Santiago de Compostela Hotels

While it’s advisable to immerse yourself in Santiago de Compostela’s odd (and rather far-fetched) history at the Cathedral Museum, you should spend just as much time investigating the local food scene. Get your hands on a bottle or six of some Albariño wine andpair it with the local speciality, pulpo (cooked octopus), to make the city proud. Santiago de Compostela’s World Heritage-listed Old Town dishes out more cheese than a Hollywood rom-com, while the pimentos de padrón is worthy of its own saying: ‘Los pimientos de pardon, unos pican y otros no’ (‘in a single serving, some are spicy while others are not’). Which pretty much sums up a city that is anything but predictable…

Santiago De Compostela's Top 10

Santiago De Compostela History

• Catedral de Santiago de Compostela – Most of this church was built in 1075 and 1211, but it has been added to and rebuilt over the centuries.
• Museo da Catedral – An impressive cathedral that features an original stone choir designed in 1603.
• Praza do Obradoiro – Many of the Camino pilgrims migrated to this place. Also, stonemasons set up their shops here during the building of the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.
• Museo de Arte Sacra – A simple church that contains the original altar that was raised of the relics of Santiago.
• Casa do Cabildo – A place for the clergy to stay, it was built in the 18th century and faces the Fuente de los Caballos.

Santiago De Compostela Art & Culture

• Museo das Peregrinacions – A museum of eight rooms that explore the phenomenon of the Camino de Santiago.
• Centro Galego de Arte Contemporanea – An art gallery that hosts exhibits of modern Santiago de Compostela art.
• Fundacion Eugenio Granell – An art gallery containing the surrealistic and ethnic works of Granell.
• Ciudad de la Cultura – A cultural centre built on top of Monte Caias featuring a library, an archive and a museum.
• Museo do Pobo Galego – Formally the Convento de San Domingo, this museum contains exhibits on Galician life and arts.

Santiago de Compostela Shopping

• Sargadelos – Old town Santiago de Compostela contains numerous small shops selling jewellery, handicrafts and Galician lace.
• Area Central – A market that sell fresh produce, meat and fish.
• El Corte de Ingles – A five-level department store that sells household goods, footwear, clothing and other necessities.
• Follas Novas – A bookstore where you can get information about Camino de Santiago and other historical events.
• Farmacia Bescansa – An old chemistry where you can get traditional items like eau de toilette.

Gay & Lesbian Santiago de Compostela

• HS – A dance club that is popular with the local GLBT community.
• O Curruncho – A music bar with dancing and great drinks.
• Man Ray – A neighbourhood Santiago de Compostela pub.
• Disco Ruta – A nightclub featuring disco music.
• Hotel Pazo de Altamira – A gay-friendly hotel.

Santiago De Compostela Events

February/March brings the Santiago de Compostela Carnival. Just before Lent, everyone celebrates by dressing up and gorging on lots of indulgent foods.

June sees the Noite de San Xoán or Night of St John. Bonfires blaze throughout the city and locals jump over the flames in a ritual believed to ward off evil spirits.

The Feast Day of St James takes place in July. The night preceding it, the town is alight with fireworks, music and laser shows.

December and January bring the Todo Lírica Festival. A series of evening performances take place to celebrate the zarzuela – a form of Spanish operetta.

When To Go

• The winters in this part of Spain are very wet, and can last from September until the following June.
• Summer is less rainy, but only slightly warmer, with temperatures pretty consistent throughout the year.
• While the yearly average is 19ºC (66ºF), January temperatures can drop to 8ºC (46ºF).

Getting Around

Being a fairly small city, Santiago de Compostela is easy (and safe) to walk around.

Several buses circle the city. A single ticket costs around €0.90.

Taxis are relatively cheap, and drivers are usually willing to give advice.

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