Santiago de Compostela simply Santiago, or Compostela, has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great as the destination of the Way of St. James, a Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century.
CONTENTS
1. About Santiago de Compostela
2. Camino de Santiago
3. Things to do
– Visit the Cathedral of Santiago
– Cathedral roof tour & Carraca Tower
– Cathedral Museum
– The Botafumeiro
– Medieval streets of Santiago
– ‘Free’ Walking Tour
4. Getting to Santiago de Compostela
5. Best time to visit
6. Where to stay
About Santiago de Compostela
One of Jesus’ disciples James (the ‘Great’ also known as Santiago) according to legend, introduced Christianity to the Iberian peninsula, before returning to Judea with two of his disciples, Athanasius and Theodore, where he was beheaded on the order of King Herod Agrippa I. Those same disciples then returned with his body to Spain and buried it on a hill near a small Roman village.
The story goes that the tomb in Santiago was rediscovered in AD 814 by Pelagius the Hermit after he witnessed strange lights in the night sky above the forest. Bishop Theodomirus of Iria recognized this as a miracle and informed King Alfonso II of Asturias and Galicia, who ordered a chapel to be built there over the tomb. Alfonso made a pilgrimage to the chapel – making him ‘Pilgrim zero’.
More pilgrims started to make their way to see the site of St James’ (Santiago’s) burial, and a town started to grow around the chapel to support the influx of pilgrims.
A couple of churches were built on the site before the last of them was burnt to the ground by the Moors.
Construction of the present cathedral began in 1075 under the reign of Alfonso VI of Castile and the patronage of bishop Diego Peláez. After a few stops and starts it was mostly finished by 1122 but was not consecrated until 1211.
2. The Camino de Santiago
What had brought us to Santiago de Compostela was one of the Camino routes. We had left Porto in Portugal and 280km, and 13 days later we arrived in Santiago – exhausted but exhilarated!
Since the pilgrimage to the tomb of Santiago, which came about spontaneously before the ninth and tenth centuries, was institutionalised and took on certain social and religious considerations, it was necessary to accredit its completion. To do this, badges were first used that could only be acquired in Santiago, in the shape of the scallop shell. It is obvious to see how easy it was to falsify this rudimentary certification. The counterfeiting soon took on and they were sold at the entrance to the city, forcing the prelates of Compostela and the Pope himself to decree excommunication penalties against the counterfeiters. More effective, as they were more difficult to counterfeit, were the so-called cartas probatorias (evidentiary letters), which were already issued in the 13th century. These letters led directly to the Compostela.
To get the Compostela you must
- Make the pilgrimage for religious or spiritual reasons, or at least an attitude of search.
- Do the last 100 km on foot or horseback, or the last 200 km by bicycle. It is understood that the pilgrimage starts at one point and from there, you come to visit the Tomb of St. James.
- You must collect the stamps on the “Credencial del Peregrino” from the places you pass through to certify that you have been there. Stamps from churches, hostels, monasteries, cathedrals and all places related to the Way are preferred, but if not, they can also be stamped in other institutions: town halls, cafés, etc. You have to stamp the Credential twice a day at least on the last 100 km (for pilgrims on foot or horseback) or on the last 200 km (for cyclist pilgrims).
The most popular route (which gets very crowded in mid-summer) is the Camino Francés which stretches 780 km (nearly 500 miles) from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port near Biarritz in France to Santiago. This route is fed by three major French routes: the Voie de Tours, the Voie de Vezelay, and the Voie du Puy. There are other routes that also, join in along the way.
Other Spanish routes are the Camino Inglés from Ferrol & A Coruña, the Via de la Plata from Seville and Salamanca, and the Camino Portugues from Porto, which is the one we took.
It is estimated that nearly 350,000 trekkers from around the world continue to complete the Camino each year. About 50% of the pilgrims are over the age of 45.
3. Things to do
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Construction of the present cathedral began in 1075 under the reign of Alfonso VI of Castile and the patronage of bishop Diego Peláez. After a few stops and starts it was mostly finished by 1122 but was not consecrated until 1211.
