If you’re a university professor spending the semester teaching or researching in Santiago de Compostela, you’re in for a treat and a great time. From Michelin-star restaurants to pulperias, there’s something for everyone’s taste and every occasion.
O Curro da Parra
A classy dinner or hosting visiting scholars. Hidden just a few blocks from the cathedral, this candle-lit restaurant elevates Galician cuisine by using a modern twist.
A quick but amazing spot to go eat when you are in a rush. Located right in the Mercado de Abastos this place feels like a hidden gem. Using fresh ingredients from the market each day, and their tapas-style menu is perfect if you’re curious to try a bit of everything. With three different types of seating available this place is perfect place to hang out with some of your colleagues and have a cerveza or two after a workday.
Borriquita de Belem
Borriquita de Belem is one of Santiago de Compostela’s town cultural association. This place has many live bands which could range from reggae, flamenco, rock, jazz, blues, and much more. You can enjoy drinks served right from the barrel including whiskey, wine, rum, cocktails, and many more. You can enjoy a night out with your friends here either inside of the bar or you could also enjoy their outdoor seating.
To learn more about the best bars in Santiago de Compostela click here
Overall, the town of Santiago de Compostela is a perfect place for everyone to enjoy their time and have a couple of drinks. Buen provecho!!
As a college student studying abroad is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but let’s all be honest as college students we do not have that much money in our bank account so here are 3 delicious food options for when you are out and about in the city exploring the caminos that will not make your pockets hurt.
Here are the 3 best most amazing eats here in Santiago de Compostela that you can get under €10 euros that are taste-tested, and budget- approved.
Tapas at O Gato Negro (€8-10)
Walk into this small old-school tavern and go ahead and order yourself a tapa choose from a huge variety including vegetarian and seafood options. This is a great spot to hang out with your friends and meet some locals.
Tarta de Santiago at Pastelería Mercedes Mora (€2.50)
Looking for a Little sweet treat to end the day off, then think no more at the Pastelería Mercedes Mora they offer a variety of delicious treats to end off the day but the best thing you can get from there is the tarta de Santiago. The tarta de Santiago is the city’s signature almond cake that is dusted with powdered sugar to make the cross of St. James on top. Click here to learn how you could make your own Tarta de Santiago.
Pulpo a la Gallega at Bodegon Os Concheiros (€9-10)
While in Santiago de Compostela the Seafood is a must try. Pulpo a la gallega is nice and tender octopus that is drizzled with olive oil, a hit with a sprinkle of paprika that is served on top of potatoes. Bodegon Os Concheiros is a classic spot for you to be able to get this amazing dish.
Click here to get more information on Bodegon Os Concheiros
This is what one of the restuarants famous Pulpo a la gallega platter looks like. Get ready to dig in and enjoy!!
Calling all professors, history buffs, culture lovers, and of course, ever-curious students! If you’re looking for a travel destination that combines deep historical roots with sublime architecture, something to spice up your syllabus or support your learning journey, Santiago de Compostela is your golden ticket. In this city, every cobblestone tells a story, every monastery vibrates with centuries-old wisdom, and even the air hums with wisdom!
Let’s talk about the monasteries. These aren’t just dusty architectural leftovers, they’re living monuments of knowledge, faith, and resilience. Situated in the lush green landscapes of northwestern Spain, Santiago de Compostela marks the final stop on the legendary Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route that has drawn travelers and tourists for over a thousand years.
Monastery of San Martín Pinario
This spectacular building dominates the space just north of Santiago’s cathedral. As the second-largest monastery in Spain, San Martín Pinario was once a powerhouse of Benedictine scholarship. With its intricate brilliance, mesmerizing staircases, and centuries of religious study etched into its stone walls, it’s a must-see for anyone who’s madly in love with history and architecture. click herefor more info.
But wait, there’s more! Santiago’s monasteries weren’t just religious sanctuaries. They were hubs of innovation, education, and community.
Take the Convent of San Paio de Antealtares, one of the earliest foundations of the city. Attributed to Alfonso II and dating back to the 9th century, this place is absolutely bursting with history. click here.
Then there’s the Monastery of San Francisco, an architectural gem dating back to 1214 was founded by the saint himself. Today, it operates as a hotel, but remnants of its original cloister and its rich legacy still captivate visitors. If you’re a history whiz or just someone who appreciates a good story carved in stone, you have to check it out. These spaces can kind of serve as immersive classrooms. Students and professors can explore medieval daily life. Want to talk about ancient manuscript production? The role of religion in colonial expansion? The impact of pilgrimage culture? This city is your canvas! Click here.
There ya have folks! What more could you ask for? This city is wrapped in medieval charm, but it never feels like a boring museum. Here, students and scholars are able to walk the same paths as ancient pilgrims, sip espresso in sunlit plazas, and soak up Galician art. Santiago is walkable, welcoming, and safe. It is an ideal city for faculty-led programs and solo student adventures. Plus, it’s located in northwest Spain, meaning you would be just a train ride away from other Spanish destinations.
Santiago de Compostela is a city where one gets to walk through time. For professors, it is the perfect stage to bring your lectures to life, and for students, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to trade your boring classrooms for ancient cathedrals.
So, what are you waiting for?! Why settle for just studying history when you can walk through it? This isn’t just a study abroad trip, it is a transformative journey that has the ability to shape your future, one cobblestone at a time!
Santiago de Compostela is home to one of the country’s oldest universities, the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC). The university got its start way back in 1495 when a monk named Lope Gómez de Marzoa started a school to help poor students get an education. At first, it was just a small college called Colegio de Santiago Alfeo where religion was the only subject being taught at the school. Then in 1526, King Charles V made Santiago de Compostela an official university. In these early years, the school mostly taught religious subjects like theology and canon law. The classes were held in beautiful old buildings that you can still see today in the city’s old town.
The University of Santiago de Compostela has lasted for more than 500 years because it knows how to adapt and stay strong. It was founded in 1495 and has always worked to improve and change with the times. Even through wars, political changes, and new technologies, the university has continued to grow. It has strong support from the local community and the government, and it focuses on both teaching and research. By mixing tradition with new ideas, the university has stayed important and useful. Its long history shows how learning and hard work can help something last for centuries.
During the 1700s, the university started teaching more subjects beyond just religion. They added classes in medicine, law, and philosophy. The school became famous for its beautiful library and grand buildings like the Colegio de Fonseca, which had an amazing staircase and big classrooms. Things got tough when Napoleon’s army invaded Spain in the early 1800s. Many schools closed, but USC managed to stay open. After this difficult time, the university worked hard to improve and add more science classes to keep up with modern education.
The 20th century brought big changes. In the 1960s, the university built a whole new campus north of the city to handle all the new students. Today, USC has over 30,000 students and programs in everything from medicine to computer science. Even though it’s now a modern university with high-tech labs and sports facilities, USC still keeps its historic buildings and traditions alive. Many students study in rooms where people have been learning for 500 years. USC isn’t just important for students, it’s helped shape Galicia’s culture and history. During times when Spain’s government didn’t allow regional languages, the university helped keep the Galician language alive. Today, it’s one of the best places to study Galician history and literature.
The university also brings people from all over the world to Santiago, just like the Camino pilgrimage does. Walking through campus, you might hear Spanish, Galician, English, and many other languages as students from different countries study together. From its start as a small religious school to its place today as a major university, USC shows how education can last through wars, political changes, and technological advances. It’s a living piece of history that continues to teach new generations just as it has for over 500 years.
If you want to learn more about the history of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), click here
