyr James became revered, especially in Spain where he was known as Iacobus or Iago, hence Santiago. A story grew up that he'd preached in Spain, with the Virgin Mary coming down to perch on a pillar in Zaragoza and bless him, before he had to rush back so as not to be late for his beheading. The angels then contrived for his decapitated body to sail away in an unattended boat to Iria Flavia, now the town of Padrón 20 km south of Santiago city.
Iria Flavia was a much older religious centre, with a Roman shrine and before that a Celtic, and James was reputed to have preached there, so that's where any angelically-transported remains should belong. But the 9th century saw an ecclesiastical upheaval in which Santiago supplanted Iria Flavia. Conveniently, Pelagius the Hermit then beheld showers of stars descending upon a grave in the forest later dubbed the "field of stars", campus stella. He fetched the bishop, who revealed an unexpected talent for forensic archaeology and declared the three bodies there to be James and his disciples Theodore and Athanasius. King and Pope swiftly got in on the act, a chapel then a cathedral were erected on the spot, and Santiago was acclaimed a Holy City surpassed only by Rome and Jerusalem.
It's been a pilgrimage destination ever since. Pilgrims initially brought home a symbolic scallop shell, then later they wore a shell on their outbound quest and were awarded a written certificate. The Lutheran / Protestant movement long scorned the whole business but an ecumenical spirit in the 20th century led to recognition of the value of pilgrimage, emphasising the physical and spiritual personal journey and downplaying the legends and physical icons.
St James was invoked to help in various battles: he somehow failed to repel Napoleon, but in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) the falangists were great supporters of his cult and held the city from the outset. After Franco's death in 1975, Spain transitioned to a constitutional monarchy, tourism (including religious tourism) flourished, and Santiago de Compostela was declared capital city of Galicia.
Climate of Santiago is typical of the Iberian Atlantic coast: wet winters, and frequent downpours from September to June. Summers are mild.
Santiago Turismo is the online visitor portal. The tourist office is 200 m south of the cathedral at Rúa do Vilar 63, open daily 109:00-18:00.

## Talk

Spanish in its standard Castilian form is the official language throughout the country and is the version that most foreigners learn.
Galician (Galego) is a language (not merely a dialect) that has co-official status in this region. Signage is therefore a mix, so these pages inevitably are a mix, though Galician has priority for place-names. It's also a litmus of separatist versus centralist political affiliation. It diverged from Portuguese around the 13th century and is still closer to that language than to Castilian Spanish.
English is widely understood especially in the service sector, as to a lesser extent are French and German.
Latin might be worth a try among pilgrims and in religious settings, if only you could remember the Latin words for "airport", "car rental" and "wifi".

## Get in
### By plane

There are several airports around, from which you can reach the city quite easily.
42.8963-8.41511 Santiago Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ ), Lavacolla. This has seasonal flights from across west Europe, the UK and Ireland by budget carriers such as Ryanair. As Santiago is some distance to reach overland, it also has domestic flights by Iberia and partners from Madrid, Bilbao, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Valencia and the Canaries. The airport has a single terminal with the usual facilities including car hire and luggage lockers. This is the new terminal opened in 2011, replacing the original of 1969, and named for the writer Rosalía de Castro (1837-1885). (updated Feb 2025)
To town: Tralusa Bus 6A runs every 30 minutes between 06:30 and 00:30, taking 30 min to the railway and bus stations.
A taxi takes 15 min and in 2025 might charge €30.
El Camino pilgrimage trail passes right by the airport, so all you need do is retrieve your scallop from your hand luggage.
Alternative airports are in A Coruña, Vigo, Asturias, Porto and Madrid. All these cities have direct trains and/or intercity buses to Santiago de Compostela. From the Asturias airport take a bus to Aviles and then continue with an intercity bus. The airport of Porto has direct Flixbus rides to Santiago. From Madrid the train takes just 3 hours to Santiago.

### By train

Trains from Madrid-Chamartin run every hour or two via Segovia, Zamora and Ourense. About half of the offered rides are direct. The other half require a change in Ourense.
From Barcelona and Zaragoza change at Madrid from Atocha to Charmartin stations.
Trains from Vigo Urziaz run hourly and take an hour via Pontevedra and Vilagarcia de Arousa. From Portugal change at Vigo from Guixar to Urziaz stations.
An hourly train from A Coruña takes 30 min to Santiago and continues to Ourense.
For times, fares and tickets see the RENFE webpage.
42.8709-8.54472 Santiago Train Station is one km south of the cathedral. The station is small and functional with ticket desks, a cafe and waiting room. Exit north for city centre or south for the bus station.

