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BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
What Santiago's many 'Camino' pilgrims often miss
Europe's most famous pilgrimage destination is also one of Spain's most stunning – and under-explored – cities. Now, the city is keen to show off its artsy side. For the last 1,200 years, the Unesco World Heritage city of Santiago de Compostela has best been known as a pilgrimage destination for devout Catholics. Last year alone, nearly 500,000 faithful hikers set out along the series of well-trodden trails called "the Camino", journeying through the lush wooded hills and river-flecked valleys of Galicia in north-west Spain to reach the city's towering Romanesque years, I'd heard about Santiago's beauty from friends and fellow travellers who had gazed upon its towering church spires and twisting honey-coloured lanes. Yet, one of the great ironies is that many of those who had walked for weeks or even months to get there admitted that once they arrived, they shuffled alongside the masses into the cathedral to see the tomb of St James, slumped into one of the many touristy tapas bars around Rua Franco and then quickly headed home. If they had just taken a few more steps, I'd always wondered, would they have discovered more? I wanted to dig deeper into the city's medieval and more modern heart, but I didn't have the time or energy to trek the demanding trail myself. Fortunately, a high-speed rail route now whisks travellers across the nation to Santiago, giving visitors a blister-free way to explore one of Spain's most stunning – and under-explored – cities. The fast track Though Spain boasts Europe's longest and most-advanced high-speed train network (second in the world only to China's), it wasn't until December 2021 that the nation extended its three-decade-old high-speed Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) network to Santiago. "We're in an isolated corner of Spain," Ana Munín, from the Santiago de Compostela Convention Bureau, tells me. "We get things last." Stepping onto the platform at Madrid's Chamartin station, the white flanks of my streamlined AVE train were adorned with proclamations of its top speed (330km/h) plus a logo indicating that it was powered by 100% renewable energy. According to Munín, the arrival of these high-speed trains has brought an increase of Spanish travellers to Santiago, while simultaneously reducing the number of flights arriving at its small regional airport. "A one-hour flight – it is just wrong," she remarks. As my train leaves Madrid, I watch the seat-back speedometer rise inexorably until, after 20 minutes, I'm cruising serenely along at 300km/h. Arid plains dotted with weathered ochre-coloured villages and clusters of hardy trees scrolls by. Passing the city of Zamora, moorland gives way to sylvan valleys where mountain streams glint below the tracks. The train eases across the wide span of the Miño, Galicia's longest river, as we reach the ancient hot springs town of Ourense. From here, a series of viaducts carry us across hills carpeted by a tight arboreal tapestry, dotted with colourful villages whose facades seem brighter in the clear hill air. Barely more than three hours after leaving Madrid, I step off the train into the heart of Santiago. A new vision Pilgrims approaching Santiago on the Camino's network of trails often describe their first glimpse of the cathedral's ornate spires. Instead, I was struck by the dramatic rollercoaster curves and soaring glass facades of the City of Culture architectural complex, which rises atop Mount Gaiás and overlooks the train station below. Designed by US starchitect Peter Eisenman, this eye-popping, futuristic set of museums, gardens and libraries was designed as a "beacon for pilgrims of knowledge" when its first two buildings opened to the public in 2011. Inside the vast multipurpose cultural space (now known simply as the Gaias Centre Museum), I take in a retrospective of artist Rafael Ubeda before wandering through an exhibition on global tattoo designs and culture at the neighbouring UTESA convention and culture centre. "We have fantastic contemporary architecture, modern art – and the gastronomy scene has just grown and grown," Munín later tells me. As we sit at a communal table sipping Galicia's world-renowned Mencia wine and savouring the region's prized octopus and mackerel at Abastos 2.0, a hip diner attached to the historic food market, I look around and noticed that there doesn't appear to be a single foreign visitor in sight. "Santiago is also very much a university city," adds Munín, revealing that a quarter of the city's 100,000 residents study or work at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, which dates back to 1495. As she explained, this infuses the city with a vibrant, youthful energy, as students and young creatives frequently showcase their work at pop-up arts events – like the exhibition of contemporary photographs I soon stumble upon