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.
Witches and Wandering Souls: Compostela's Legends: audio walk in Santiago de Compostela
Compostela's legends, each with its date of birth: the pilgrim's shadow, the meigas before the Inquisition, the saying that isn't by Cervantes, the farrier on his way to the gallows, the Santa Compaña and the illustrious dead the city brought back.
What this walk is about
You start in the Quintana with a legend that seems ancient and isn't. Under the Azabachería lie graves from twelve hundred years ago. In San Miguel dos Agros the Inquisition arrives, and with it a woman accused of being a meiga, a witch, for reading wax in water. In the Plaza de Cervantes, a saying nobody can find in Don Quixote. Beyond the Porta do Camiño, a stone cross with a saint's name, a farrier who cried out to the Virgin on his way to the gallows and, at Bonaval, two homecomings that really happened: Rosalía in 1891 and Castelao in 1984. Right there, a triple spiral staircase by Domingo de Andrade and the small print of his contract. You climb up to the park to hear how long the Santa Compaña has been told, and finish in an old cemetery that became a garden.
- Start
- The Shadow That Is Not So Old
- Finish
- The Cemetery That Became a Garden
- Who it is for
- For People looking for legends and mystery. A walk for couples and groups at dusk.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in level. 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
The Shadow That Is Not So Old
- 2
A Cemetery Beneath the Street
- 3
The Inquisition Arrives
- 4
Wax Droplets on Water
- 5
Witches Do Exist, They Say
- 6
The Holy Man in Stone
- 7
Come to My Aid
- 8
The Poet Who Came Home
- 9
A Resting Place for Those Who Died Far Away
- 10
Three Spiral Staircases and the Builder's Bill
- 11
The Procession of the Dead
- 12
The Cemetery That Became a Garden
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
The Women of Compostela
Behind the convent walls were women who resisted, escaped and changed what was possible. Meet them on the way from San Paio to Belvís.
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,
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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.