Entry to the inside of the cathedral is through the south entrance. It is free to go inside. One thing to be aware of is that they will not let you inside with a large backpack – of course, a lot of pilgrims arrive at the cathedral with one on their back. You’ll need to find somewhere to put it or get someone to look after it before you go inside.
One of the most impressive parts of the inside of the cathedral is the Portico de la Gloria, part of the original façade of the main western entrance of the cathedral. The portal was protected from the elements when a new facade was built in front of it in the 18th century.
Master Mateo, who had worked on the sculptures of the cathedral was commissioned in 1168 by King Ferdinand II of León to build a portico for the main entrance to the cathedral. It was completed in 1188, but not fully finished until 1211, in time for the cathedral’s consecration. The Romanesque portico once formed the front entrance of the cathedral, but during the rebuilding of the western façade in the 17th century in the Baroque style, the original portico became encased on the inside.
Today, you can see it, but not by visiting through the cathedral’s southern entrance. You have to book a tour or visit the museum. Tickets can be found here.
The Portico de la Gloria is stunning and well worth booking a tour to visit.
The western façade of the cathedral is by far the most impressive. It faces a large plaza called the Praza do Obradoiro, Workshop Square, it got this name after the stonemasons who camped there when they were building the cathedral. This is the place where all the pilgrims come to as they finish their Camino – so there are always groups and individuals here celebrating or simply collapsing on the ground.
Opposite the cathedral is a large, imposing palatial building. This was built to be the city hall – but it was far too big for that purpose – so the city hall management still resides here but the space is shared with the administration of the Comunidad Autónoma de Galicia, which is like a state in other countries, and other government agencies. To the left of the cathedral is the administration office of the University of Santiago and to the right is a five-star hotel, which was once a hostel for pilgrims and a hospital.
The quietest side of the cathedral is by the Northern entrance. The Romanesque features of this entrance have been completely removed and replaced with a Baroque façade. This is the entrance that pilgrims used to enter the cathedral. Pilgrims have been travelling to Santiago for centuries, their journeys would often be an act of redemption. It could take up to two years for a pilgrim to reach Santiago and they probably did not smell great. A large, circular stone bath used to sit outside this entrance and could take 15 pilgrims at a time. The bath is no longer here, it was moved during the rebuild of the façade and placed in the centre of the cloisters of the cathedral – which you can see when you visit the museum. There was also a stone cabinet in which the pilgrim would put his travel clothes in – which would then be burnt. These were symbolic gestures (and probably hygienically necessary) of the cleansing of the soul. The remaining two elements of this process of forgiveness of past sins were to enter the cathedral and take confession. This cabinet is also no longer here but is oddly now on the roof of the cathedral.
Opposite the north door is a huge building, which is the Benedictine monastery of San Martiño Pinario, the second-largest monastery complex in Spain, after El Escorial. Sadly, we could not visit as it is temporarily closed to visitors.
Cathedral roof tour & Carraca Tower
I had booked us on an afternoon tour of the cathedral roof and the Carraca Tower.
I found the roof to be quite surprising. It was covered in stone blocks. This was not the original roof; which had been replaced several times over the years. The last time was only in 2021, when the previous roof, which was too heavy and was damaging the cathedral’s structure, was replaced with an aluminium frame overlayed with petrified stone blocks. A total of 750 tonnes was removed from the roof’s total weight.
The stones on the roof are laid at the same pitch as the roof, which is fairly shallow. Even so, it played with my head, and I felt uncomfortable walking around, particularly going over the ridge of the roof. I was not going to fall anywhere and get hurt but try telling my head that!
Despite being a bit nervous (of course, Karen was completely okay) I followed the tour around the roof. The views up here across the city were amazing and it was a wonderful place to get some great photos. As well as the city views you get to see the two towers of the western façade and the clock tower – whose clock was currently broken (only temporarily). There was also a big circular window, where you could look down into the central nave of the cathedral.
