Santiago de Compostela Travelers Recommend

The crowning glory—and capital—of Spain’s Galicia province, Santiago de Compostela will easily fill three days of your time. From discovering the city’s medieval treasures and sampling its famous cuisine, to exploring rural Galicia, here are our top tips for a 72-hour stay.

Day 1: City sightseeing

Stroll pilgrim-trodden lanes on a walking tour, and you’ll see why Santiago’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admire the twin-towered cathedral (most tours view the outside only), the reputed burial site of St. James. Then, experience the Plaza del Obradoiro, the Plaza de la Inmaculada, and other sights as you untangle their history and Santiago’s pilgrimage heritage with a guide.

Later, return to the cathedral, this time stepping inside to marvel at the ornate interior. Highlights include priceless art, the Romanesque Pórtico da Gloria, and the botafumeiro —a giant incense burner that swings from the ceiling during special masses.

Come dusk, experience another side of old Santiago on a tapas walking tour. With a guide to showcase local eateries and the rituals of ordering the bite-size dishes, savor delights such as grilled octopus, empanadas, and Santiago’s beloved almond cake alongside local wines.

Day 2: A day trip

With its verdant valleys and craggy coastline, Galicia beckons from all around, so dive into its charms. Day tours make exploring convenient with door-to-door transport that eliminates the need for rental cars and research. The Ribeira Sacra region is a popular destination, with its monasteries, vineyards, and deep gorges. Alternatively, consider the postcard-pretty Rías Baixas river inlets—tours typically include boat trips and tastings of the mussels from the estuary waters. Other options combine Cape Finisterre with the Coast of Death—a dramatic chunk of coastline that’s seen many a shipwreck.

Day 3: Focus on food

Spend your final day on another of Santiago’s claims to fame—its cuisine. Some tours combine sightseeing with gastronomy stops to give you a rounded picture of the Old Town and its culinary offerings. You’ll visit markets, pastry shops, seafood bars, and off-the-beaten-path food haunts, sampling everything from classic tapas to full-blown lunch.

After the sun goes down, join the locals for a walk through Old Town or a nearby park before celebrating your last night in Santiago over dinner and drinks.

Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Spain’s northwestern province of Galicia, marks the end of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. But, the city’s distinctive cuisine and Old Town architecture provide plenty for history buffs and foodies to discover, as well. If you have just one day here, read on to get the best from this medieval gem.

Morning: City Sights

Most of Santiago’s must-sees lie in its Old Town (Zona Vella), a UNESCO World Heritage Site: It’s compact and traffic-free, so easy to cover on foot in a few hours. Join a free or conventional guided walking tour to ensure you sightsee without getting lost and with a guide’s insight. Day trips from cities within striking distance, such as Porto, often include Santiago de Compostela.

Tours typically cover the Romanesque cathedral’s exterior—with recommendations to explore inside independently later—and its surrounding Plaza del Obradoiro square, as well as nearby squares and highlights such as the Plaza de Abastos market. Add some cuisine to your cultural discovery with an Old Town tour that includes lunch at an authentic local restaurant.

Afternoon: Santiago’s Foods

Santiago de Compostela is a foodie haunt thanks to its Galician cuisine. Discover the city’s traditional and modern cuisine, including specialties such as Galician empanadas (flat pastry pies) and fresh seafood on an afternoon lunch tour around the Old Town. Guides often share information on the origins of the food and the city’s wider culinary culture. 

If you prefer a more grassroots look at Santiago’s food scene, check out tours of its central Abastos market and food shops to test-run staples such as tortilla, cheeses, and the nutty Santiago almond cake.

Night: Sunset and Tapas Time

As a university town, Santiago has a lively nightlife scene, with much of the action centered on the tapas bars and pubs of the cobbled Old Town. Hop between tapas joints and stop to admire the sunset-washed medieval squares on an evening food walking tour. Stop to taste tapas made with Galician octopus and cured meats paired with wines from the region. End the night at an Old Town bar for a nightcap of orujo, Galicia’s popular pomace liquor.

With two days in Santiago de Compostela, you can explore the cathedral and plazas of its UNESCO World Heritage Site Old Town, feast on local fresh seafood and tapas, and still have time for a day trip into the countryside. Here’s how to make the most of your 48 hours in the Galician capital.

Day 1: History and Food

**Morning:**Begin with a walking tour of Santiago’s pedestrian-only Old Town (Zona Vella), where you’ll find the city’s signature sights. Visit top attractions such as the Romanesque cathedral, the Plaza del Obradoiro and Inmaculada squares, and Alameda Park, all with a guide to help unpack the city’s history.

**Afternoon:**Santiago is a foodie hot spot, so spend the afternoon on a culinary-themed tour to sample its top specialities and eateries. Choose a tour that takes you into the Old Town for a gourmet lunch or restaurant hopping or one that focuses on casual food spots and the central Abastos market, where you can sample local cheeses and other delicacies.

**Night:**Continue your gastronomic discoveries with a tapas-oriented, evening stroll in the Old Town as the locals come out to play. Discover Galician classics such as octopus and mussels, with a guide to lead you to the best spots and explain the etiquette of ordering these tasty bites.

Day 2: Exploring Galicia

**Morning:**Today, head out to discover rural Galicia. Choose a day trip to the Rias Baixas, four coastal river inlets; Cape Finisterre; the ominous-sounding Coast of Death (Costa da Morte), where the seas have swallowed many ships; or the beautiful Ribeira Sacra region. Tours offer the benefit of guides for background and hassle-free return transport.

**Afternoon:**If you chose a day trip earlier, continue it this afternoon—exploring Rias Baixas’ fishing villages, admiring Finisterre’s lighthouse, tracing the Coast of Death as you hear about its shipwrecks, or experiencing the monasteries, river gorges, and wines of Ribeira Sacra.

**Night:**Ease into your last evening at some of Santiago’s tapas haunts and eateries. Practice tapas tips gleaned from your first night’s food tour as you hop between bars, and settle at a buzzing restaurant to dig into specialties such as Galician beef or seafood from the Cantabrian Sea.