Ourense Voyage Tips and guide

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Ourense is a city in Galicia in northwest Spain, with a population of 105,000 in 2024. It's mostly modern and industrial but has a medieval quarter around its cathedral, a stop on the Via de la Plata branch of El Camino pilgrimage trail to Santiago. Ourense is also in a geothermal area, with hot springs.

This is an obvious place to cross the River Miño, so the Romans created the town of Auria and built a bridge. They also appreciated the natural hot springs bubbling out on the north riverbank. After their Empire collapsed and they left, the Suevi Celtic people made it the capital of their territory. But when the Moors occupied Spain in the 710s, the northern fringes of their conquest became a depopulated badlands, and Ourense was a ghost town. The Moors were rolled back from the 10th century and there began a frenzy of repopulation and church-building, mostly south of the river in Ourense.

Ourense was too far from the sea to share in the rise and fall of Spain's maritime empire, and industrialisation only reached it in the 19th century, along with the railway. It was never a smokestack metal-bashing town, but majored on the service sector such as local government admin. There's also a steady trade from pilgrims passing through on the route from Seville to Santiago.

As elsewhere in this region, the official and most commonly-spoken language is Galician, which is closer to Portuguese than to Castilian Spanish the version most foreigners learn. Everyone understands Spanish, and those in the hospitality sector often know English.

The climate of Ourense more resembles the continental interior than Galicia's Atlantic coast. Summer days are hot, 30°C, whilst winters are wet and weary, 12°C - 2°C.

Turismo de Ourense is by the cathedral entrance, open M-Sa 09:00-14:00, 16:00-20:00, Su 11:00-14:00.

Santiago de Compostela (SCQ ^IATA) 115 km northwest is usually the most convenient airport, as the tourism and pilgrimage trade brings flights from across Europe.

A Coruña (LCG ^IATA) 170 km north and Vigo (VGO ^IATA) 90 km west have domestic flights but seldom from beyond Spain.

Trains from Madrid Chamartin run every hour or two and take 2 hr 30 min via Segovia Guiomar and Zamora. Some continue to Santiago, A Coruña and Ferrol, or to Vilagarcia, Pontevedra and Vigo Urzaiz. One train a day comes all the way from Alicante. From Barcelona change in Madrid.

The service from A Coruna and Santiago is hourly. Four trains a day take 90 min from Lugo.

42.350369-7.8725721 Ourense railway station is north of the river, a 1 km walk to town centre.

Monbus runs twice a day from Madrid Moncloa, taking almost 7 hours, and continues to Vigo.

On Saturday, a bus from Bilbao takes almost 10 hours to Ourense.

The bus station is by the railway station.

From Madrid follow A-6 onto A-52, which continues west from Ourense to Vigo. From Santiago take AP-53 (toll) or N-525 (toll-free).

Most sights are in walking distance. Avanza operate some 30 local bus routes: Buses 1, 3 and 33 ply between Praza Mayor and the railway & bus stations every few minutes.

A "tourist train" potters four times a day between Praza Mayor and Outariz geo-thermal springs.

• 42.3364-7.86321 Cathedral of San Martin, Rúa Juan de Austria, ☏ +34 608 505531. M-Sa 10:00-19:00. Built from 1220 in Gothic style, with a sprinkling of later Renaissance and Baroque. Notable features are the altarpiece, Portal of Paradise, Capilla del Cristo and cloisters. Adult €8, child €7. (updated Apr 2025)
• Praza Mayor 100 m southwest of the cathedral is the main city square, lined by arcaded shops. Concello de Ourense is the town hall on its south side.
• Santa Eufemia, Rúa Lamas Carvajal 9 (50 m west of cathedral). This was built from the 17th century as the church of a Jesuit monastery. The Baroque façade is concave to make it look impressive from the narrow street. (updated Apr 2025)
• Santa María Nai is 50 m south of the cathedral. It was built in the 11th century but re-done in the 13th. It's seldom open.
• 42.334611-7.8653082 As Burgas is a geothermal fountain, with the water steaming out at 67°C. You're free to scald yourself 24 hours.
• 42.333-7.86463 Santísima Trinidad or Holy Trinity is a 12th century church, looking like a fortress. It's only open for services.
• 42.3371-7.86054 San Francisco is a former Franciscan convent with an elegantly carved cloister. It's open Tu-Sa 11:30-13:30, 18:00-21:00, Su 11:30-13:30.
• Archaeology Museum just south of San Francisco is closed for renovation.
• 42.3388-7.86365 Santo Domingo (or Santa Eufemia del Norte) was built in 1685 for a Dominican convent.
• 42.3453-7.86886 Ponte Vella over River Miño was built by the Romans in the first century AD. It was repaired over the next 1400 years but in 1499 the main arch collapsed and the whole thing had to rebuilt: until 1816 it was the only bridge. It's now pedestrianised but the rusty modern metal railings don't do it any favours.
• 42.3344-7.85047 Montealegre Botanic Garden is on Rúa Fonte dos Caños in the hills 1 km east of town. It's open daily 10:00 till dusk.

