Where to stay
The hotel founded by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1499 on the square with the cathedral. A medieval fortress on the Rías Baixas coast. A Relais & Châteaux spa in the hills above Santiago. Galicia does hotels well.
Founded in 1499 by Ferdinand and Isabella as a royal hostel for pilgrims arriving at the end of the Camino de Santiago — and officially one of the oldest hotels in the world still in continuous operation. The building faces the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela directly across the Praza do Obradoiro: the view from the rooms on the square is among the finest available from any hotel bedroom in Europe. Stone arches, vaulted ceilings, carved staircases, four cloisters, and rooms that combine the grandeur of a royal foundation with modern comfort. The restaurant serves Galician cuisine in a setting where the Catholic Monarchs once dined. There is no better address in Galicia.
A restored 18th-century paper mill in a forested valley three kilometres from the centre of Santiago — Relais & Châteaux, with a spa, indoor pool, acclaimed restaurant serving seasonal Galician market cooking, and rooms combining the original stone and timber structure with contemporary design. The combination of proximity to Santiago (ten minutes by taxi) and genuine peace makes it the best alternative to the city-centre hotels for those who want to be near the cathedral without being inside the tourist quarter. The grounds — terraced gardens, a mill stream, ancient woodland — are extraordinary.
Within the walls of the medieval fortress of Monte Real on a peninsula above the Bay of Baiona — one of the most dramatically situated hotels in Spain. The fortress walls enclose gardens, towers, and a promenade with views across the Rías Baixas and the Cíes Islands. The rooms in the historic building have the grandeur of a castle combined with the comfort of a five-star hotel. The restaurant specialises in Galician coastal cuisine. The bay below was where the Pinta first landed in 1493, returning from Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas. The history is not incidental.
A charming countryside hotel in the heart of the Rías Baixas wine region — surrounded by Albaríño vineyards, ten minutes from the Rías Baixas beaches, and with a restaurant serving gourmet Galician market cooking and a wine list drawn from the estates immediately around it. Fourteen rooms, a pool for summer, a library for winter, and the opportunity to visit the local market with the chef, select the morning’s ingredients, and participate in the cooking. The most satisfying base for exploring the Rías Baixas from the inside.
In the heart of Albaríño country — a 17th-century pazos (Galician manor house) on the seafront of Cambados, the town that is the spiritual home of Galicia’s greatest wine. The Albaríño festival takes place in Cambados every August, and the Parador is the finest place to be for it. The restaurant serves the finest Galician seafood alongside the wines produced in the vineyards visible from the terrace. A practical base for the full Rías Baixas circuit: the Cíes Islands ferry, Combarro, the wine estates, and the beaches are all within thirty minutes.
Santiago de Compostela is the practical base for the city, the Camino, and day trips to the coast. The Rías Baixas hotels (Baiona, Cambados, Quinta de San Amaro) are better for those primarily interested in the coast and wine. A car is necessary for both areas; the drive between Santiago and the Rías Baixas takes 45 minutes to 1 hour.