Santiago de Compostela, the Mecca of pilgrims.
🌿 TYPE OF TRIP
Gastronomy, culture and nature.
🤔 BEST TIME TO TRAVEL TO SANTIAGO
JULY: Any time is a good time to visit Santiago, although in winter and autumn you'll find rain and the magic of the stone and pedestrian streets, empty of tourists, on almost nighttime strolls. May to October are the months with the best weather and the most crowded places. There are tourists everywhere, but also concerts, sunshine, and many more outdoor activities. We recommend going in July, for its mild temperatures and less rainfall.
✔ WHAT TO DO IN SANTIAGO
Santiago de Compostela is much more than just the capital of Galicia: it's a city known worldwide thanks to the Camino de Santiago. Every year, millions of people arrive in the city after walking one of the many ancient routes that lead to it. It's also a young and vibrant city, with a university boasting over 500 years of history, fascinating museums, beautiful parks, and a historic center declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
🌮 YOU CAN'T LEAVE SANTIAGO WITHOUT TRYING IT
Santiago de Compostela's cuisine is rooted in traditional Galician cooking. Some of the best-known specialties are scallops and pulpo a feira (Galician-style octopus); although oysters, spider crabs, barnacles, prawns, king prawns, lobster, and a long list of other ingredients are staples of this region. Other popular and typically Galician dishes include caldo de grelos (turnip green soup) and the famous Galician empanada, which can be filled with a wide variety of fish or shellfish, or with meat and vegetables. The pastries are also incredibly rich and varied, boasting numerous recipes for cakes and pastries. Perhaps the most famous is the delicate Tarta Compostela, made with almonds. And to accompany the fish, a good glass of Albariño, Ribeiro, Fefiñanes, Betanzos, Rosal, Valdeorras, Ulla, or Amandi wines—all local specialties and the perfect complement to such flavorful cuisine—is a must.
👁🗨 CURIOSITIES OF SANTIAGO
In Santiago, it's a university tradition to attempt the "Paris-Dakar" route. During the 200 meters between the Paris bar and the Dakar bar, the challenge is to have a glass of Ribeiro or Albariño wine at every bar along the route (about 30), all the way down Rúa do Franco. Of course, almost no one actually completes the entire route, nor do they drink the wine straight, without enjoying some tapas along the way.
😎 MISS WOOD'S TIP
Don't forget to visit the Ézaro waterfall, where the force of the Xallas River creates an amazing natural spectacle. There you'll see the only river in Europe that ends its course as a waterfall directly into the ocean.
5 MUST-SEE PLACES IN SANTIAGO
1. Santiago de Compostela Cathedral: One of the most beautiful religious buildings in all of Spain, its architectural style is a blend of Romanesque and Baroque. When you pass by the back of the High Altar, don't forget to queue to embrace the figure of the apostle, one of the ancient rituals that is still preserved. And don't leave without visiting the spectacular Pórtico de la Gloria (Portico of Glory), the masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture. A guided tour is recommended to fully appreciate the enormous heritage it houses.
2. ALAMEDA PARK: Since the 19th century, this has been a popular spot for walks and leisure activities for the people of Santiago. Here you'll find a statue of Valle-Inclán seated on a bench, and the tree known as La Perona, a fir planted by Eva Perón in 1947. Don't miss the entrance with the lions, the bandstand, and the views of the city.
3. Mercado de Abastos: The second most visited place in the city after the Cathedral, the Mercado de Abastos is a must-see, especially if you want to buy food souvenirs to take home. The products are fresh and local, and a great atmosphere is guaranteed.
4. RIBEIRA SACRA: The Miño and Sil rivers have carved a unique landscape in the Galician mountains, and this area was chosen as the site for numerous castles, monasteries, and convents (hence its name). A typical feature of this region is the terraced vineyards that defy gravity on the canyon slopes, known as "socalcos."
5. PONTEMACEIRA: The Camino de Santiago ends, as its name suggests, in Compostela, but some pilgrims extend it to Finisterre, where there is no more land to walk. It's worth doing the first stage of this extended route just to visit Pontemaceira, a charming medieval village with its chapel of San Brais, the Pazo de Baladrón manor house, its mills, its granaries, its dovecotes, and its five-arched bridge over the Tambre River.
Plan a trip around the peninsula to visit this and other places. Don't forget to mark it on your Woody Map Natural Spain .