### By bus

Alsa buses run six times a day from Madrid Estación Sur, taking nine hours via Madrid Moncloa, Tordesillas, Astorga, Ponferrada, Lugo and A Coruña. Some start from Madrid Airport.
One bus a day is from Valladolid, taking 8 hr 30 min via Léon and Astorga.
One heroic bus traverses the country north-south, from A Coruña via Santiago to Pontevedra, Vigo, Ourense, Zamora, Salamanca, Bejar, Plasencia, Caceres, Merida, Zafra, Seville, Jerez, Cadiz, Tarifa and Algeciras, for ferries to Morocco.
The 42.869735-8.5446063 Bus Station (Estación de Autobuses) is next to the railway station.

### On foot: El Camino

Santiago cathedral is the terminus of converging pilgrimage trails known as El Camino. The principal route is from St. Jean Pied-de-Port just across the French border, 780 km. Another trail Via de Plata is from southern Spain.

## Get around

The places of interest in Santiago are in a compact area, so walk.
Tralussa is the city bus line. In 2025 a single ticket costs €1 for adults, €0.55 for students under 18. For multiple trips you can buy a bono of 10, 20, or 30 tickets: these cost €0.55 per trip plus a deposit of €3 that's repaid if you return the card in good condition. You can buy and redeem bonos from the bus drivers. One-month passes are also available.
Coming in from the airport, for accommodation near the cathedral get off at Rúa da Virxe da Cerca by the marketplace, before the bus carries you south to the stations.
Bus 5 plies between the bus station and city centre.
Some 15 taxi firms serve the city.

