Santiago Area Guide

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia and a World Heritage City with a medieval Christian heritage and is full of beautiful baroque buildings and monuments.

It is the final landmark on the St James Pilgrimage Route where legend has it that the appearance of the remains of the Apostle Saint James in the ninth century were when the city originated. It soon became a centre for pilgrimages and a holy city on a par with Jerusalem and Rome. The festival of the Apostle St James is held on 25th July.

Santiago is a perfect starting point for touring the whole province of A Coruña where you will find the Dunes of Corrubedo National Park complex and the Carregal and Vixán lagoons on its coastline as well as the Rías Baixas with medieval fishing villages including Noia, Muros, Corcubión, Camariñas and Corme-Laxe which are home to some of the best barnacles in the region. The Rías Altas offer traditional historic towns including A Coruña, Betanzos, Ferrol, Pontedeume, Viveiro and Ribadeo – all of which are worth a visit.

Inland are the towns and villages that the Pilgrim's Route to Santiago passes through including Samos, Portomarín, Melide and Lavacolla. The Galician monastery route leads to the Cistercian Abbey at Sobrado dos Monxes and the monasteries of Caaveiro and Monfero in the Fragas del Eume Natural Park.

 

The importance of the religious orders associated with the Pilgrim's Route to Santiago means that this area has many churches, convents and monasteries, as well as aristocratic houses including El Cabildo, La Parra and Los Canónigos. Our guide to local attractions in Santiago provides you will full details of the best places to visit.

 

Santiago de Compostela occupies an undiscovered corner of north west spain with its stunning natural beauty of snow capped mountains and green valleys. It offers unspoilt beaches including Sanxenxo and Portonovo, full details of which can be found in our guide to beaches in Santiago

 

There are some excellent golf courses in beautiful natural surroundings in this area. Our guide to golf courses in Santiago provides you with full details of the main ones with information on how to book a tee time.

 

The different types of cuisine offered by restaurants In Santiago de Compostela cater for every taste bud as they offer simple, traditional and elaborate shellfish, meat, fish and "tapas" dishes. Fish and shellfish from the rias, Santiago parsnip tops and Padrón peppers make up one of the most varied cuisines in Galicia, all washed down with excellent local wines. We have written a guide to restaurants in Santiago to help you decide which are the best ones for you

 

We have listed some of the most popular shops in Santiago, together with details of their opening hours, as well as a guide to the local markets in Santiago.

 

If you are planning to explore the area outside of the city centre and play some golf or go to some of the more out of the way beaches then you might consider hiring a car. There are a number of car hire firms based at Santiago Airport who will be pleased to have a vehicle awaiting your arrival. This also cuts down on transfer costs for you and your family.

We have written an Area Guide to Santiago which contains information on Santiago local attractions, golf courses in Santiago, the best places to shop in Santiago, Santiago market days and where the best Santiago beaches are. We have also included a list of recommended Santiago restaurants.