How long to stay in Santiago?

[gordo_88]

Hi all,

Having got some great advice already I am back with a few more questions!
How long do people typically stay in Santiago? I will be arriving on the afternoon of my last day's walk. If I left the following afternoon would that be too short or should I wait until that night? I want to head to Madrid for a few days so I am trying to make the best out of limited time! Alternatively is it worth taking a bus to Finisterre for a day? Advice would be much appreciated!

 

[DurhamParish]

I find two nights to be about right. When I was there with my nephew a couple of years ago we stayed for four nights. I found that for a couple of days in the city you continually run into people you had met off and on while on the trail and it all seems like a big celebration with people you know. Then, as the people you know leave it seems that you know fewer and fewer people and you begin to feel like a stranger because everyone around you knows each other from the trail and you don't.

That was my experience, others may have had a different experience.

 

[Tincatinker]

@gordo_88 why are you walking to Santiago? By the way thats one of those retrospective questions you should probably be asking yourself and maybe will be asking in the throngs of Sarria or somewhere in the eucalyptus forests to come.

I have spent between three days (wasn't long enough) and three hours (heading straight through on my way to Fisterra). So another retrospective question - what do you want from Santiago when you get there. A hug of the statue, a quick swing of the Botafumeiro and a nod to the bones in the crypt? Grab your compostella and head for the challenges of Madrid. I've spent three consecutive days in the Prado - it wasn't long enough. I've spent a month getting drunk and chasing down obscure jazz bands in La Latina and Lavapies...

I'm sure there are many, less grumpy, members who will assure you that you can do Santiago in 24 hours and they will not be wrong. I'm just trying to suggest that you are the only person who can answer your question.

 

[waveprof]

I find two nights to be about right. When I was there with my nephew a couple of years ago we stayed for four nights. I found that for a couple of days in the city you continually run into people you had met off and on while on the trail and it all seems like a big celebration with people you know. Then, as the people you know leave it seems that you know fewer and fewer people and you begin to feel like a stranger because everyone around you knows each other from the trail and you don't.

That was my experience, others may have had a different experience.

This is spot on.

2 nights if you arent going to Finesterre. Maybe 3 if you are. Yes, I think Finesterre is worth it.

I'd also say this: If you want to walk to Finesterre, start walking the very next day. You can always return to Santiago to visit after you finish walking. But stasis begets stasis. We were quite committed to walking to Finesterre, but after 500 miles with a baby in tow, we thought we deserved an exxtra days rest in Santiago first. Then 1 day became 2 became 3 and we never got serious about continuing to walk (though we did take the bus to Cee, and then walk the last 11 km to finesterre)

 

[gordo_88]

Thanks everyone for the insights. I think I will stay until the night of the second day which gives me a day and a half to experience Santiago and a few days in Madrid. If I have a good experience (I'm sure I will) then I will most definitely be back in Santiago in the future!

 

[jpflavin1]

Hi all,

Having got some great advice already I am back with a few more questions!
How long do people typically stay in Santiago? I will be arriving on the afternoon of my last day's walk. If I left the following afternoon would that be too short or should I wait until that night? I want to head to Madrid for a few days so I am trying to make the best out of limited time! Alternatively is it worth taking a bus to Finisterre for a day? Advice would be much appreciated!

Gordo_88:

I usually spend two days catching up with folks I met along the way (drinks/dinner), going to mass and readjusting to not walking or sharing a room.

It all depends on what you want.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I walk alone, and have only once been in Santiago with people I had walked with. That made it a lot more fun as we would seat out on a terrace having a drink, would go out to dinner together, etc.

Alone, then it's botafumeiro, statue, bones, compostela, a tour of the cathedral roofs, a walk down the touristy streets that start/end by the cathedral, a pop into the University's exhibit center and voila.

You may also want to pop in the Parador's lobby andthe mercado de abastos 2-3pm at the latest).

Sunset in Muxia is very special, but it would require you spend a night there. You could then enjoy some percebes for dinner! Yum.

 

[frida1]

You may find you reach Santiago sooner or later than you planned. Then you can adjust accordingly. About the only sure thing is that your arrival will be different than what you expect!