During our tour the previous day, we had learned of the stone cabinet that was used to burn the pilgrim’s clothes once they had arrived at the cathedral. It had sat outside the northern entrance to the cathedral, but it was now on the roof – so whilst we were up here, we got to see it up close.
From the roof, we climbed more stairs up to the top of the Carraca Tower. Strangely, although we were now higher than the roof, I felt more comfortable up here on a flat surface with a barrier in front of me! The views were incredible. The name Carraca comes from the large wooden device that sits on top of the tower. This is only used twice a year on Easter Friday and Saturday. On those days, the bells of the sister tower sit silent, and the carraca is used. It acts like a giant rattle – similar to those you might find football supporters using.
To find out more about the tours available for the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela check this link to their website.
Cathedral Museum
The museum is set over three floors and contains many artefacts associated with the cathedral. This includes stonework and statues recovered during the renovations of the building and church treasures, such as chalices, crucifixes, ceramics, liturgical robes etc. The top floor is dedicated to an important collection of tapestries based on cartoons by Ginés de Aguirre, Teniers, Rubens, Van Tulden, Bayeu and Goya. One of the rooms is dedicated to Goya himself, with twelve tapestries on display from the Royal Santa Bárbara Factory in Madrid.
The museum is set over three floors and contains many artefacts associated with the cathedral. This includes stonework and statues recovered during the renovations of the building and church treasures, such as chalices, crucifixes, ceramics, liturgical robes etc. The top floor is dedicated to an important collection of tapestries based on cartoons by Ginés de Aguirre, Teniers, Rubens, Van Tulden, Bayeu and Goya. One of the rooms is dedicated to Goya himself, with twelve tapestries on display from the Royal Santa Bárbara Factory in Madrid.
The Botafumeiro
During our ‘free tour’ of Santiago de Compostela, our guide Mathias quietly told us that a contact, he had inside the cathedral had told him that there would be a ceremonial demonstration of the Botafumeiro, a famous thurible (more on this later) at 16:30 and or 19:30 today. He could not guarantee this would happen but said if we were interested, we should arrive in the cathedral before these times. Usually, the Botafumeiro is only used on special religious days, but you can sponsor a ‘special event’ for a sizeable donation (which we heard was about €500).
At 16:00 we were seated in the south wing of the cathedral and waiting. We were joined by a German lady who had been on the tour with us earlier in the day. Nothing much happened for a while. Eventually, a man in robes appeared and started making some preparations on the altar and lit some candles. This increased our excitement. Then the security guards started putting up ropes to stop people coming through the area around the altar – we started to believe something was going to happen. As we waited a large group of people entered the cathedral and filled the seats on the north side of the transept. The scene was set!
More men appeared in robes and untied the ropes that held the Botafumeiro and lowered it towards the ground.
More about the Botafumeiro.
The ‘Botafumeiro’ is the famous giant thurible or censer in the Santiago de Compostela cathedral. It has been used since the Middle Ages, originally to clean the air when crowds of pilgrims, having completed the Camino de Santiago, arrived in Santiago de Compostela after their long journey.
The current ‘Botafumeiro’ dates back to 1851, and it’s made of silver-plated brass, weighing 53kgs when empty and up to 10 kgs more when full. Eight men, called ‘Tiraboleiros’, are required to operate the ‘Botafumeiro’.
After being filled with incense and coal by the ‘Tiraboleiros’, the 1,5mtr-high ‘Botafumeiro’ is tied to a rope hanging by the altar and set in motion with great precision, forming an impressive 65-meter-long arched trajectory along the cathedral.
In only a minute and a half, the ‘Botafumeiro’ reaches 68km per hour.
Once the Botafumeiro started swinging we sat watching agog. It is quite the sight! The whole event lasted for a few minutes and then it was as if nothing had occurred. Seeing the Botafumeiro in action was amazing and we were so lucky to be there for it.
The Medieval city
The old town of Santiago de Compostela dates back to medieval times and was once encased in a wall, which sadly is no longer there. What does remain are the narrow streets, many paved with granite slabs (good for walking on). Here you will find many lovely examples of Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque architecture that show the changes in design styles that have occurred over the millennia.