## See

* 42.8806-8.54511 Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, Praza do Obradoiro, ☏ +34 98 156 9327. Daily 07:00-21:00. Massive cathedral built from 1075 but only consecrated in 1211. It's mostly Romanesque but each facade is different and fronts onto a plaza. The main entrance is west from Praza do Obradoiro: this facade is 18th century Baroque, with its pair of stonking towers. You pass through the Pórtico da Gloria into the nave, which at first looks plain till your eyes adjust and you see the altar and other decor. The crypt below the main altar has the supposed tomb of Santiago, Saint James. A huge Botafumeiro - an 80 kg silver incense burner - is normally on display in the library but for major religious events it's hitched up on pulleys and swung through the nave by a team of red-robed tiraboleiros. They needed such a big one to disguise the stench of medieval pilgrims who'd been weeks on the road. Adult €20, conc €16. (updated Feb 2025)
* Palacio de Xelmírez or Gelmírez is the archbishop's residence, named for its first occupant. It's north side of the cathedral, entered via an internal door, and included in the same ticket. Some tickets allow access to the roof.
* Cathedral Museum, Praza do Obradoiro., ☏ +34 98 155 2985. Daily 10:00-20:00. Entered separately from Praza do Obradoiro but usually on the same ticket, this exhibits the cathedral’s history and artistry. You also see the Cloister, Library (with the Botafumeiro censer), the Chapterhouse, the tapestry collection, and the continuous balcony with views of the plaza and old town streets. (updated Feb 2025)
* Praza do Obradoiro is the imposing square just west of the cathedral, named for the workshop of its stonemasons. Left of Pórtico da Gloria (the cathedral entrance) is Gelmírez Palace and right is the cathedral museum. North side of the plaza is the plateresque Hostal Real, which was accommodation for pilgrims and is now a Parador hotel, see Sleep. West side is the Raxoi (or Rajoy) Palace, now the city hall. South is San Jerónimo College, formerly a student residence and now the head office of the University of Santiago.
* Palacio de Rajoy (west side of plaza, opposite cathedral). Grand neoclassical building completed in 1772 to house the city council, a jail, a seminary and a residence for the children of the choir. It's now the city and regional council head offices. (updated Feb 2025)
* Colexio de San Xerome or San Jerónimo is south side of the plaza. It's now part of the university but you can admire the Romanesque facade. A colexio menor was a preparatory college for those going on to university, colexio mejor. This one was founded in 1501 on a different site, moving here circa 1650 and bringing along the facade of the original college.
* Plaza da Quintana is immediately east of the cathedral. The lower main part was a cemetery until 1611 when its occupants were given their marching orders, and is still known as Quintana de Mortos. Near the north end, steps lead up to Quintana de Vivos, the smaller "square of the living". The "Holy Door" into the cathedral is opened to pilgrims in Jacobean Holy Years, those when Saint James' Day (25 July) falls on a Sunday; for this they gain an "indulgence", time knocked off their forthcoming spell in Purgatory. Casa de Parra north end of the plaza is 17th century.
* Praza de Praterías (Silversmith's Square) is the southwest extension of Quintana, with the Pilgrimage Museum and a good view of the cathedral. The fountain spouts are horses.
* Pilgrimage Museum, Praza de Praterías, ☏ +34 88 186 7315. Tu-F 08:30-21:30, Sa 11:00-19:30, Su 10:30-14:30. Exhibiting the history of European pilgrimage with an obvious focus on St James. Free. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8819-8.54442 Monasterio de San Martiño Pinario, Praza da Inmaculada 5 (50 m north of cathedral), ☏ +34 98 158 3008. M-Th 09:00-20:00, F 09:00-15:00. Benedictine monastery rebuilt in the 16th century and closed down in the 19th. It became a seminary and museum, and also contains a simple hotel, see below. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8777-8.54493 Fundación Eugenio Granell, Ramón María del Valle-Inclán, ☏ +34 98 154 6619. Tu-F 11:00-14:00, 16:00-20:00, Sa 10:30-14:30h. Art exhibition space within Toural Palace. Adult €2, conc €1. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8773-8.54694 The Two Marías are a pair of statues by the east entrance to Alameda Park. Maruxa and Coralia Fandiño Ricart were from a working-class family. Their brothers became involved in the anarchist movement, as good an excuse as any for the Falangists to torment the women. After the civil war ended with the victory of Franco, Maruxa and Coralia were poor, haggard, toothless and mentally frail, but they took to parading the streets in bright costumes and plastered with crude make-up. The statues, commissioned in 1994, commemorate their odd mix of unbowed resilience and pantomime damehood.
* Mirador means a viewing point, and the one north end of Alameda Park is an ornate platform with a view of the cathedral.
* 42.8828-8.53895 Museum of the Galician People (Museo del Pueblo Gallego), Costa de San Domingos 3, ☏ +34 98 158 3620. Tu-Sa 11:00-18:00, Su 11:00-14:00. Museum created in 1977 within the former Convent of Santo Domingo de Bonaval, on a hill outside the old city walls and next to the pilgrimage trail. Exhibits cover coastal life, traditional trades, the country, costumes and architecture, also Galician archaeology, painting and sculpture. Many notable Galician figures are buried in the convent cemetery. Adult €5, conc €3, free on Sundays. (updated Feb 2025)
* Contemporary Art Centre of Galicia (CGAC), Ramón María del Valle-Inclán (next to Museum of the Galician People), ☏ +34 98 154 6619. Tu-Su 11:00-20:00. Contemporary art in a building designed by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza. Free. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8868-8.54576 Museo de Historia Natural, Parque Vista Alegre (on USC science campus), ☏ +34 88 181 6350. Tu-Sa 10:00-14:00, 16:30-20:00, Su 11:00-14:00. Child-friendly natural history museum. Adult €3.50, conc or child €2.50. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8702-8.52577 Cidade da Cultura (City of Culture), Monte Gaiás (Bus 9 from city centre). Daily 07:00-23:00. Peter Eisenman's ambitious project in the outskirts; the buildings were supposed to resemble rolling hills or maybe scallops. Each window frame and pane was bespoke, so the sharp intake of accountants' breath rose to a stiff breeze. There's a museum, library, cafe and archives, but cost over-run meant the arts centre and science centre were cancelled. (updated Feb 2025)