housed in a 17th-Century church nestled amid the city's medieval core. Santiago's Old Town is a glorious, compact melange of squares and historic porticoed streets that give way to promenade-lined parks like the central Alameda and more secluded Bonaval. Munín explains that in recent years, ancient edifices have been refashioned into atmospheric museums. But unlike the tourist-thronged cathedral, I experience near solitude in every other cultural space I visit – as if the pilgrims don't realise that reflection can be stirred in Santiago's quiet corners, as well as on the trail. Inside the austere granite outlines of CGAC (Galician Centre for Contemporary Art), for example, I see just four other people during my hour spent exploring three floors that include a brilliant exhibition of Galician photographer Mar Caldas. Mere metres from the end of three Camino trails (the French, Northern and Primitivo Ways) on Rua de San Pedro, incoming pilgrims walk right past a showcase by young Galician artists at the tiny Defímeras gallery. After taking it in, I tuck into a luscious Galician bean stew and generous pork loin at the nearby local favourite O Dezaseis. Inside a neighbouring Dominican convent now housing the Museum of the Galician People, there's just one other person absorbing evocative displays of ancient industries, linked via a dazzling Baroque spiral staircase. At Colexio de Fonseca, the university's oldest college, I immerse myself in a contemporary art show beside its leafy Renaissance courtyard while all alone. Ditto at the nearby Fundacion Eugenio Granell, which showcases Surrealist art inside an 18th-Century mansion once believed to be Santiago's loveliest. The following day I visit Casa RIA, a foundation opened in 2023 by famed British architect David Chipperfield which aims to promote sustainable development in the area. As well as displaying exhibitions on topics like Galician food markets, there's a stylish in-house cantina whose affordable daily menus include produce from the foundation's allotment in its tranquil rear garden. "We've welcomed academics from Shanghai's Tongji University and MIT, but also a few people every day visiting the exhibition or stopping by the canteen," Casa RIA's director, Inés Piñeiro Ozores, tells me. Interestingly, she adds, very few of their visitors are pilgrims. Back at the city's main square, the vast Praza do Obradoiro, I watch the melee of faithful mill around the cathedral. Suddenly, the sound of Galician bagpipes draws me around a corner to discover a piper named Fernando Hernandez playing alone in an ancient archway as a flow of people go by without pausing. He happily tells me about the link between Galician pipes and those of Scotland, Ireland and Brittany before lamenting Santiago's pilgrim hordes. "The Camino has just become a walk for too many people – companies now even carry their bags each day!" he says, before returning to his pipes. More like this:• St James Way: The return of the UK's medieval highway• The Lighthouse Way: Walking Spain's 'other' camino• A 77km hike that could inspire miracles As a record-number of pilgrims have descended on Santiago three years in a row, the city has started pushing back against the negative aspects of overtourism that have prompted fierce protests in other Spanish destinations like Barcelona and the Canary Islands. In Santiago, these include a surge in short-term rentals that push out locals, an influx of souvenir shops selling cheaply manufactured wares and bad tourist behaviour such as pitching tents near the cathedral. In addition to local campaigns such as Compostela Resists, in 2024 the city launched a "Fragile Santiago" campaign to encourage visitors to engage differently. The hope is that visitors seek out handmade local crafts, savour traditional Galician cuisine and take time to discover the city's cultural – and not just religious – heritage. "Every month, Santiago has some sort of arts festival," says Flavia Ramil, director of the city's tourist office, adding a note on their affordability, with tickets starting at just a few euros. "Now, we are seeing more tourists from places like Japan, the US and UK who are very interested in the culture of the city," she says happily. Amen to that. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Times
08-07-2025
- Times
9 of the best affordable villas in Spain
