---
title: "Santiago on a Sunday"
description: "The Mercado de Abastos closes, but the Cathedral, the CGAC and most of the city stay open. What to do on a Sunday in Santiago de Compostela."
url: https://santiago.es/en/santiago-on-sunday
locale: en
generated: 2026-10-28T04:50:22.001Z
---

# Santiago on a Sunday

The day off

Not the best day for shopping, but one of the best for seeing the city unhurried. Here is what opens, what closes and how a Sunday actually works here.

![Praza de Cervantes en el casco histórico de Santiago, con la fuente y gente paseando](https://santiago.es/img/praza-cervantes.jpg)

[© Bene Riobó · CC0](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Praza_de_Cervantes.jpg)

By [Cesar Rodriguez](https://santiago.es/en/author)

Sunday in Santiago runs to a different rhythm from the rest of the week, and not only because the market shuts. It is the day the city keeps for the people who live in it: fewer tour groups, more midday vermouth, more walking in the Alameda without checking the time. If you arrive on a Sunday there is no shortage of things to see, but it is worth knowing in advance which doors you will find closed.

## What closes

The **Mercado de Abastos**is closed on Sundays — it opens Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 14:00 — so if your plan involved buying fresh shellfish or eating in the gastronave, it will have to wait for another day. The traditional shops of the old town tend to close too, although Galicia’s trading-hours rules allow a handful of Sunday openings a year that vary with the calendar, and the souvenir shops and bakeries in the centre usually stay open whatever happens.

Put another way: if the market and the shops are shut and you have already walked the old town, Sunday is a good day not to be in the city. Padrón is 15 minutes away by train, A Coruña 30 to 40, and Finisterre about two hours by bus, and all three work as a return trip in a day: [the day trips from Santiago](https://santiago.es/en/day-trips) have the times and prices. Do check the timetables on monbus.es or renfe.com before setting off, though, because the Sunday service is not the Tuesday one.

## What stays open

The **Cathedral** opens every day from 7:00 to 21:00, Sunday included, with [its four masses](https://santiago.es/en/what-to-see/cathedral/mass-times) at the usual times — 7:30, 9:30, 12:00 and 19:30 — but since 16 October 2026, because of the [2026 restoration work](https://santiago.es/en/what-to-see/cathedral) in the main chapel, three of them — 9:30, 12:00 and 19:30 — are held in the church of San Agustín and only the 7:30 stays in the Cathedral, in the Chapel of the Communion. The **Cathedral Museum** opens 10:00 to 20:00 like any other day. The **CGAC**, the contemporary art centre, is free and opens 11:00 to 20:00. The **Museo das Peregrinacións** keeps shorter Sunday hours, 10:15 to 14:45. And the **Cidade da Cultura**, up on Monte Gaiás, keeps its free exhibitions open. Which ones exactly are on this week, with the room and the closing date, is in [the exhibitions open right now](https://santiago.es/en/events#exhibitions-open-right-now-in-santiago), which updates itself.

## How a Sunday is spent in Santiago

The classic plan is a simple one: mass or a walk in the morning, a midday vermouth on a terrace in the centre, a long lunch with family or friends, and an afternoon in the Alameda if [the weather](https://santiago.es/en/weather) allows. Nothing about that needs booking; it is enough to walk through the old town and let the mood carry you, which on Sundays is quieter and more local than midweek.

A warning about restaurants

Many Santiago restaurants rest on Sunday evening, and some on Monday too. If you plan to eat out, book ahead, or better still eat well at midday and leave the evening for unhurried tapas somewhere you know is open. To choose, the selection with area and rough prices is in [the best restaurants in Santiago](https://santiago.es/en/where-to-eat/best-restaurants); the closing day is worth confirming with the place itself, as it shifts with the season.

## Frequently asked questions

**Does the Mercado de Abastos open on Sundays?**

No. It opens Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 14:00. On Sundays it is closed completely, including the food hall.

**Can you visit the Cathedral on a Sunday?**

Yes, as normal: it opens 7:00 to 21:00 and the museum 10:00 to 20:00, the same as the rest of the week.

**Which museums are free on a Sunday?**

The CGAC is free every day, Sunday included. The Cidade da Cultura exhibitions are free too. Check the Museo do Pobo Galego, which usually offers free entry on Sundays, directly before you go.

**Do restaurants close on Sundays in Santiago?**

Many rest on Sunday evening, and some on Monday as well. Eating at midday is the safest option without a booking.

## Keep reading

**[What to see in Santiago de Compostela](https://santiago.es/en/what-to-see)** — Visit — The Cathedral, the old town squares and the museums that make up the essential route. — Read the guide

**[Santiago in 1, 2 and 3 days](https://santiago.es/en/itineraries)** — Plan — Full itineraries for whatever time you have, whichever day it is. — Read the guide

**[Where to eat in Santiago](https://santiago.es/en/where-to-eat)** — Eat — The tapas streets, the Mercado de Abastos and two Michelin-starred restaurants. — Read the guide