Once a hidden corner of Spain adored by the Spanish for its beautiful landscapes, long white sandy beaches, fresh sea food and crisp white wines, Brits are finally
starting to catch on to the charms of the Atlantic coast.
An encinting mix of Celtic roots, Portuguese influences and Spanish mores makes this slice of land unlike any other part of Spain.
Its culinary traditions stem from the small fishing communities still dotting the coastline and Galicia´s long standing relationship
with the sea.
Inland vineyards growing the typical Albariño and Treixadura grapes dominate the montainous scenery, traversed by deep river canyons.
Ver mapa más grande
Santiago de Compostela
One of Galicia´s key attractions, known for its imposing cathedral with a shrine to St. James, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. The city
is also the final goal for many pilgrims who walk some 780 kilometres to reach the shrine.
Travelling further afield from Santiagoto get a feel for life in smaller communities is well worth the effort.
The coastline is broken by so-called
rías, ancient fjord like sea valleys, home to a number of fishing villages, as well as spectacular scenery.
In the southern area of Rías Baixas, lies the settlement of
Combarro, a quiet backwater on the Ría de Pontevedra.
Impossibly picturesque and timeless, the village houses
several old-style hórreos, wooden huts built on stilts usually for keeping grain, but here they are used for drying fish.
Not far away,
O Grove, on Ría de Arousa displays an altogether more modern side.
This is the heart of the Galician mussel industry. Floating rafts of eucalyptus wood, known as bateas, are used for mussel farming.
Boats
with see-through glass interiors take visitors right up to the rafts for a good close up of the ropes dangling, heavy with mussels, some of which
the onboard chef quicky transforms into a simple but delicious lunch of freshly steamed mussels, washed down with the obligatory white Albariño wine.
The next town along the coast is
Cambados, home to the Fefiñanes Bodega, a local wine producer, specialising in the Albariño grape variety
and the potent Galician tipple Orujo. A grape-based spirit, orujo is probably best enjoyed in moderation, but some of the flavoured versions are truly
divine and most restaurants make their own.
The tostado, or roasted orujo makes for a great digestif, as does the coffee flavored one. The neat, clear homebrew, though, is not for the fainthearted,
and could easily have you singing all the way back to Santiago.
Galicia´s costline is perhaps its the best known feature. Beyond the coast, on the other hand, is quite different - in part covered in pine forests, with
deep river canyons cutting through the mountain landscape. Seafood and fish feature heavily in the Galician diet, but if you suddenly get a meat craving, everything
from suckling pig to mouth-watering venison is very popular.
In the mountainous south,
Mondariz, home to one of the region´s best spas, for its mineral-medicinal waters and healthy fresh air, is a great
place to recover from all the serious munching. Once rstored, it´s only a short hop to Vigo, the region´s biggest city and Europe´s largest fishing port.
Vigo boasts an excellent seafood market. You are spoilt for choice here, with the day´s catch piled high; lobsters, clams and crayfish, mussels, crabs and scallops,
oysters, bright purple claw-like percebes or goose-necked barnacles.
South from Vigo along the coast we find
Baiona, a small historical town, close to the Portuguese border. Here an old fortress, now a Parador, is surrounded
by the Atlantic Ocean and overlooks the town with its replica of the Carabel La Pinta, the first ship to arrive back from Columbus´journey to the Americas.
This is a town steeped in history, its old cobbled streets and building taking you back in time. Celtic heritage and ancient beliefs are also
prominent here and.
Much of Galicia seems firmly embedded in time warp, moving at a different pace altogether. It´s chose its own rythm, in time with the Galcian
mentality of keeping old traditions alive, while embracing change.