With glorious weather, knockout beaches, and world-beating food and drink it's no surprise that Spain ranks high for most Brits. The Balearic island of Mallorca or the beaches of the Costa Brava are perfect not only for seaside lazing but more active pursuits such as windsurfing, while Galicia in the northwest has forested valleys for hikes and standout sites such as the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, visited by those walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail. The southernmost region of Andalusia has a bit of everything, encompassing the sand and sea of Marbella and Malaga, the heritage of Granada and its Alhambra Palace, and the culture and vibrancy of Seville. In each area, you'll find villas with sleek contemporary furnishings and villas retaining traditional rustic styling, ranging in size to suit both couples and larger gatherings. Best of all, such self-catering accommodation can be far cheaper than a hotel. Ranging from as little as £30 to just over £100 per person per night, depending on when you travel, here's our selection of top-quality villas in Spain at the more affordable end of the scale. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue POOL | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | Sleeps 7 In six acres of land, bracketed by wheat fields and olive groves, this is a pad perfect for those who value privacy. There are traditional touches of the region throughout — a terracotta-tiled roof, cool, whitewashed walls inside — and plenty of space for relaxing in the evenings with a huge lawn and built-in barbecue. There's a good-sized pool with an outdoor shower, and it's less than an hour's drive to the airport, making it a top pick for families; you'll also find a cot and a high chair inside. • Best holiday villas in Spain POOL | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | Sleeps 10 This striking villa, with its floor-to-ceiling glass, infinity pool and floating staircase, combines contemporary style with good old-fashioned wow factor in its location, surrounded as it is by the Tramuntana mountains and with views of the Bay of Pollensa. Villa Magnolia is filled with natural light and has comfortable sofas, a good-sized kitchen, five bedrooms (two en suite) and a dining room that can seat ten. Outside, there's a barbecue area and covered terrace, and the characterful cobbled town of Pollensa is just over two miles away. Mallorca offers many opportunities for cycling, horse-riding and water sports, making this property an excellent choice for active families. • Best villas in Mallorca POOL | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | Sleeps 6 One of a handful of three-bedroom properties in a small complex with a 24-hour reception, this whitewashed villa is simply styled but ticks all the important boxes, with its private saltwater pool and superb location just 500 metres from the white sand of Platja del Riuet. Patio doors lead onto a poolside terrace for alfresco drinks and meals, and there's a lawned garden for the kids to muck about in. You also have access to a larger communal pool if you wish. The medieval hamlet of Sant Marti d'Empuries is nearby, and there's a shuttle service to/from Girona-Costa Brava airport (about 45 miles away) for a fee. • Discover our full guide to Spain POOL | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | Sleeps 8 You'll get a real taste of Spanish living in this six-bedroom villa in the traditional town of Jimena de la Frontera in Cadiz. Laps in the private pool come with a view of the Ronda mountains and there are Moorish influences throughout. Best of all, there's plenty of room for everyone to stretch out; it's built over three levels and there's a giant entertainment space in the basement complete with an air hockey table and a projector for film nights. POOL | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | Sleeps 16 Casa do Conde Villa is a landmark in the Galician town of O Grove, originally constructed by a local duchess and with something castle-like about its stone-built exterior. Inside, there's lots of style in the sweeping polished staircase and simply furnished bedrooms (five doubles and three twins, all en suite), while the living areas open to a lovely covered outdoor terrace for languid lunches or cocktails before dinner. The grounds feature lawns, palm trees and a swimming pool, while the district of O Grove is renowned for its beaches and pretty sea views. The town has all the restaurants and shops you'll need, which means a car is a bonus rather than a necessity. Outside, pretty grounds encircle the house with gently sloping lawns, graceful palm trees and the colourful blooms of flowering plants to provide a delightful oasis for outdoor living. Guests could be forgiven for forgetting this is a town house, yet a 200m stroll reveals the nearest sandy beaches and the first of the many shops and restaurants. This is a great choice for family groups or friends who want comfort and convenience. POOL | Sleeps 6 This contemporary Galician villa offers a lot of slickness for an affordable price tag. There's a cleverly positioned swimming pool wrapping around a corner of the property, and a handful of atmospheric terraces, including one on the top floor that makes the very best of the coastal vantage point above the sandy bay at Aldan. The star factor? That's the floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the main living space, which bring in bags of natural light. Sleeping six, with two doubles (one en suite) and a twin, the property is a good choice for families with older children, but