• Theatre: Teatro Principal is 100 m northwest of the cathedral at Rúa da Paz 9.
• Auditorio Municipal is a performance venue east side of the centre at Rúa da Canle 2.
• Football: Ourense CF play soccer in Primera Federación, the third tier. Their Estadio O Couto (capacity 5600) is 1 km west of city centre.
• Os Carrileiros is a miniature railway with kiddy-rides on Rúa da Canle 100 m east of San Francisco.
• Golf: Real Montealegre GC is 5 km east of town on Rúa Fonte dos Caños.
• El Camino: Ourense is on the Via de la Plata branch of the pilgrimage trail to Santiago, starting in Seville. The name means "silver" but that's a medieval typo for the Roman trade route that was "plated", meaning paved not just a muddy rut. A feeder trail from Portugal joins here. The route onward to Santiago is 100 km, the minimum you need for a pilgrimage certificate, so some pilgrims start here.
• 42.3471-7.87831 Termas A Chavasqueira, Paseo do Tinteiro 1. These are the closest geothermal springs to city centre, on the north riverbank. They're popular, so you may have to wait your turn for the small hot pools. Those who emerge feeling too hot and clean can cool themselves in the river. Free. (updated Apr 2025)
• Fonte do Tinteiro is another source 500 m west on that riverbank, emerging at a cooler 43°C.
• 42.3516-7.91042 Termas do Muino da Veiga, Traversa da Vía Vella (3 km west of city), ☏ +34 98 836 6064. Daily 10:00-20:00. Five pools at different temperatures. No children. Free. (updated Apr 2025)
• 42.3478-7.91713 Termas Outariz e Canedo (4 km west of city), ☏ +34 98 836 6064. Daily 10:00-22:00. Pozas de Outariz are the upper hot springs and Burgas de Canedo the lower. From time to time some pools are temporarily closed. Bring flip-flops. Free. (updated Apr 2025)
• Termas Outariz are a commercial spa next to the free pools, designed to look like a Japanese onsen.

Lots of supermarkets around city centre: Gadis, Froiz and Eroski are the main chains. They're all open M-Sa 09:00-21:00.

• Tapa Negra, Plazuela da la Magdalena 7 (100 m south of cathedral), ☏ +34 98 804 9882. Tu-Sa 10:00-16:30, 19:00-00:00. Bustling quality tapas bar. (updated Apr 2025)
• Sanmiguel, Rúa San Miguel 12 (150 m northwest of cathedral), ☏ +34 98 823 6006. Tu-Sa 12:30-16:00, 20:00-23:00, Su 12:30-16:00. Good seafood and other Galician fare. (updated Apr 2025)
• Porta da Aira, Rúa Viriato 10 (100 m northeast of cathedral), ☏ +34 98 860 1756. Tu-Sa 13:00-15:30, 20:00-23:30, Su 13:00-15:30. Great reviews for food and wine. (updated Apr 2025)
• 42.34-7.86231 Nova, Valle Inclan 5, ☏ +34 98 821 7933. Tu W Su 13:30-15:30, Th-Sa 13:30-15:30, 21:00-22:30. Michelin one-star restaurant, great quality at a mid-range price. (updated Apr 2025)
• 42.3421-7.85692 A Palleira, Av Buenos Aires 96, ☏ +34 98 822 5320. Su M 13:00-16:00, W-Sa 13:00-16:00, 20:30-23:30. Excellent Galician cuisine. Only 12 tables, so make reservations. (updated Apr 2025)

Bars are found around Praza Mayor.

Galician wine is mostly white and crisp, like Portuguese.

• Hotel Zarampallo, Rúa Irmáns Villar 19 (100 m north of cathedral), ☏ +34 98 823 0008. Clean, friendly and central. B&B double €80. (updated Apr 2025)
• 42.3426-7.86031 Hotel NH Ourense, Celso Emilio Ferreiro 24, ☏ +34 98 860 1111. Reliable efficient inexpensive hotel. The rooftop bar has grand city views. Double (room only) €80. (updated Apr 2025)
• Hotel Carris Cardenal Quevedo, Cardenal Quevedo 28 (round corner west from NH Hotel), ☏ +34 98 837 5523. Reasonable place, some find the decor gloomy. B&B double €120. (updated Apr 2025)
• 42.3422-7.86442 Barceló (formerly Gran Hotel San Martin), Curros Enríquez 1, ☏ +34 98 8371811. Scores highly for comfort and service, and offers value beyond its price-range. B&B double €120. (updated Apr 2025)
• 42.3396-7.86093 Hotel Francisco II, Juan Manuel Bedoya 17, ☏ +34 98 824 2095. Good location but showing its age. B&B double €100. (updated Apr 2025)
• Parador de Santo Estevo is 25 km northeast in the scenic Cañón del Sil.

As of April 2025, Ourense and its approach roads have 5G from all Spanish carriers.

• Santiago de Compostela northwest has a magnificent cathedral and medieval centre.
• Vigo west is a fishing port with an old town.
• Ponferrada east across the mountains is in a strange landscape sculpted by ancient gold-mining.