## Do

* Pilgrim Reception Office (Centro Internacional de Acollida ó Peregrino), 33 Rúa das Carretas (100 yards north of cathedral plaza), ☏ +34 981 568 846. Daily 10:00-18:00. Get your pilgrim's certificate for completing El Camino de Santiago. (updated Feb 2025)
* Pilgrim House, Rua Nova 19 (100 m south of Plaza de Quintana), ☏ +34 981 585 788. April-Oct M Tu Th-Sa 11:00-20:00. Offers support and resources to pilgrims who have just finished the Camino. Group and personal debriefs, quiet reflection, have a cup of coffee, do your laundry and store your backpack for the day. (updated Feb 2025)
* Theatre: Teatro Principal is is 200 m south of the cathedral at Rúa Nova 21.
    Centro Dramático Galego is further down at Rúa Nova 34.
* Cinema: Numax shows independent films at Rúa de Concepción Arenal 9, off the inner ring road 1 km south of the cathedral.
* Football: SD Compostela play soccer in Segunda Federación, the fourth tier. They play at Estadio San Lázaro (capacity 16,700) 2 km east of city centre.
* Complexo Deportivo the sports centre and swimming pool are on Rúa de Tras Santa Isabel, one km north of the cathedral.
* Golf: Compostela Golf is in Formaris village on N-550, five km northeast of city centre.
* Festival of St James is held on 25 July in western Christendom, and in Santiago it's a two-week show with events culminating on the 24th; the 25th is quiet with many premises closed. The city is mobbed while it's on.

## Buy

* Mercado de Abastos is the main market, at Rúa das Ameas 200 m east of the cathedral. Lots of fresh produce, and some vendors will cook stuff for you to eat right there. It's open M-Sa 07:00-16:00.
* Sargadelos at Rúa do Doutor Teixeiro 1 has modernist ceramics, open M-Sa 10:00-14:00, 16:30-20:30.
* Rei Zentolo at Rúa da Caldeirería 33 has distinctive T-shirts and giftware. It's open M-Sa 10:30-14:00, 17:00-18:30.
* Área Central shopping centre is 2 km east of the cathedral in Fontiñas district, take Bus 11.
* Hipercor is 3 km south of the centre at Rúa do Restollal 50. The main store El Corte Inglés is open M-Sa 10:00-22:00.

## Eat

The city goes strong on seafood, especially pulpo, octopus. Local cheese and cakes are worth seeking out.
Tapas are served everywhere. "Pimientos de padrón" are part spicy, part not, so practise saying "Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non".
The main eating strip is along the two alleys south of the cathedral, Rúa da Raíña and Rúa do Franco. In this context, "Franco" means French, not the smug moustache more snappily known as Generalissimo Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde.

### Budget

* Cre-Cotte is a creperie south end of Praza de Quintana, open Tu-Su.
* Restaurante Trebol, Rúa da Raíña 16 (next to Los Caracoles), ☏ +34 69 769 4813. W-M 12:30-16:00, 19:30-23:30, Tu 12:30-17:00. Mostly good reviews for their seafood. (updated Feb 2025)
* Restaurante Dubra, Rúa da Raíña 16 (behind Trebol), ☏ +34 69 769 4813. Th-Tu 10:00-23:00. Good local cuisine, the specialty is seafood. (updated Feb 2025)
* Galeon A Raiña, Rúa da Raíña 17 (opposite Los Caracoles), ☏ +34 98 157 7676. W-Su 12:00-16:00, 20:00-23:30, M 12:00-16:00. Value-for-money cafe. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8815-8.54671 Restaurante Tarará, Rúa das Carretas 22 basement, ☏ +34 65 138 5717. Th-Tu 12:30-18:00. Inexpensive seafood. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8827-8.54222 Mamá Peixe Taberna, Rúa da Algalia de Arriba 45, ☏ +34 65 766 8842. Tu, Th-Sa 13:30-15:00, 20:30-22:00, W Su 13:30-15:00. Grand little place for seafood, better book. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8817-8.54013 Restaurante Petiscos, Rúa de Aller Ulloa 7, ☏ +34 98 157 5368. Su Tu W 13:30-16:00, Th-Sa 13:30-16:00, 20:30-00:30. Especially good value is the lunchtime menu del día, with vegan and GF choices. (updated Feb 2025)