There are plenty of over-priced shops, bars and restaurants you would expect in a tourist haven like Santiago. The good thing is that large brands have not been allowed to set up in the old city, so the shops are mostly boutique and locally owned.
It is a great place to wander around and explore!
‘Free’ Walking Tour
One of the best ways to learn more about Santiago is to join a walking tour. There are many available and you can find them in local tour guide shop fronts in the city, or online with TripAdvisor, GetYourGuide or Viator.
A site we like to use is GuruWalk where you can find free walking tours. Of course, nothing is free, so whilst there is no set price for the tour you are expected to tip the guide at the end of the tour.
Getting to Santiago de Compostela
Walking
Like us, many people arrive in Santiago on foot having done a camino to this spiritual city.
Once you are in the city getting around is easy on foot. The old city is compact and you can reach everywhere by walking.
Flying
People flying in to Santiago de Compostela will arrive at Santiago–Rosalia de Castro Airport (SCQ). It’s about 15 km (9.3 miles) east of the city so you can either take a taxi or a bus to the city centre.
Train
Santiago is well-connected to other parts of the region and greater Spain by train. The train station is only 1.5km(.9) to the old city centre. You can either walk or catch a taxi onwards from the train station.
Bus
The main bus station is right next to the train station. This station serves mostly the connection to other cities, including Madrid (about 8 hours). This is a great option for coming to, and leaving Santiago.
The best time to visit Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela enjoys a warm-summer Mediterranean climate in accordance with the Köppen-Geiger classification. The yearly average maximum temperature in Santiago de Compostela is 18°C (ranging from 11°C in january to 25°C in august). Annual rainfall is 1795mm, with a minimum of 48mm in august and a maximum of 284mm in january.
The best time to visit Santiago
The summer months of July and August are the best to visit northern Spain. Cities near the Atlantic like Santiago de Compostela, Oviedo, Santander, and San Sebastian experience their best weather and least amount of rainfall during these months.
Of course, there is always a chance of rain in northern Spain and very hot temperatures are also possible. So don´t stress about the weather! Northern Spain is an excellent destination rain or shine.
Climate highlights Santiago
- Hottest month in Santiago de Compostela: August – average 19°C/66°F
- Coldest month: January – average 7°C/44°F
- Most rainfall: December – av. 281mm of rain
- Best months to visit Santiago de Compostela: July-September
Where to stay in Santiago de Compostela
1. Luxury – Parador de Santiago – Hostal Reis Catolicos
Parador de Santiago – Hostal Reis Catolicos is in a beautiful 15th-century building next to Santiago’s famous cathedral. This impressive property features rooms with four-poster beds and free Wi-Fi.
Once a lodging for pilgrims, the Parador maintains many of the building’s original features including vaulted ceilings, stone archways and tapestries. Each spacious room has classic décor and has satellite TV and a private bathroom.
The Reis Catolicos is set on Plaza de Obradoiro and features 4 impressive cloisters. It has a number of lounge areas for guests to relax in.
2. Mid-Range – Airas Nunes by Pousadas de Compostela
We stayed at the Airas Nunes for 3 nights after completing our Camino. It is a few metres away from the Cathedral’s south entrance – from our balcony, you could see the towers.
Our room was ensuite and was a good size. The hotel does not have a reception so everything is done with key code entry. There is no breakfast or restaurant on site but the hotel owns a cafe next door. There are also plenty of places to eat in the old town,
3. Budget – Albergue The Last Stamp
The Last Stamp is just 328 feet from Santiago de Compostela’s Cathedral and on the city’s famous pilgrimage route. This contemporary hostel features a 24-hour reception and free Wi-Fi.
The Last Stamp offers guests free use of a communal kitchen, lounge, and a computer and printer at reception.
The modern rooms and dorms have minimalist décor and look onto the old town. There is either a private or shared bathroom.
There are vending machines, bicycles and luggage storage at reception. A laundry room is also available.