The Monastery of San Martiño Pinario is one of the largest monasteries in Spain, second only to El Escorial in floor area, and it stands immediately north of the Cathedral in a position that was carefully negotiated over centuries of friction between the Benedictine monks and the cathedral chapter. The current building was constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries.
The church interior, with its elaborately carved wooden choir stalls and Baroque high altar, is extraordinary — and often empty, since most visitors do not venture this far from the Cathedral. The cloisters are open to visitors. Part of the complex is now a hotel, which gives non-guests a reason to look inside the public areas.