Mercado de Abastos de Santiago

The Mercado de Abastos is the food market of Santiago de Compostela, a few minutes' walk from the cathedral in the old town, and it is the place where the city's daily life and the produce of Galicia come together. It is regularly cited as one of the most visited sights in the city after the cathedral itself, and unlike many tourist attractions it is a real working market, used every day by residents, restaurateurs and farmers. The market is housed in a group of low buildings made of the local granite, built in the twentieth century in a style that fits the stone town, with long covered halls organised around open stalls and courtyards.

The stalls are laid out in rows according to products. In the fish section, counters are covered with crushed ice and loaded with the produce of the Galician coast, among them hake, monkfish, turbot, sea bream, squid and octopus, as well as a wide range of shellfish: mussels, clams, cockles, scallops, razor clams, crabs and the prized goose barnacles, the percebes, which are collected from rocks pounded by the waves of the Atlantic and are among the most expensive shellfish in Spain. Meat stalls offer local beef and pork, and sausages and cured meats hang from hooks. Cheese stalls sell the cone-shaped tetilla and other Galician cheeses, and in the bakery stalls, big round loaves of bread and empanadas stand side by side.

Outside the main halls, women farmers from the surrounding villages, who have sold produce here for generations, set up stalls with vegetables, fruit, eggs, flowers, herbs and homemade products. Their vegetables, including the cabbages and turnip greens used in Galician broth, and the small green peppers of Padrón, reflect the seasons. The market is lively at midday, when locals shop for lunch, and the atmosphere is friendly and noisy, with stallholders chatting to customers in Galician. It is open daily except on certain days and closes in the early afternoon, so mornings are the best time.

A special custom adds to the experience. In several places around the market, small eateries will cook what you buy, so you can choose fresh seafood from a stall and eat it a few steps away, accompanied by a glass of white Albariño wine or Ribeiro. It is a simple and memorable way to taste Galician cooking.

The market stands close to the Praza do Obradoiro and the cathedral, and the stone streets of the old town lead directly to it. It suits food lovers, photographers and families, and it provides a nice contrast to the monuments. Allow an hour, more if you plan to eat there.