Would you like to understand Santiago beyond its landmarks?
On this sightseeing tour, you'll explore the city with a keen eye, discovering details that almost always go unnoticed.
We'll start in the Alameda, Santiago's large historic park, where you'll learn how this recreational space came into being in the 19th century and how it evolved with modernity. From there, we'll head into the Old Town, a medieval network of streets lined with houses from different eras and small clues that reveal who their owners were.
Strolling along Rúa do Vilar, you'll see intriguing features such as the “roof peepholes” and learn to identify coats of arms, inscriptions, and symbols carved in stone that illustrate the influence of the Cabildo, the University, and the monasteries on the life of the city.
On the south façade of Platerías, a unique Romanesque gem, you'll discover how history has turned its sculptural program into a truly fascinating puzzle.
The route continues to the Pazo de Fonseca, birthplace of the University, where we'll visit its cloister and, if available, some of its exhibits.
We finish in Obradoiro Square, surrounded by four buildings that are essential for understanding Santiago: the Baroque Cathedral, the Neoclassical City Hall, the former Hostel of the Catholic Monarchs, and the Rectorate with its magnificent Romanesque façade. From there, we'll also see San Martín Pinario to learn about the 19th-century confiscation of church property and the transformation of monastic heritage.
An ideal tour for those who want to discover the city through its history, its symbols, and its most authentic essence.