Santiago de Compostela (Camino de Santiago) weather in January

January in Santiago de Compostela: cold, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 16 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Santiago de Compostela🇪🇸 Spain · Green Spain & Northern Portugal · City52
  1. 52Jan
  2. 62Feb
  3. 66Mar
  4. 77Apr
  5. 84May
  6. 89Jun
  7. 94Jul
  8. 91Aug
  9. 88Sep
  10. 71Oct
  11. 60Nov
  12. 54Dec

#12 of 12 months in Santiago de Compostela · #1112 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 52/100 (tier D)

Days
13°C
Nights
5°C
Wet days
16
Sun
5.3 h
Humidity
88%
Daylight
9 h
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Photo: Steffen A. Pfeiffer · Pexels

Traveller notes on Santiago de Compostela in January

Forum posters steer visitors toward spring or autumn generally, warning that January can bring genuinely anything - high winds, a little snow, rain, or a burst of sun, sometimes within the same week. For anyone on the Camino specifically, posters note the weather typically 'breaks' sometime between late September and November as the rainy season sets in, meaning January sits well within that wetter stretch. Nights get properly cold, and posters flag that pilgrim albergues along the route typically don't have heating, a detail that matters more in January than any other month for anyone still walking in.
Tripadvisor community · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Santiago de Compostela

Regulars are blunt that no matter which month a trip lands on here, some rain is genuinely likely - this city's reputation for grey, wet weather holds even in the better stretches - though the last two weeks of this month specifically get named as one of the better windows before deep summer. Our row backs that mild, genuinely wet read, 21.2C over 10.1C nights feeling 8C, with 90.2mm of rain across 10.6 days and humidity at 82 percent. Regulars are consistent that sunny days do arrive in real number even within a rainy month, layering being the standard approach for Camino walkers rather than betting on either extreme. Shorts versus long trousers debates among Camino hikers reflect just how variable a single day here can run. The record: 11 hours of sun, an 18.6 kph wind and AQI 35.
SomeRainRegardlessOfTheMonthYouPick · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars call this a good time to arrive specifically because it's cooler and quieter than peak summer, with the first part of the month often still holding sunny, almost-summer conditions before any real change sets in. Our row backs that transitional read, 23.6C reading as 24C over 13C nights, with 78.2mm of rain across 8.5 days. Regulars note genuine year-to-year swings on top of the average - one especially hot September ran 30-35C with the season's first rain arriving only in the final days of the month - a reminder that this destination's Atlantic-influenced weather doesn't repeat identically every year. The record: humidity 81 percent, 9.8 hours of sun, a 17.8 kph wind and one of the cleanest air readings in this project, AQI 34.
CoolerFewerCrowdsSameCityToWalk · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Santiago de Compostela-forum threads on March weather are direct that Galician spring runs genuinely rainy, posters warning newcomers to come prepared for a real amount of rain rather than hoping for a dry week. Conditions are called unpredictable day to day, a clear morning just as likely to turn wet by afternoon as the reverse. Anyone walking the Camino Frances into town this time of year gets a specific warning: snow is a real possibility at higher elevations along the route, including around O Cebreiro, even when the city itself stays free of it. The standing packing list across every thread is the same - a proper lightweight rain jacket, a warm jumper, and quick-drying trousers rather than anything that stays wet once soaked. Regulars call the payoff thinner crowds than the peak Camino season just ahead. The record: 15.2C days feeling like 13C, 5.9C nights, a notably high 165mm across 14.5 days, 0.1cm of high-elevation snowfall, 84 percent humidity and 8.2 hours of sun.
CaminoMarchRegular · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
June is the month most people name for walking the Camino into Santiago - the chance of good weather is at its best, and neither the path nor the beds are yet crowded - but Galician regulars attach the same caveat to every month of the year: you will probably meet rain whatever you do. June to August is the driest stretch and still gives our row 75.5mm across 9.3 precipitation days at 83 percent humidity. Their description of a June week is beautiful sun at 20 to 25C interrupted by a genuinely wet, windy day, occasionally with hail. So: a jacket or pullover for chilly nights and a small umbrella, always. The record: 23C days, 12.8C nights and 11.2 hours of sun.
DriestStillMeansRain · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Santiago de Compostela's card on the map.

Santiago de Compostela climate normals — January

Daytime high13°C / 55°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low5°C / 41°F
Feels like (high)9°C / 48°F
Rainfall215 mm / 8.5 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days16 days
Humidity88%💦 very humid
Dew point7°C / 44°F
Sunshine5.3 h/day
Daylight9.4 h
Wind21 km/h / 13 mph
Air quality (US AQI)29🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Santiago de Compostela in January

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Peak crowdsChristmas and Reyes, Christmas holidays in Spain, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Santiago de Compostela's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Toughest weatherSantiago de Compostela's weather peaks June–August, best around July.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Santiago de Compostela in January

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Holiday

    Christmas and Reyes

    15 Dec – 6 JanChristmas & New Year

    Granite, rain and lit arcades, with the cathedral half empty for the first time all year. Most of the pilgrim infrastructure along the route is shut until spring. Source ↗

What's on around the world in January →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Santiago de Compostela — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Santiago de Compostela?

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Santiago de Compostela in January — FAQ

Is January a good time to visit Santiago de Compostela?
January in Santiago de Compostela: cold, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 16 rainy days. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Santiago de Compostela on SeasonMap's comfort score (52/100).
What is the weather like in Santiago de Compostela in January?
In January, Santiago de Compostela averages a daily high of 12.6°C and a low of 5.1°C, with about 214.8 mm of rain over roughly 15.5 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Santiago de Compostela in January?
Santiago de Compostela has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 29 in January.

Within 300 km: Porto's Christmas and New Year on 1 Dec – 1 Jan.