When it comes to learning Spanish in Spain, it’s often the old favourites like Barcelona and Malaga that top the popularity charts, but there are plenty of other fantastic places to consider, like Santiago de Compostela for example.

Santiago de Compostela may not offer the sandy beaches of Malaga, or the sheer size of Barcelona, but if you’re interested in history and culture and you prefer cities of a more manageable size, it could be the perfect place for you to learn or revise Spanish skills.

Location and climate

Santiago de Compostela is located in the middle of Galicia, Spain’s northern- and westernmost region.

The Atlantic coast is only 30 kilometres away, which gives any visitors to the region easy access to rugged beaches and scenic fishing ports.

The humid oceanic climate guarantees mild temperatures throughout the year, with an average of 8 degrees centigrade in winter and a pleasant summer with temperatures ranging from 20 to 27 degrees centigrade.

The city does have its own airport, Lavacolla, located around 10km from the main city, however there are also good rail links to and from Madrid and Bilbao for anyone choosing to arrive in one of these cities.

History

In the 1986, Santiago de Compostela was designated a UNESCO World Heritage City.

Whilst the city has enjoyed a long and varied history over the ages, the rise of Santiago de Compostela is directly linked to the discovery of the tomb of the Apostle James (Saint James = Santiago), who went to this part of Spain to preach and convert people to Christianity.

According to legend, after returning to Palestine in 44AD, Saint James was taken prisoner and killed. The King forbade that James be buried, but his disciples stole the body and brought him by boat to the Spanish coast, namely the present day Galicia. Here the Apostle was buried at a secret place in a wood.

Centuries later, in 813, a shining light in the woods is said to have indicated the existence of a tomb. The place where the light was seen became known as the ‘field of the star’, or “Campus Stellae” in Latin - a name that later became Compostela.

The monarch of the time, King Alphonse II, declared Saint James the patron of his empire and had a chapel constructed at that site.

More and more pilgrims followed the Way of Santiago, the ”Way of Saint James”, and the original chapel soon became the cathedral of the new settlement, Santiago de Compostela.

In 12th and 13th century the town enjoyed its greatest importance, and Pope Alexander III declared it a Holy Town, just like Rome and Jerusalem.

Culture

Santiago de Compostela has long enjoyed a reputation as an established cultural centre, largely because of its prestigious university that dates back to the 16th century.

The city’s cultural accolade reached its pinnacle in the year 2000 when it was named European City of Culture along with Avignon, Bergen, Bologna, Brussels, Krakow, Helsinki, Prague and Reykjavik.

Included in its cultural events calendar are film and music festivals, concerts, theatre, exhibitions and parades.

Gastronomy

Santiago de Compostela is the perfect place to try the cuisine of the region, much of which centres around seafood. Cheap local dishes are easy to find, but there are also more up-market eateries too.

The city’s food market (Mercado de Abastos) is another gastronomic delight, offering all kinds of fresh produce displayed in a variety of interesting ways for added attraction.

For details of all of our language courses – whatever the language and wherever the location – please click the link above to visit our own dedicated page.