The Mercado de Abastos is Santiago's covered market and one of the best in Galicia — a vast 19th-century stone building two blocks south of the Cathedral where local farmers, fishmongers, and cheese sellers set up stalls from early morning. It is at its best on Saturday, when growers from the surrounding villages bring produce in.
The fishmonger stalls are the main draw: the Galician coast produces outstanding percebes (barnacles), nécora (velvet crab), centolla (spider crab), and a rotating parade of white fish. Several stalls will cook what you buy on the spot — there are small bars at the back of the market where you can eat at a counter with a glass of wine. The market closes in the early afternoon.