Exploring Santiago de Compostela: Galicia, Spain

Following our 6 day camino trek, we spent a family weekend in Santiago, having a chance to really dig into the city sites. It was rainy (not a surprise) but we managed to have some sunny days, too. The main highlights- the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and the Museo do Pobo Galego.

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

At the cathedral, I booked a tour called “CUBIERTAS – TORRE DE LA CARRACA” – “Roofs, Ratchet Tower” and assumed we’d be climbing one of the towers of the cathedral, which is usually a pretty fun thing to do. But this tour, it was so much more. When they said “roofs” they meant it – we literally climbed our way up to the top of the cathedral and then out the door and onto the roof. I was astonished. And there was a break in the rain, so we ended up with beautiful, clear skies, also.

I would’ve liked to also see the “Portico of Glory” but by the time I realized that we needed separate tickets, they were already sold out. Still, we could see it through a window when climbing the towers, so that was a consolation prize (you can see what I could capture of it, below).

The museum and archive were also quite striking, and we all enjoyed wandering through it after the roof visit. I took a couple photos in the archive before I learned we weren’t supposed to, so you can see a couple of the really incredible books, below.

Museo do Pobo Galego / Museum of the Galician People

This museum dedicated to Galician culture was founded in 1976. Before that, Francoist forces prevented it, but following the death of the dictator and during the transition to democracy, the dream of the museum was finally realized. The collection is made up of everyday domestic, personal, and ritual Galician objects crafted for specific purposes. Costumes, baskets, tools, weaving, instruments, and more can all be seen there.

City Sights