You can reach the square in Santiago de Compostela in a few minutes. You walk under the arch, the square opens up, and you look at the cathedral with everyone else. Seeing the place takes longer, so we went back the day after we finished the walk.
There is a lot of building here. Work on the cathedral began in 1075, over the tomb said to hold St James. People kept adding to it for centuries, so each part looks different. We found that the best way to make sense of it was to go up.
The west front
The front you see from the square is not the oldest part. The Obradoiro front dates from the 1700s and was built around the older church behind it. Its towers are covered in carving, and the granite has patches of gold and green from the Galician weather.
Inside the cathedral
The inside was packed when we were there, with phones held up all along the nave. At the far end, the high altar glows with gold. Above the crossing hang the ropes for the Botafumeiro, the giant incense burner the cathedral is famous for. After all the quiet churches on the way, it took us a moment to adjust.
Behind the west front is the Pórtico de la Gloria, a stone doorway carved by Master Mateo and his workshop, dated to 1188. It is one of the most important medieval sculptures in Spain. Look up how to see it before you go, because visits are handled separately from the main church.
On the roof
The roof tour was our favorite part of the city. Much of the roof is covered in wide granite steps, not tiles. You walk over them in the open air, up one slope and down the next, past bells and stone crosses.
You also get a view of the towers that nobody in the square can see. From behind, you can see how the front was built up against the old church.
Turn the other way and you look down into the cloister, with the red rooftops of the old town beyond it. Past the rooftops are the green hills we had walked in from the day before.
Practical Info
- Where: Santiago Cathedral, on the Praza do Obradoiro in the old town of Santiago de Compostela.
- Roof tour: Guided visits to the roof run separately from entry to the church. Book ahead in summer, and bring sun protection, because there is no shade up there.
- Pórtico de la Gloria: Access is limited, so check how tickets work before you go.
- Crowds: The nave can get very full around the main services. Check the current Mass times if you want to attend, or avoid them if you want a quieter visit.
- Botafumeiro: It does not swing at every Mass, so check the schedule rather than counting on it.
