It is famous for its pilgrimage, but you don’t have to get blisters and a bookful of stamps to appreciate Santiago de Compostela.

In 2004, a holy year for Santiago de Compostela, ten million pilgrims walked to this beautiful medieval hilltop city. This year, take a more laid-back approach. Give your feet a rest and enjoy the city for its fantastic food, vibrant café life, interesting architecture… and if you must use your feet, take a lazy stroll around its pretty streets. This university city, renowned as a pilgrim’s destination, also makes an ideal weekend getaway for the more leisure-inclined.

Santiago is unlike anywhere else on the Iberian Peninsula. At first whiff, the cool, moist air is more evocative of rainy Ireland than sunny Spain. Greenery sprouts from every crevice, the seagulls’ calls are a reminder that the sea is not far, and each old stone has a covering of moss. It is hard to visit anywhere in Galicia and not be graced with at least a slight rain shower. But they say that Santiago looks better wet than sunny, and as long as you’re beneath a good umbrella, the rain is part of the romance.

Santiago ranks high as one of Spain’s most romantic cities. Even if you are there for only a day, chances are the unearthly chords of the gaita, the Galician bagpipes, will meet your ears. Gaita players and other street musicians linger about the mythical central plaza, the Praza do Obradoiro. This is where you’ll find Santiago’s defining icon, the Cathedral of St James the Apostle, one of the oldest and most revered in Spain. Looking at its baroque façade and impressive staircase, consider the many pilgrim feet that, since the year 951, have wearily climbed those final steps of their long trek.

While contemplating the history of the plaza, admire the former hospital on the other side, a charitable contribution from Los Reyes Catolicos, Isabel and Ferdinand. After first visiting the cathedral in the 1500s, the ambitious couple were aghast at the quantity of sick pilgrims, so commissioned the hospital. Five hundred years later, it is no longer a refuge for the ill, but a hotel for the well off, as it is one of Spain’s most sought-after paradors.

Before investigating the many wonders within the cathedral, follow the final steps of the pilgrimage, if only to imagine a small slice of the pilgrim’s experience. A good way to do this is to find the hillside gardens of the old St Domingo Monastery, a delicious green space stretching up behind the Galician Centre of Contemporary Art that sits on the edge of the old town behind the cathedral. Here, at the back end of the park, up on the hill, there is a magnificent view of the city. The spires of the cathedral loom large amid medieval rooftops, all framed by green hills. Starting from this point, retrace your steps back down towards the cathedral less than a kilometre away, and enjoy the impressions of the eagerly arriving pilgrims. This is the lazy man’s alternative to the Camino de Santiago. It will not earn any pilgrim’s stamps or blessings, but it will give a nice dose of fresh air before entering the cathedral.

And you will need it to combat the mustiness that overwhelms upon entering the cathedral. Santiago de Compostela’s fecund quality is only enhanced within its 700-year-old buildings. The cathedral is particularly odiferous. In the Middle Ages, weary, dirty and sick pilgrims slept in the cathedral’s gallery along with livestock; it seems the smells have withstood the test of time. However, the church has a large dangling incense burner called a botafumeiro that helps sweeten the air. This botafumeiro weighs 120 pounds and requires eight priests to swing the pendulous oval across the transept of the cathedral. In fact, all such incense burners in Spain are called botafumeiros, having derived their name from this original. Go to mass on the right day and you might see those eight priests roll up their sleeves and make it swing (they perform the ritual about 25 times a year).

While in the cathedral, don’t miss a visit to the tomb of St James. He is, after all, the very reason that the cathedral is here in the first place. One of the 12 apostles, Saint James spent a decade as a missionary in Spain, then a part of the Roman Empire. According to legend, in the 9th century stars guided a monk to the remains of St James. He promptly informed the appropriate authorities, who built up the city of Santiago near the spot as a monument to the apostle. (The name Compostela in Latin means “field of stars”.)

