Santiago de Compostela is the end of all Camino routes. It’s a great city to spend a couple of days after completing the walk. I always feel inspired and uplifted arriving in Santiago and seeing hundreds of other pilgrims from all over the world gathered at Obradoiro Square in front of the cathedral. For me it’s the happiest city in the world and of course I always want to spend some time to enjoy it.
Santiago de Compostela has plenty of wonderful places to stay for different budgets from albergues to luxury hotels. In this post, I recommend some of our favorite accommodation places in the city.
The view of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela from Alameda Park
Best areas to stay in Santiago after completing the Camino
After walking the Camino de Santiago for days or weeks I usually don’t feel like walking a lot between places in the city. for that reason the area around the cathedral is the best neighborhood for pilgrims to stay in Santiago.
The historical center is the best area to stay in the city for pilgrims because:
- You’re a few minutes walk from the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
- You’re close to the Pilgrims Reception Office where you’ll go at least once to the your Compostela certificate.
- The best tapas bars and restaurants (in our opinion) are on the pedestrian streets near the cathedra. You can go out at night and walk back to your hotel. My favorite tapas bars are on Rua do Franco.
Alameda Park is a good option if you want to be somewhere quiet but still close enough to the center. I stayed there once during my first visit to Santiago de Compostela as a tourist. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the tranquility of the area. There are quite a few bars and restaurants nearby. From Alameda Park, you get nice views of the Cathedral and Old Town.
A map of the historical center of Santiago with our 5 favorite places to stay
Our top 5 places to stay in Santiago de Compostela
Here are the best hotels to stay in Santiago de Compostela (in our opinion) for pilgrims after completing the Camino. The recommended hotels have the best location in the city. All 3 places have a central location in the heart of the Old Town of Santiago de Compostela (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and a short walk to the Cathedral and the Pilgrim’s Reception Office.
We know after completing one of the Camino de Santiago routes you don’t feel like walking a lot to get from your hotel to the places of interest. Besides their location one more great thing these 3 places have in common is quietness. Due to their location away from busy bars and restaurants, it’s quiet there at night. You don’t hear street noises and music in your room. Parador de Santiago and Hospedaria Seminario Mayor are especially quiet at night.
Stingy Nomads, Campbell and Alya, at the the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.
1. Hospedería San Martín Pinario (Seminario Mayor)
- Distance to the Cathedral (the main entrance) – 150 m
- Average rating (based on the guests’ reviews from booking.com) – 8.6
- Price range – budget/mid-range
- Likes – the location, the history of the place
- Dislikes – the rooms for pilgrims look tired but that’s why you pay a discount price
Hospedería San Martín Pinario has two types of rooms; new and more expensive rooms that can be booked online and cheaper and more modest rooms for pilgrims that can be booked via e-mail. The pilgrims’ rooms are old-fashioned and quite basic. The standard rooms are more modern and comfortable. Whichever room you choose the historical building and the location of the hotel are amazing. It’s definitely one of the best places to stay in Santiago de Compostela. For the price you pay you couldn’t find a better place to stay in Santiago de Compostela.
I’d highly recommend booking your room at Hospedería San Martín Pinario in advance. We managed to get a pilgrims’ room only for the third time. Our first two tries were unsuccessful because the place was always full.
Facilities
- Free wi-fi – yes
- Private bathroom – yes
- Air-conditioned rooms – no
- Breakfast – yes, 7 euros per person
Hospedaria San Martin Pinario, our favorite place to stay in Santiago
2. Albergue Santiago KM-0
- Distance to the Cathedral – 170 m
- Average rating – 8.3 our of 10
- Price range – budget
- Likes – the great location on the same street as the Pilgrim’s Office and 100 m from the cathedral
- Dislikes – more expensive than an average albergue but the location and comfort are worth the extra money
In my opinion, Albergue Santiago KM-0 is one of best albergues to stay in the historical center of Santiago de Compostela. The location couldn’t be better, 100 m from the Cathedral, and 400 m from the Pilgrims Reception Office (the same street). The price is a bit higher than an average albergue but the location is great and it’s more comfortable than the average albergue. We stayed here a couple of days after the Camino del Norte. We liked their wider beds with comfortable mattresses and the cozy backyard. The albergue is small, comfortable, and clean.
