The Top Traditional Food Markets In And Around Santiago De Compostela

Northern Spain has a strong reputation for traditional food markets – especially in Santiago de Compostela, the regional capital of Galicia. The many markets in and around the town offer a wide range of traditional products to sample or take back home with you. Read on for our round-up of the best in the area.

Mercado de Abastos de Santiago

Santiago’s main city market, the Mercado de Abastos, is the second most-visited spot in Santiago after the cathedral, and attracts up to 4000 people every Saturday. Dating back to 1873, it has over 70 stalls selling everything from cured meats and cheeses, to seafood, vegetables, bread and fresh flowers. Stop here to pick up some of Galicia’s most traditional products to take back with you, including Tetilla cheese, Galician sausages or honey.

Mercado de Abastos, Santiago de Compostela

Mercado de Arzúa

Market, Spanish

The small village of Arzúa lies around 45km (28 miles) east of Santiago de Compostela along the Camino de Santiago, and is popular with visitors. The market is held at the Terra do Queixo showground on the 8th and 22nd of each month from 8am-2pm, and specialises in local breads and cheeses, as well as selling vegetables and clothes. Arzúa also holds an Ecological Fair every October, promoting the region’s ecological products and featuring music, workshops and theatre.

Mercado de Padrón

Less than a half-hour drive southwest of Santiago de Compostela, you’ll come to the town of Padrón, which holds one of the biggest and most popular Sunday markets in Galicia. Boasting more than 600 stalls, it sells everything from traditional Galician food products to seafood, plants, spices and clothing. As this is Padrón, don’t forget to pick up some of its most famous export – pimientos de Padrón (Padrón peppers), small green (non-spicy) peppers which are fried, sprinkled with salt and eaten as a tapa. The pulpo a la Gallega (Galician-style octopus), boiled and covered in olive oil and paprika is also particularly popular here, and makes for a tasty snack while shopping.

Mercado de Lalín

Market, Spanish

Make the trip 50km (51 miles) southeast of Santiago de Compostela, and you’ll find the town of Lalín, which holds two markets on the 3rd and the 18th of each month (if either of these dates falls on a Sunday, they are changed to the 2nd and the 19th respectively). The first, Campo da Feira Vello sells everything from food products to clothes and footwear, while the second, Campo da Feira Novo specialises in fruits and vegetables.

Mercados de Melide

Market, Spanish

The town of Melide is a real Galician commercial centre, where shops are even open on Sunday (unheard of in the rest of Spain). Not only this, but it boasts three traditional markets. The daily market on Praza das Coles sells fruit and vegetable produce from local farmers, while the market on Praza da Alfóndega specialises in traditional Galician products such as cheeses, sausages, honeys and breads. It also holds a large market every Sunday from 8am-3.30pm, home to over 100 stalls, selling everything from local food products to clothes, leatherwork and shoes. Visit Melide on the last Sunday of each month and you’ll be able to witness the Feira Grande – Galicia’s second most-important cattle market.

Mercado de A Estrada

Market, Spanish

The small town of A Estrada lies half an hour’s drive south of Santiago de Compostela and holds a traditional market every Wednesday. Held in Praza da Feira, just east of the centre, it takes place between 10am-2pm. Many local products are on sale directly from the farmers here, including fruits and vegetables, cheeses and breads. They also have a section for textiles and clothes.