While in the cathedral, enter the small passageway on the side of the altar, ascend the steps to kiss the jewelled cloak of the St James statue then descend into the crypt (see how worn the stairs are from so many feet) to kneel in front of the small silver chest containing his relics. This is where all centuries-worth of pilgrims have placed their hands on the column, bowed their heads and given thanks for a safe journey. Even though just walking the last kilometre does not allow you true pilgrim status, Saint James understands and welcomes your prayers anyway.

Once you have paid homage to the very old and saintly, it is time to enjoy Santiago’s more modern attractions. Top on the list is the Galician Centre of Contemporary Art, a handsome creation by Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza.

Architecture buffs will also want to take a short walk to Siza’s five-year-old white cubic Media Science building at the University of Santiago (dating from 1501, it is one of the oldest universities in Spain). Modern additions to the university, like this one, edge around the old town, lending the city an abstract touch.

After you’ve seen a bit of the old and the new, go on Santiago’s other pilgrimage: the tapas and wine trail. Galicia is proud of her wines; two local varieties particularly worth trying are the ribeiro, a no-fuss red, and the albariño, a fine fruity white, often sipped from simple white teacup-like bowls. The bars around Rua da Raina have a great selection of local wines. Wander the old town’s cobblestone streets, such as Rúa do Villar, stopping in at its numerous tapas bars for a taste of empanada (a large Galician pie often stuffed with beef or seafood) or Galician caldo. All the rainy weather forces Galicians into the city’s myriad cafes – a favourite is the former private club-turned-classy café, Casino Café. And don’t forget the icing on the cake, which is the cake itself, the Torta do Santiago, a light almond pastry that drives the locals wild. And as you pursue a weekend of such sybaritic pleasures, don’t feel a shred of guilt that you don no walking stick and worn-out hiking shoes. For there is more than one way to be a pilgrim.


Five Must Do’s:
At the entrance of the cathedral, stop at the 12th-century Portico of Glory, one of the world’s best examples of Romanesque art. Place your hand on the central column in the smooth grooves worn our by years of pilgrim’s hands touching that exact spot. It is believed that one should place his hand, then bend over to kiss the head of the statue below, thought to be that of Master Mateo, the architect of sections of the cathedral and the portico. Sources say, however, that the head below is actually that of Samson, and Master Mateo’s visage is on the column’s opposite side.

Amble through the green garden of the Santo Domingo Monastery. Designed in part by Alvaro Siza to complement the pre-existing structures, it is an expert blend of the historical and modern. With its stone walkways and trickling fountains, this is the best place from which to view the city.

Don’t miss a rainy afternoon at the Café Casino, one of Spain’s best cafés. With its dark sculpted wood walls, overstuffed chairs and Botero-like statues of fat dancing men, it is an intriguing corner to slip into for a Galician coffee (see address below).

For a taste of Galicia’s vibrant art scene, spend an hour or two in the Centre for Contemporary Art . The museum supports budding new talent, has an excellent bookshop and café, and often exhibits art and photography about Galician history and culture. And it’s free. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-8pm. Rúa Ramón del Valle Inclán s/n.

Eat arroz con bogavante (rice with lobster) with a cold glass of Albariño. In the lively streets of the old town, there are countless places to wash down seafood with this apple-sharp white. A particularly good spot is the patio and bar of San Clemente – don’t bother with the restaurant.

INSIDER TIPS
Joaquin Marino
Do: Go to mass. Even if you aren’t Catholic, it’s a great way to get an inside perspective as to what’s important to many of the local people.
Don’t: Fret if you can’t get into the parador (it’s often booked). There are tons of great smaller hotels and B&Bs. And you can always drop into the parador for a drink.

Camila Torres
Do: Go to Café Casino, it’s where all the locals hang out and the atmosphere is fantastic.
Don’t: Daytrip to the port towns just west of Santiago, such as Noia. The beautiful beach towns are up north.