### Mid-range

* A Curtidoría serves paella and other rice-based dishes Tu-Su at Rúa da Conga 2, 100 m east of Plaza Quintana.
* 42.8788-8.54494 Taberna O Gato Negro, Rúa da Raíña, ☏ +34 98 158 3105. Tu-Sa 12:30-15:00, 19:30-23:00. Slick unpretentious place for trad Spanish cuisine. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8779-8.54555 A Noiesa, Rúa do Franco 40, ☏ +34 98 156 8052. Daily 13:00-17:00, 20:00-00:00. Splendid cosy bistro. (updated Feb 2025)
* Mesón 42 at Franco 42 has tapas with big portions. Open daily.
* 42.8792-8.54486 Los Caracoles, Rúa da Raíña 14, ☏ +34 98 156 1498. Tu-Sa 12:30-16:00, 19:30-23:00. Good trad Galician fare. (updated Feb 2025)
* A Horta d'Obradoiro, Rúa das Hortas 16 (opposite Casa Marcello), ☏ +34 88 103 1375. Tu-Sa 13:00-16:00, 20:00-23:00. Great reviews for their local cuisine and service. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8754-8.53937 O Sendeiro, Rúa do Olvido 22, ☏ +34 98 158 7196. M-Th 13:00-15:30, F 13:00-15:30, 20:00-22:20, Sa Su 09:30-23:30, 13:00-15:30, 20:00-22:20,. Reliable quality food. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8787-8.54368 Don Gaiferos, Rúa Nova 23, ☏ +34 98 158 3894. Su-Th 13:00-17:00, F Sa 13:00-17:00, 20:00-22:30.. Good food and service. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8812-8.54139 Curro da Parra, Rúa Travesa 20, ☏ +34 98 155 6059. Daily 13:30 - 15:30, 20:30 - 23:00. Good Galician cuisine. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8813-8.549210 Don Quijote, Rúa das Galeras 20, ☏ +34 98 158 6859. M-Sa 13:30-15:30, 20:00-23:00, Su 13:30-15:30. Smart Spanish dining, non-touristy yet only 300 m west of cathedral. (updated Feb 2025)

### Splurge

* 42.8807-8.54711 Casa Marcelo, Rúa das Hortas 1, ☏ +34 98 155 8580. W-Sa 13:30-15:30, 20:30-23:30, Su 14:00-15:30. Wonderful food, Galician with a hint of Japanese. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8826-8.548112 Restaurante Pedro Roca, Rúa de Domingo Garcia-Sabell 1, ☏ +34 98 158 5776. Tu & Su 13:15-15:15, F & Sa 13:15-15:15, 20:15-23:00. High standard of food and service. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8751-8.549913 Restaurante Terra Nosa, Rúa Nova de Abaixo 5, ☏ +34 98 159 7354. M-F 13:30-16:00, 20:30-23:00. Uninspired decor but great seafood and meat. (updated Feb 2025)

## Drink

* Tap water is safe to drink.
* Wine: Galicia has five Denominacións de Orixe (DO): Monterrei, Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro and Valdeorras. The warm wet Atlantic climate means these are white and crisp, more like Portuguese wines than those of Castile & León east over the mountains. Albariño white is the principal grape.
* Orujo, also known as aguardiente or caña, is a fiery spirit distilled from marc, which is the mush left behind after grapes have been pressed and the juice run off for wine-making. The raw spirit is colourless and may be drunk neat as Orujo Blanco, if you're hardy enough. More often it's matured in oak barrels along with nuts and fruits for an amber liquor, or herbs for the green Orujo de Hierbas. It's served cold in small glasses at 50% or more strength.
    - Queimada is the commonest style, orujo with sugar, fruit and coffee beans, which you set on fire before drinking. Wait till the flame turns blue, while someone recites the conxuro, a hocus-pocus spell.
    - Licor café is a caffeinated sweetened liqueur, similar to Kahlua.
    - Crema de Orujo is sweet and tasty.