note that it's built over several levels and is unsuitable for toddlers. The village of Hio, which has a bar offering traditional Galician food, is a very short walk away, while the beach at Praia de Vilariño is under a mile away. As for excursions, it's well worth considering a boat trip to the Cies Islands, an archipelago nature reserve with wonderfully clear waters. POOL | Sleeps 2 This beautiful one-bedroom cottage has all the character and charm you could wish for, with stripped stone walls, wood-panelled ceilings and a large bedroom beneath a steep-pitched roof. Outside are lovely lawns, a swimming pool, stone table and benches for dining beneath the shade of a fir tree, and stirring views across forested hills and green meadows. It's quite a spot for a cocktail or a coffee. The owner is a carpenter who has made the very most of his talents in renovating the property, retaining its traditional features while bringing modern comforts to the open-plan kitchen and living area. Sitting on the edge of the hamlet of Moreira, the cottage is a 15-minute drive from a sheltered beach, restaurant and cafés on the Rias Baixas coastline, while the village of O Viso is less than two miles away, with its excellent bakery, grocery and café. This is the place for a couple who want to get away from it all and spend some quality time in a breathtaking hillside setting. POOL | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | Sleeps 28 This is a big-hitter for that special celebratory get together in sunny climes — a vast manor house containing 14 en suite double bedrooms just 25 minutes by car from Barcelona airport. Masia Victoria dates to the 15th century and has been sensitively renovated to preserve stone arches and wood-beamed ceilings while incorporating air-conditioning, an infinity swimming pool and other modern comforts and luxuries. There's a sizeable dining room and a range of choices for relaxing with a cocktail, among them a sprawling patio and various terraces. If you fancy venturing out, the little town of Sant Pere de Ribes is a stone's throw away, and Sitges and the coast close by too. POOL | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | Sleeps 10 With space for eight adults and a pair of kids, this stone-built five-bedroom villa has all you'd want from a traditional finca — and, with panoramic rustic views and well-kept grassy grounds surrounded by fruit trees, its location scores points too. Despite its out of the way position, the villa is a walk from some high-class dining at the restaurant of the Son Brull hotel, while the towns of Pollensa and Puerto Pollensa are a short drive away. There's plenty to keep the children entertained, with a private pool and table-tennis table, and sporty grown-ups can head for a round of golf at Pollensa Golf Club. This is the perfect spot for a relaxing break with family or friends that won't cost the earth. • Best all-inclusive hotels in Spain• Best beaches in Spain
The Sun
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Big Brother star ordained as a deacon after turning to the church – 20 years on from finishing runner-up on reality show
A BIG Brother legend has finally been ordained as a deacon after swapping fame for the church. Series seven runner-up Glyn Wise, 37, has been working towards this moment for five years after time spent in China made him reconsider his life. 4 4 4 Last month he graduated from Bible College where he spent three years studying for a theology degree. Five weeks later, he is officially a vicar. Today, he confirmed the news, writing on Instagram: "This is Rev Glyn - I'm coming to get you! "Day 1 as an official Rev! Hard work, praying & studying has paid off - 'With God all things are possible' Math 19: 26. "Looking forward to follow in the footsteps of the disciples in the book of Acts, spreading the good word across the nations!" Glyn shared a video from his ordination ceremony inside St Asaph Cathedral, North Wales, as he was made a member of the clergy. The work of a deacon focuses on spreading and serving the Church in poor and marginalised communities. Glyn's next stage of training to become a priest will see him based in the Aled Mission Area around Old Colwyn and Betws yn Rhos, according to the diocese of St Asaph. He has already completed a 770km pilgrimage to the iconic Santiago de Compostela in Spain, believed to be the burial site of the apostle St James, as part of his faith journey. DIVINE INTERVENTION Religion has always played a big part in Glyn 's life and previously told how he "prayed my way onto Big Brother". Speaking on This Morning in 2022, he said: 'I grew up in a religious family and I prayed my way onto Big Brother. Pete, Glyn and Victor appear on Big Brother 5 as they reunite 17 years after show "I was asking God can you please just get me into Big Brother. 'I was 16 thinking there must be so much more to life, life is so predestined, school then university and I wanted something so different for me. 