The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the center of town and the focus of hundreds of pilgrims each day. Since we stayed so close by, we visited the massive plaza in front of the cathedral multiple times throughout our stay. Each time we saw different groups of pilgrims arriving—some relieved, some ecstatic, and others just completely exhausted. During the day there is usually a line to enter the church, though it is free.

Unusually, the church opens at 7am, and few pilgrims make it into town before 9am so we decided to visit when it would be emptier. We arrived by 8:30am, which meant no line and very few people! The interior is massive with a memorable, elaborate altar, as well as the St. James crypt.

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Leandra checked out the local market and managed to find some nice fresh cherries for us to try.

Later that day we walked the Paseo del Río Sarela which took us along the green edge of town. It took a while to actually get down to the creek, and even longer for the surroundings to feel natural. However, the middle section was quite nice with a flowing creek and plenty of wildflowers.

The Parque da Alameda was a short walk from our small room, and we visited a few times. People watching is great, there are tons of benches, and there are some nice views of the town too.

Overall, two days was more than enough time for us in Santiago.