Galicia

Overview

Galicia is located in the north western part of Spain. It opens towards the Atlantic Ocean and Cantabrico Sea. Lugo is the main province in Galicia and it is located in the center of this region.

Compared to the other Spanish regions Galicia has more rainfall, so it has many forests and green is the color that you can see everywhere. People who live in Galicia speak of themselves as “Gallegos”, a different nation from Spain.

Culture

The Galician culture is different from the rest of Spain. It is the result of the physical isolation between Portugal, the Atlantic Ocean and its opening toward the North of Europe. The Galicians are thought to be descendants of the Celtic tribes.

They speak their own language Gallego, but this language has no connection with the Celtic languages at all. Nevertheless, the Galicians also speak Spanish. Their culture does not know about Spanish big hats- sombreros, people do not know how to dance flamenco, they do not play famous Spanish guitars.

However, they know something else. The best displays of their culture are the festivals organized several times every year. These festivals are the ideal opportunity for visitors to get familiar with their dresses, music, dances and food.

What to visit

The capital city of Galicia is Santiago de Compostela. Apart from this city, Galicia has many other cities, mostly located on the coast and just a few of them inland. Furthermore, the Galician villages are the right representatives of this region. The landscape is full of greenery and mountains and on the other hand there are many lovely sandy beaches.

Padron is located near river Ulla. This town has many historical remains. First, this was a Roman settlement called Iria Flavia. In Padron visitors can see the church of Santiago, the house of Rosalia de Castro which is converted into a museum, Carmo monastery and other sites.

La Toja Island is well known for its church. This small island has a church with an interesting facade built of shells.

Another attractive town to visit is Ribeira. This picturesque port is very old. Inhabitants in Ribeira mostly live from fishing. Furthermore, the biggest fish market in Spain is located in this town. Beyond the town is the Castro Mountain with a beautiful view of the city and the ocean.

The castle of San Felipe is situated near the town of Ferrol. It was built in the 16th century after the discovery of America. Many ships sailed down from its walls towards the ‘New Land’. Another magnificent castle is the castle of Soutomaior. It is located near the town of Pontevedra. It has big, well decorated walls and it is still in use. For those who would like a dream marriage, this would be the perfect place to do it.

You should also visit the beautiful city of La Coruna. In La Coruna visitors can see old buildings such as the lighthouse from the Roman times, fortress called the castle of San Anton and the tomb of John Moor. However, on the other side there are modern buildings such as Domus that looks like it has popped out of space.