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    Home » Uncategorized

    Galicia (Spain). Part 1: from blue flags to green pastures

    0 · Mar 4, 2011 · 10 Comments

    As most of you already know, I'm Spanish. But that doesn't mean that I'm from the land of paella.

    I grew up in Northwest Spain, in Galicia, an unspoilt region hidden in the top left corner of the Iberian Peninsula, just above Portugal.

    Galicia, Spain, blue flags, green pastures, canyons, gorges: cañón del Sil, Sil canyon
    The canyon of the river Sil

    In fact, I grew up not far away from the border with Portugal, in a seaside town called Vigo.

    Galicia is a land proud of its culture, language, food, wine and Celtic heritage and an area of huge diversity.

    From the Atlantic Ocean coast, dotted with blue flag sandy beaches, to ancient rolling mountains with stunning views of blue bays and green valleys.

    From quirky villages to granite-clad cities and from deep river canyons to spa towns with thermal waters.

    This is Green Spain at its best.

    On the road

    Galicia is perfect for a road trip, try driving from Vigo to Verín taking as many detours as you wish to admire the views and sample the local fare.

    The motorway itself has fabulous views but it's worth getting off it and checking out Ourense, taking a river cruise through the canyon of the river Sil and, seen as you're there already, why not make a night of it and stay at an old monastery turned four star parador nestled (and I don't use the word lightly) in a mountain and surrounded by trees?

    On arrival to the Parador de Santo de Estevo, previously an immense Benedictine monastery, I recommend an afternoon coffee (they'll probably bring you some bica with it, it's a delicious sponge cake typical of this area, think of it as "sweet tapas").

    The Parador has an enormous breakfast buffet and a beautiful restaurant serving exquisite dinners, we stayed a couple of nights and had dinner there both evenings.

    Don't forget to bring a swimming costume for the beautiful spa and make sure you try the outdoor hot tub.

    The next day you could go on to Verín, famous for its carnival, medieval castle, mineral springs (make sure you stop at Cabreiroá to drink some straight from the spring, it's naturally slightly fizzy and it's delicious) and, despite not being anywhere near the sea, their perfectly cooked octopus.

    Galicia, Spain: from blue flags to green pastures. Galician food: bica. Traditional cake.
    Coffee and bica at Parador de Santo Estevo

    From Vigo, you could also choose to drive south following the Atlantic Ocean down to the Val Miñor and its famous microclimate (whatever the weather in neighbouring Vigo, you can rest assured once you get to this beautiful valley the weather will be even better).

    Then on to Baiona to visit the replica of one of Christopher Columbus' renowned caravels, La Pinta, which arrived with the news of the discovery of the Americas on March 1st 1493 (yes, us Galicians were the first to find out).

    After a walk round Baiona's charming streets and a visit to its Parador,
    keep driving south along the coast to watch the waves kiss the shore
    (on a stormy day the waves are gigantic and, rather than kissing, they
    fight the rocks for space with impressive results).

    The locals say that if you point your finger right out to the Ocean here you will be
    pointing to New York!

    Galicia, Spain: from blue flags to green pastures. Parador Santo Estevo, Ourense.
    Parador Santo Estevo's courtyard

    After driving a few more miles down the coast with the ocean on your right and the mountains rising on your left.

    You will arrive to A Guarda, where you can visit archaeological treasures in the Celtic village of Santa Tecla before crossing south of the Miño River to Portugal, this is one of the most beautiful natural borders you will ever see.

    Once in Portugal there is plenty to see but don't forget to turn the car round again and drive in a northerly direction from Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, with its world-famous cathedral and grey stone streets bordered by ancient arcades and shrouded in the mystery of the superstitious Galician fog.

    Galicia, Spain: from blue flags to green pastures. Val Miñor seen from O Cortelliño. El Val Miñor desde el Cortelliño.
    Val Miñor seen from O Cortelliño.

    Whether you drive north or south, east or west, you will have to park the car and travel by sea to visit one of Galicia's best kept secrets, Islas Cíes, an island paradise just a short boat ride away from either the harbour of Vigo or of Baiona.

    Whether you get there on the bus-boat or on a rented yacht, it's not to be missed, so much so that their main beach headed The Guardian's list of top 10 beaches of the world in 2007.

    But beware, this haven is zealously protected and, as the nature reserve that it is, access tends to be limited to Easter week and the summer months.

    Galicia, Spain: from blue flags to green pastures. Sunset over the Cies Islands, Atlantic Ocean. Puesta del sol, Islas Cíes, Playa de Patos.
    Islas Cíes seen from Praia de Patos

    There is a lot more to see and do in Galicia, this is just a tiny sample.

    One thing is clear, whether you want a beach holiday, a cultural break, an urban escape, a rural retreat or a luxurious spa, you will most definitely find it here.

    Make sure you read Galicia (Spain). Part 2: Food and drink for the gourmet traveller

    0

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nora says

      March 04, 2011 at 6:06 pm

      What a lovely post! I went to Galicia when I was 16 and loved it. I still remember sitting outside eating tapas in Pontevedra and deciding to do an A Level in Spanish. Then I studied Spanish at uni, and ending up living in Spain (in the land of paella!) and Costa Rica - so you could say that Galicia changed my life! 😉 And your post really makes me want to go back...

      Reply
    2. Feisty Tapas says

      March 06, 2011 at 12:45 pm

      Thank you Nora, I'm really pleased you like it. I love it when I find people who have heard of Galicia, even more when they have actually visited it! I would definitely recommend that you go back for another visit and if this post doesn't persuade you fully, I'll be writing more to make sure you go soon!

      Reply
    3. george says

      March 24, 2011 at 3:01 pm

      Hey, really great blog post… I've enjoyed reading through your blog because of the great style and energy. I actually work for the CheapOair travel blog. If you're interested, we would love to have you on as a guest blogger. Please send me an e-mail: gchristodoulou(at)cheapoair(dot)com, and I can give you more information. Looking forward to hearing from you.

      Reply
    4. The Cat Hag says

      May 02, 2011 at 8:31 am

      The scenery in your country is beautiful, I really liked reading this post. 🙂

      xoxo,
      Addie
      The Cat Hag

      Reply
    5. Mummy Matters says

      October 23, 2011 at 10:30 pm

      Wow that is a beautiful post, so nice to know more about where you come from. It looks stunning - perhaps one day in the distant future I shall take the family over there to explore 🙂 Spain is one country I am still yet to visit but its definitely on my to-do list.

      Reply
    6. Feisty Tapas says

      October 24, 2011 at 11:30 am

      Thank you Sabina, I fully recommend the northwest of Spain, very different to what you will have read, seen or heard about Spain so far. Unless you saw the last Rick Stein cookery programme, he started precisely in Galicia, I was very excited to see that!

      Reply
    7. BavarianSojourn says

      March 12, 2012 at 8:52 am

      Sounds absolutely perfect, and the photos are gorgeous! Thanks for joining us over at Loveallblogs Travel this week! Emma 🙂

      Reply
      • Feisty Tapas says

        March 12, 2012 at 9:08 am

        Thanks Emma 🙂

        Reply
    8. MsXpat says

      June 15, 2012 at 4:43 pm

      Stunning views sigh 

      Reply
    9. Tasha Goddard says

      November 08, 2012 at 11:37 pm

      Lovely post. When I lived in Valencia, we had a friend who came from Galicia and he would tell us about how beautiful it is - greenest part of Spain, he said.

      Reply

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