What is Santiago like on a Monday? (Anything closed?)

[michaelporourke]

I am walking the Primitivo in September 2022. My schedule may have me arriving on a Monday (September 26, 2022).

I've read on the Forum that Monday tends to be a day when many things are closed in Spain. Is that the case in Santiago?

 

[Walkerooni]

That being 10 months away, you really have no idea when you will arrive—no idea what events may transpire to change your schedule. The city is not completely shut down on Mondays. Even if it were, you will find things to do! Just start when you start, finish when you finish. Heck, tomorrow is Monday, and I have no idea what I may get up to tomorrow, never mind 10 months from now. 😉

 

[Former member 99290]

Hi Michael.

Whatever day you arrive, it’s nice to have a day up your sleeve to explore and soak up the atmosphere - especially if this is your first time walking in to SdeC.

So, even if you arrive on a Monday and some things you’d like to see are not open … there’s always the next day. 😎

 

[ivar]

Yes, Mondays are just as other days. Sometimes some bars/restaurants that work Saturday and Sunday, take Monday off... but not many..

I would not worry about that.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

In many places museums are closed on Mondays.

 

[MariaSP]

Museums tend to close on Mondays.
Some bars/restaurants may have Monday as their day off, but the majority will be open.
Other than that, Monday is just a regular weekday, people go to work and (almost) everything is open.

 

[peregrina2000]

This website lists most of the tourist sites in Santiago along with operating hours.

Museos | Web Oficial de Turismo de Santiago de Compostela y sus Alrededores

Web oficial de turismo de Santiago de Compostela: etapa final del Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Ofrece información sobre Hoteles en Santiago de Compostela y la Catedral de Santiago.

www.santiagoturismo.com

I was surprised to see that the Cathedral museum (along with other cathedral sites, like the Pórtico de la Gloria) is closed on Sunday afternoons and Mondays. That is standard across Spain, but lots of the most popular tourist sites, like the Prado Museum in Madrid and the Alhambra in Granada, are open daily.

I think it’s generally a good idea (if you are planning to visit museums, etc in any city along the way) to try to avoid arriving on a Sunday. You will typically arrive just as everything is closing, and then will have to wait to Tuesday to see the sites. But there’s plenty to see and enjoy in Santiago even when all the tourist sites are closed!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Many museums are closed on Mondays, which is why I avoid being in Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Astorga, and Santiago on Mondays. I make my group trip schedules around those closures.

 

[MariaSP]

This website lists most of the tourist sites in Santiago along with operating hours.

Museos | Web Oficial de Turismo de Santiago de Compostela y sus Alrededores

Web oficial de turismo de Santiago de Compostela: etapa final del Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Ofrece información sobre Hoteles en Santiago de Compostela y la Catedral de Santiago.

www.santiagoturismo.com

I was surprised to see that the Cathedral museum (along with other cathedral sites, like the Pórtico de la Gloria) is closed on Sunday afternoons and Mondays. That is standard across Spain, but lots of the most popular tourist sites, like the Prado Museum in Madrid and the Alhambra in Granada, are open daily.

I think it’s generally a good idea (if you are planning to visit museums, etc in any city along the way) to try to avoid arriving on a Sunday. You will typically arrive just as everything is closing, and then will have to wait to Tuesday to see the sites. But there’s plenty to see and enjoy in Santiago even when all the tourist sites are closed!

I visited the Pórtico da Gloria on a Sunday afternoon, a couple of weeks ago. If you keep scrolling down on the website where they sell the tickets, you'll see there are some free visits available.

 

[David Tallan]

As others have pointed out, museums are often closed Mondays, as are a few other locations. In general, my advice would be:
- Plan for a few days in SdC. That gives you time to get your Compostela (assuming you want one) without having to worry about your place in line. It gives you time to catch up with more people who you may have met along the way. And if one of the days is a Monday, you can see any museums you wish on another day there. No biggie.
- Don't worry about which exact day you arrive in SdC. Leave yourself plenty of time and don't be rushing to meet (or avoid) a particular day. It's not good for your health. Better to walk at your own pace, at the distance that your body is suggesting, than to be rushing to meet a self-imposed deadline.
- The best thing to do in Santiago is to hang around the Plaza Obradoiro, soaking up the atmosphere and watching the pilgrims arrive. You can do that on any day of the week.

 

[Canche]

I am walking the Primitivo in September 2022. My schedule may have me arriving on a Monday (September 26, 2022).

I've read on the Forum that Monday tends to be a day when many things are closed in Spain. Is that the case in Santiago?

I'
ve never found a lot of things closed on Monday and much less in Santiago