'Big Brother was what I wanted and it changed everything.' Previously, he told how he counts Hollywood actor and Wrexham AFC co-owner Ryan Reynolds as one of the congregation at his local church in North Wales. After dropping out of the limelight, Glyn went on to have a normal life, heading to university two years and becoming a teacher. He then decided to go travelling and ended up working in Shanghai, China, where he 'got rid of the Glyn from Big Brother tag'. With Christianity growing at a massive scale across Asia, Glyn embraced his faith and decided to train as a vicar once he got home in 2020. He previously opened up on what his course entailed and said: 'I'm learning theology, going into depth about the Bible and learning how to cope with people, because you're not only the vicar, you're someone to listen, you're a psychiatrist, you have to help sort people's lives out and spread the good word. 'So there's a concoction of stuff that you need to learn before you become a vicar.' Despite sporting a very different look now, Glyn says he still gets Big Brother fans coming up to him in church — and he will often weave his past into his sermons. He said: 'I've got a beard now, I've shaved my head, I'm a man not a boy, but yeah, there's conversations about Big Brother that still come up. People come to church and are like, 'I really loved you when you cooked that egg'. 'And I'm like, 'Can we talk about Jesus Christ now, the Saviour?'. 'But I feel like when you've lived a good life, you've got a lot to talk about when you're up in the pulpit doing a sermon.'
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Spain's top court orders Franco family to hand back Romanesque statues
MADRID (Reuters) -Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that the descendants of dictator Francisco Franco must return two valuable Romanesque statues to the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela, according to a court statement released on Thursday. The statues were once part of the 12th-century "Door of Glory", a portico marking the entrance to Santiago's cathedral, which is widely considered a masterpiece of mediaeval art and which is where the famed pilgrim Camino (Way) ends. The works were removed during restoration works on the cathedral's facade and purchased by the city in 1948. Franco's wife, Carmen Polo, expressed interest in them during a 1952 visit to the city, after which they were sent to the Meiras palace - the dictator's summer residence. "Motivated by a desire to please the wife of the head of state", Santiago's then-mayor facilitated their transfer to Meiras, the ruling said. The court decided that despite Franco's family possessing the statues for a long time, they still belonged to the city of Santiago. Franco's descendants argued that the purchase by the city was never completed and claimed the statues were acquired through an antiquarian, citing an oral account passed down within the family. Francis Franco, the dictator's grandson, did not reply to a request for comment when contacted by Reuters. Franco rose to power through a military coup against the Republican government in July 1936 and ruled the country for almost 40 years, until his death in 1975. Fifty years later, his legacy still divides Spanish society.
Reuters
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Spain's top court orders Franco family to hand back Romanesque statues
MADRID, June 19 (Reuters) - Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that the descendants of dictator Francisco Franco must return two valuable Romanesque statues to the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela, according to a court statement released on Thursday. The statues were once part of the 12th-century "Door of Glory", a portico marking the entrance to Santiago's cathedral, which is widely considered a masterpiece of mediaeval art and which is where the famed pilgrim Camino (Way) ends. The works were removed during restoration works on the cathedral's facade and purchased by the city in 1948. Franco's wife, Carmen Polo, expressed interest in them during a 1952 visit to the city, after which they were sent to the Meiras palace - the dictator's summer residence. "Motivated by a desire to please the wife of the head of state", Santiago's then-mayor facilitated their transfer to Meiras, the ruling said. The court decided that despite Franco's family possessing the statues for a long time, they still belonged to the city of Santiago. Franco's descendants argued that the purchase by the city was never completed and claimed the statues were acquired through an antiquarian, citing an oral account passed down within the family. Francis Franco, the dictator's grandson, did not reply to a request for comment when contacted by Reuters. Franco rose to power through a military coup against the Republican government in July 1936 and ruled the country for almost 40 years, until his death in 1975. Fifty years later, his legacy still divides Spanish society.