Facilities
- Free wi-fi – yes
- Private bathroom – no
- Air-conditioned rooms – no
- Breakfast – no, but there is a kitchen
The archway of Pazo de Raxoi Palace in front of the Cathedral at night
3. Parador de Santiago – Hostal Reis Catolicos
- Distance to the Cathedral (the main entrance) – 50 m
- Average rating (based on the guests’ reviews from booking.com) – 9.1 out of 10
- Price range – high-end
- Likes – the fantastic location, comfort and cleaness
- Dislikes – it’s expensive especially during the season
I treated myself and stayed at Parador de Santiago once after completing the Camino Frances. I walked the French Camino alone while Campbell was hiking in Canada. It was my first solo Camino and after walking alone for 1 month I thought I deserved a treat. Hostal Reis Catolicos was a perfect place. I enjoyed a lot staying here and from my experience, it’s worth the money. The location couldn’t be better right at the Obradoiro Square overlooking the Cathedral and 150 m from the Pilgrim’s Office. It offers an easy access to the historical center.
Hostal Reis Catolicos or Parador de Santiago de Compostela plays an important role in the history of Santiago de Compostela. It’s considered one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the world. The construction of the hotel/hospital for pilgrims started in 1501 and finished 10 years later. Since then the Pardor has been welcoming pilgrims in Santiago de Compostela. The hospital part was moved to a different location in 1954.
Facilities
- Free wi-fi – yes
- Private bathroom – yes
- Air-conditioned rooms – yes
- Breakfast – yes, included in the room price. It’s possible to get dinner included in the room price for an extra cost.
The main entrance to Hostal Reis Catolicos on Obradoiro Square in Santiago de Compostela
4. Pensión-Residencia Fonseca
- Distance to the Cathedral – 100 m
- Average rating (booking.com)- 9.4 out of 10
- Price range – mid-range
- Likes – the location and the personal attention
- Dislikes – shared bathroom, but it’s shared only between 2 or 3 rooms
Residencia Fonseca is a good value for money for a single traveler, a double room works out quite pricey. I stayed there for a couple of nights after the Camino Frances (staying at Reis Catolicos for 3 days was too expensive). The location is fantastic, right next to the Cathedral. The place is cozy and clean and the hostess is very helpful. It was so nice to stay in a small place that felt like home after staying mostly in big municipal albergues for one month.
The only thing that some people might not like is the noise. I stayed at Residencia Fonseca over the weekend and there was a lot of noise coming from the bars downstairs. It wasn’t a big problem for me I just went out and enjoyed the music and vibe but if you want to rest it might be annoying. Having earplugs will help.
Facilities
- Free wi-fi – yes
- Private bathroom – no, shared bathrooms
- Air-conditioned rooms – no
- Breakfast – no, but there is a small kitchenette in the all with a microwave, plates, and cups
The Obradoiro Square in front of the Cathedral is probably the happiest place in the city. Hundreds of pilgrims arrive there every day.
5. Blanco Albergue
- Distance to the Cathedral – 500 m
- Average rating – 8.7 out of 10
- Price range – budget
- Likes – the location, clos to the cathedral
- Dislikes – it is a bit more expensive than an average albergue
Blanco Albergue is one more great place to stay in the historical center of Santiago de Compostela. I can’t remember after which Camino de Santiago we stayed here (probably after the Portuguese Camino) but I definitely remember it because of its unique design and bright colors. The albergue is comfortable and clean, and it has good facilities. The beds are more like cubicles with curtains for extra privacy. Despite being an albergue it was quiet and felt like a good place to rest.
Facilities
- Free wi-fi – yes
- Private bathroom – no
- Air-conditioned rooms – yes
- Breakfast – no, but there is a kitchen and a snack vending machine
One of the streets that leads to the Cathedral and Hotel Parador de Santiago, one of the best places to stay in Santiago de Compostela
Questions or Comments?
Got any questions or comments? We would love to help! All questions and comments will be answered by us personally in Buy Me a Coffee. Click below and ask away.
Feel free to support our site by buying us a coffee!
The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
Източник за тази статия
Наши спонсори са:
Български трактори на добри цени при изключително качество
