By Borja Golan
The only club in Santiago de Compostela is Squash Club Santiago located five kilometers away in a little town called Milladoiro. We have four squash courts, as well as tennis, padel, pools and fitness. It is one of the biggest clubs in Spain.
We have probably the most beautiful cathedral in Spain. The pilgrims, when they arrive in Santiago, go straight there to get the paper that says that you did El Camino. Some pilgrims stay in Santiago and others go on to Finisterre walking for the last part of the Camino (around 70k more).
Every space in the old area of Santiago is magic. My favorite restaurant is La Bodeguilla de San Roque. I always order Spanish ham with olive oil and tomato bread and a good fish or meat. Another good one is Gonzaba, which has the biggest steaks in the city. Really tasty. Like other Galician cities, we have great seafood. To have a coffee, a nice place is El Casino, in the middle of the old part of the city.
One of my favorite bars is Pub Deluxe. Garoa and Baobá are also really good with a very nice atmosphere. The best place to shop or see a movie is As Cancelas. For a walk I prefer some streets in the old area or the parks of La Alameda or Belvís. The best for music is Sala Capitol or Plaza de la Quintana. The best place to go for a run is the Park of La Alameda, right in the middle of the city.
My favorite time of the year is the summer. The 25th of July is the big party in Santiago when we celebrate the Santiago Apóstol (Saint James’ Day). We have music, great fireworks.
A perfect day in Santiago de Compostela is to sleep at the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos, have a little walk in the old area and visit the cathedral. Later I’d go to Calle El Franco and order some wine with some tapas. After that, I’d have lunch in the traditional local market called Plaza de Abastos where they sell all kinds of food. Then a little siesta in the Hostal which is in the same square as the Cathedral. In the late afternoon, I’d have a little run in La Alameda and enjoy the views from there and the shadow of the millenarius trees. If I have time before dinner, I would go to the park at Belvís which is also beautiful. To end, I’d have something nice for dinner and enjoy the old area at night.