### Bars

These are in the same area as restaurants, especially Rúa do Franco and Rúa da Raíña. There's a straggle further south towards the railway and bus stations.
* Casa das Crechas is at Vía Sacra 3, just north of Praza da Quintana, open Tu-Su.
* Bar Orense is at Rúa do Rúa da Raíña 25, open M-Sa.
* Momo is at Rúa da Virxe da Cerca 23 just east of the market, open daily.
* Modus Vivendi is on Praza Feixoó, 50 m east of Praza da Quintana, open daily.
* Fonte Sequelo is at Rúa de Xelmírez 24 off Praza Feixoó. It's open Tu, Th & Sa from 23:30.
* Avante is within Hotel Alda at Cantón de San Bieito 4, just north of the market. It's open Tu-Sa from 23:00.
* A Reixa is at Rúa Tras Salomé 3, open Tu-Sa evenings.
* Tokio is at Av de Figuero 6 by the entrance to Alameda Park, open daily.
* Blaster is a disco at Rúa República Arxentina 6 near the station, open nightly from midnight.
* Central Perk is at Rúa Nova de Abaixo 9 south of Alameda Park, open M-Sa from 22:00.
* Guayaba at Rúa Nova de Abaixo 26 has Latin dance music, open from 23:00 M F Sa.

## Sleep

* 42.8875-8.53891 Meiga Backpackers, Rua dos Basquiños 67, ☏ +34 98 157 0846. Clean backpackers' hostel, 5 minutes walk from the bus station. Mixed and female-only dorms, no private rooms. Dorm €18 ppn. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8721-8.54982 Hostal México, República Arxentina 33, ☏ +34 981 598 000, recepcion@hostalmexico.com. Small clean hotel midway between railway & bus stations and cathedral. Single and double rooms, no dorm. B&B double €80. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8786-8.54293 Hostal Paz de Agra, Rúa Calderería 37, ☏ +34 696 845 631. Very basic guesthouse. Single €50. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.874-8.54494 Hotel Gelmírez, Rúa do Hórreo 92, ☏ +34 98 156 1100. Modern comfy 3-star hotel. B&B double €110. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8752-8.5455 Nest Style Santiago, Rúa Doutor Teixeiro 15, ☏ +34 981 563 444. Fairly plain, but good value and location. B&B double €70. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8795-8.54436 Hotel Rúa Villar, Rúa do Vilar 8, ☏ +34 98 151 9858. Welcoming hotel in an 18th century building near the University. B&B double €90. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.878-8.5467 Hotel Entrecercas, Ruela de Entrecercas 11, ☏ +34 98 157 1151. Simple relaxing hotel with rustic decor. B&B double €160. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8779-8.5458 Hostal Suso, Rúa do Vilar 65, ☏ +34 98 158 6611. Welcoming modern hotel. Double (room only) €85. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.877-8.54439 Mapoula PR, 3rd floor, Rúa de Entremurallas 10, ☏ +34 98 158 0124. Bright pleasant small hotel. B&B double €120. (updated Feb 2025)
* Hospedaría San Martiño Pinario, Praza da Inmaculada 3 (facing cathedral), ☏ +34 98 156 0282. Simple hotel with 81 rooms in a 16th century Benedictine monastery. B&B double €80. (updated Feb 2025)
* Hostal Real (Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos), Praza do Obradoiro 1 (next to cathedral), ☏ +34 98 158 2200. Great reviews for this luxurious Parador on cathedral plaza, booked solid for months in advance. It was set up in the 1510s for arriving pilgrims, so it ranks among the oldest continuously operating hotels in the world. It became part of the Paradores group in 1986. B&B double €330. (updated Feb 2025)
* 42.8794-8.540910 Hotel Virxe da Cerca, Rúa da Virxe da Cerca 27, ☏ +34 98 569 350. Tranquil welcoming hotel in an 18th century Jesuit residence. B&B double €160. (updated Feb 2025)
* Lavacolla is a village 1 km west of the airport on the road to the city with half-a-dozen small hotels.

## Connect

As of Feb 2025, Santiago and its approach roads have 5G from all Spanish carriers.

## Go next

* A Coruña or La Coruña 74 km north is a busy industrial port but has an interesting old town.
* Fisterra or Finisterre 82 km west is a small town best known for its rocky cape, literally "land's end". An extension of El Camino leads here, though it's simply a modern tourist invention to cash in on the pilgrimage trade. Time was, it was not just a cape but the edge of the habitable universe; wonder what happened to that rash fellow Christopher Columbus?
* Pontevedra 62 km south has an old town packed with churches and other sights.
* Ourense 105 km southeast is a modern town with lots to see and do. It's on Via de la Plata, the pilgrimage route from southern Spain.