 

[Felipe]

I planned for two days in Compostela. I arrived in mid-morning, went to the Pilgrim's bureau (I did not especially care for the credential, but I liked the little ritual of being in the queue), had many merry meetings with Camino friends, attended Mass, failed to see the botafumeiro, went to a restaurant with shellfish and Estrella de Galicia, then the museum and a stroll by night by the maze of old roads. I was happy.
Then, next day, I woke up at six o clock, my body ready for another 8 hours walk, evidently to no avail. It was rainy and cold. I realized I was not a pilgrim anymore, but just another tourist. I don't remember what I exactly did; I was restless. There were only strange, anonymous faces in the street. Usually I would have enjoyed an extra day in an old city, but I was not in the best mood. I apparently did some shoppping (some t-shirts and trinkets appeared later in my baggage). And I managed to close the day in a good way, with an excellent dinner in Bodeguilla de San Roque, a place favored by local people.
In retrospective, I should have planned better my second day, with some activities (there are others, I guess, besides the classic visits) or taken a bus tour to Finisterre. A typical pilgrim's lodgement would have been better (I was in hostal La Salle, good, but it is just another hotel). So, make a little research beforehand, have a list of options, visit the tourism bureau (they are kind and helpful). And be prepared for what could be an emotional, unpredictable moment.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Santiago can be very anticlimatic, and yes, you can quickly lose your groove as you find yourself alone, walking in circles, no longer in communion withe others. Hard lesson sometimes, but part of the Camino.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hi all,

Having got some great advice already I am back with a few more questions!
How long do people typically stay in Santiago? I will be arriving on the afternoon of my last day's walk. If I left the following afternoon would that be too short or should I wait until that night? I want to head to Madrid for a few days so I am trying to make the best out of limited time! Alternatively is it worth taking a bus to Finisterre for a day? Advice would be much appreciated!

There is SO much to see in Santiago!
I'd stay there at LEAST two extra days.
There is the Cathedral museum, the rooftop tour of the Cathedral, the open market, the Museu de Pobre Gallego (fantastic!), wonderful restaurants tucked away from the tourist areas, some great shopping, churches and museums.... hire a taxi with a few other pilgrims that will take you to Finisterre then Muxia then back one day (around 100 euros per taxi - split it between 4-6 people), nightlife there is awesome. Hang out there a few days and you won't be sorry!

 

[Telelama]

I found that for a couple of days in the city you continually run into people you had met off and on while on the trail and it all seems like a big celebration with people you know. Then, as the people you know leave it seems that you know fewer and fewer people and you begin to feel like a stranger because everyone around you knows each other from the trail and you don't.

This. Exactly this.

 

[gordo_88]

Great to hear about all your experiences! Thanks for sharing! Has made my life a lot easier organising the trip! I am going to aim to get to Santiago as early as possible on my last day walking and head for Madrid the following night. Looking forward to it already!

 

[Tia Valeria]

For others still wondering about length of time in Santiago:-
We stayed 3 nights;
Arrival Day (1) Cathedral, Pilgrims' Office and Compostela then to hotel (pre-booked)
Day 2 Pilgrims' Mass and some of @Anniesantiago 's suggestions in Santiago itself
Day 3 Part of @JohnnieWalker 's Route of Routes (See resources section)
Day 4 Leave hotel and Santiago early morning.

 

[stevelm1]

I spent three days in Santiago, then went out to the coast and visited Finisterre and Muxia for three days each, then I had to get back to Santiago to meet up with some people and ended up staying there another 3 days. That was a lot of time, but it gave me time to gather my thoughts before heading home. I found all three places worth the visit and would do it again. FYI if you want to see some photos of this phase of my trip you can see them at this link...

 

[Deleted member 12253]

Hi all,

Having got some great advice already I am back with a few more questions!
How long do people typically stay in Santiago? I will be arriving on the afternoon of my last day's walk. If I left the following afternoon would that be too short or should I wait until that night? I want to head to Madrid for a few days so I am trying to make the best out of limited time! Alternatively is it worth taking a bus to Finisterre for a day? Advice would be much appreciated!

2 hours too much i finish walk and straight to airport. Thats just me

 

[IngridF]

2015, I kept coming in and out of Santiago multiple times, with each of the shorter Caminos finished and my times as hospitalera. Each time I would make an effort to explore sections of Santiago I had not seen before and there is so much to see. Ultimately of course found my way back into the cathedral and my favorite hangout St. Clemente for tapas, a quick hello at the pilgrim house, or pilgrim watching at Cafe Casino whilst devouring a Coup de Casino and the odd meeting of Forum pilgrims at Cafe Tertulia

I Love Santiago and July can't come fast enough to spend 15 days there.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

St. Clemente for tapas... or pilgrim watching at Cafe Casino whilst devouring a Coup de Casino.
I Love Santiago and July can't come fast enough to spend 15 days there.

Thank you for these pointers. Will be spending a night in Santiago between Caminos and will try these places.

 

[cehusted]

I was there 2 nights and that was plenty. Santiago is pretty commercial and I found it a let down. I took the bus to Finnestere and loved it there even more near the ocean!