monasterio de san martin pinario

Perfect location, just across the street from the Cathedral. In Santiago, rooms are small and very clean. There are heaters in the bedrooms and toilet area but they never turned on while we were there.The food is okay at dinner time and has one set menu. Food presentation is very basic. The dinning area is this very grand beautiful room . Breakfast is self serve and has a greater variety.

Besides the church itself, with several interesting chapels, the collection of the monastery is worth seeing. The carved wood choir from the cathedral is particularly striking

A beautiful monastery, close to the cathedral. Upstairs is the choir area which was removed from the Cathedral itself. The "new choir" stalls at Pinario are quite beautiful in their own right.

Of course, if you are a pilgrim or a Catholic believer, you will want to see the alleged tomb of St James in the Cathedral and attend services.But for a far wider collection of treasures, with a great deal of information and history, this monastery-museum appealed far more.As well as a significant number of highly ornate baroque chapels, there are museum sections devoted to, for example, pharmacy as developed by the monks here and along the Camino. There is a great deal to explore and most sections have some English interpretation - although for some reason this is often printed on darker wood panels than the Spanish and Galician text and is much harder to read in the available light.There are even *two* complete sets of carved wooden choir stalls - one brought here from the Cathedral. Both are fantastic.There are stairs to climb to see the museum sections and I didn't see any lift.Seniors can get a discount on the admission price. Full price or reduced, I'd say it was worth every cent.

I had no idea how impressive this monasterio is before visiting there, even though I had read about it. I strongly recommend that you visit it, even if your time is limited. The main altar and the choir behind it are true masterpieces worth considerable time looking at. The choir is well lit, unlike any I have ever seen elsewhere in Europe, and you can get close to this master work. Upstairs in the museum is the original wood choir from the Cathedral, another masterpiece. You can tour this in an hour or less.

It seems that this monastery is much less popular with visitors as the cathedral is the main destination. Thanks to that San Martin Pinario remains quiet. Monastery was completed in 17th century. It has an appealing facade and set of stairs leading to entrance. It costs 2.50 euros to get inside. There you can visit some interesting chapels, sacristy, choir stalls originally placed in the Santiago cathedral and specimens from the former printing house of the monastery (personally I found them very interesting). Definetely worth a visit.

The perfect location right across from the Cathedral. All part of the Camino experience and the experience of Santiago

I wished we would have stayed in this hotel but we enjoyed the lunch. The lunch was delicious and the best value for money in town. They also have a great gift shop.

This site is close by the Cathedral and well worth the effort. I actually enjoy it more than the Cathedral as it was so peaceful. There is a great deal to see. It costs 2.50 Euros and well worth the half hour. There is a complete complex of chapels, hospital and gardens to explore.

Do not miss going to the Monasterio, which is near the Cathedral. Architecture is fabulous, worth it.

This location is located just a few minutes from the main cathedral. The entrance is located down a few steps from the street level. There is an entrance fee of a few Euros with a small printed guide available in a few languages.The whole area should take about 20 minutes to explore. Like the cathedral museum there are examples of the stone exterior as well the vestments worn. I was taken by the wood painting that makes the appearance of stone or gold.

It's a fascinating architecture comprising a whole service complex: church, chapels, hospital, gardens, hidden symbols of past secrets. It's a must if you are in the area.

This monastery turned hotel is first rate. The rooms are small but very comfortable and we loved the historic feeling of the meter thick walls. What could be better than staying in a monastery immediately next to the Cathedral. No WiFi in the rooms, only downstairs in the public sitting area. Helpful staff. Highly recommend.

Situated directly opposite the cathedral, the hospederia is a real gem. It is bigger than the nearby Parador and offers excellent accommodation coupled with a really substantial breakfast. There is a small cafeteria on the ground floor offering tantalising coffee an tarta Santiago for €3. A great location for both pilgrim or tourist. Seamus Greene

The monastery is huge and it has many formidable works of art. However for me, the most impressive was the lower plant, where there is the chapel. You can see statues, relics, paints, diverse religious objects and in the last floor you can see a reproduction of a chore. However, I would not recommend to visit the Monastery the same day you visit the Cathedral museum, that would be overwhelming. Leave it for the second day.