podtour
Santiago Cathedral and Its Squares
Walk around the cathedral and its squares to find out how Compostela began. These stones hold traditions, disputes and a carefully chosen hiding place.
The Women of Compostela: audio walk in Santiago de Compostela
Behind the walls of Compostela lived women with names: abbesses who barricaded themselves against reform, nuns who fled by night, orphan girls, the university's first woman graduate and the founders of Belvís.
What this walk is about
You start beside the wall of San Paio, where in 1499 every Benedictine nun in Galicia was shut away. Some resisted with armed men, others fled one night with the gold and silver, and within a few years the women inside were defending their house before the queen. Then a young woman from Viveiro who needed a minister's permission to study pharmacy, the orphan girls of 1600 and their five o'clock bell, and an archbishop buried among nuns on the far side of the city wall. You head down Rúa das Trompas to Belvís: an inheritance, a prioress brought from Zamora because nobody wanted to come, a mother who entered the convent just as her husband entered another, a stone that handed the founding to a man, and a Virgin who, so the story goes, never wanted to leave the porter's lodge.
- Start
- When the Monks Left
- Finish
- The Virgin Who Would Not Go In
- Who it is for
- For another visit, when you want to look beyond the familiar sights. For anyone interested in women's history. A walk for groups and couples.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in level. There are cobbles or uneven surfaces. The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
When the Monks Left
- 2
Women Behind the Battlements
- 3
The Night of the Escape
- 4
The Ladies of San Payo
- 5
With the Minister's Permission
- 6
The Orphan Girls of 1600
- 7
An Archbishop Among Nuns
- 8
An Inheritance for a Convent
- 9
Nobody Wanted to Come
- 10
Two Convents at Once
- 11
A Stone That Claimed a Founder
- 12
The Virgin Who Would Not Go In
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Santiago de Compostela, before you go
Granite, arcades and squares where someone has always just arrived. Santiago invites a slower walk, with a layer handy and time to wait for a shower to pass.
More walks nearby
Witches and Wandering Souls: Compostela's Legends
From Quintana to Bonaval, Santiago tells stories of shadows, witches and wandering souls. Some are much younger than you might expect.
University, Market and the Old Streets
Leave Obradoiro for the streets where Santiago studied, shopped and argued. Everyday life here has a cast of its own.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.