Most Compelling Reasons to Visit Galicia

 

Galicia is a largely coastal region, but its beaches aren’t at all like the beaches of Southern Spain where you will often find bodies pinned together like sardines in a tin, tanning in the blazing sun.

In Galicia, the beaches are just as beautiful but offer slightly spottier weather, colder water and far fewer crowds. The lack of crowds alone is one of the big reasons to visit Galicia. But there are so many more. You will also find spectacular cliffs, historic ruins and monasteries and steeply perched lighthouses. There are often similarities drawn between the Northern Galician and the English Coast or between Galicia and Brittany. Having visited them all I can agree that they resemble each other in many ways- the gray of the rocks, the turquoise of the sea, the frothy white caps on the choppy water and remnants of Celtic culture.

But Galicia is unique. The food, the people, and even the language are different. In a special way. It’s as if the region has held more tightly on to the past, and has retained much of its culture and uniqueness even as the rest of the world becomes more recognizably the same.

You will still see Galician musicians dress in traditional (centuries old style) garb, playing bagpipes (called ‘Gaita’ in Galician) at events and festivals (not for tourism purposes!). You will still hear Galician people speaking their own language ‘Gallego’ which is a cross between Spanish and Portuguese but with some differences all its own.

To visit Galicia is to step back in time a little, and to live at a slower pace.

I’ve created a list of what I consider to be five of the most compelling reasons to visit Galicia soon, though I could think of a hundred. They are as follows.

1. GALICIA’S NATURAL BEAUTY SHINES ON ITS OWN

I refer mostly to the beaches and coast, but Galicia is also rich in hiking trails (and is famous for its Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes), vineyards, forests, bays and so on.

For me, since I’m such a coast lover these are some of the spots I found most impressive:

Cathedrals Beach or La Playa de Las Catedrales

The most famous and visited beach in Galicia (though you won’t see many US tourists there-visitors are mostly Spanish and Portuguese), La Playa Catedral or the strip of beaches called La Playa de Las Catedrales (As Catedrais in Galician) are renowned for their epic arches and rock formations as well as the extreme differences between low and high tide which leave only a short window of time during which the beaches can be accessed.

Visitors are only allowed on the beach at low tide-since at high tide, the beach disappears (like in above photo). The # of visitors per day is limited due to increasing popularity and crowds in recent years.

Insider tip:

Instead of taking a tour bus straight to the main attraction (and crowds) try walking from nearby Rinlo, a picturesque little fishing village perched right at the edge of the sea. Or, you could start even further away, in Ribadeo.

Finisterre

Literally translating to ‘the end of the earth’ Finisterre was given its name by Romans who, when they first found it, believed it to be, literally, the end of the earth.

A tiny coastal village, with a steeply perched lighthouse and some lovely cliff-top hiking trails, Finisterre is worth a visit if you are on the Costa da Morte (Death Coast).

Suggested activity: Hike from town along the trail that leads to the lighthouse, enjoying views. When you get to the lighthouse, enjoy a cold beverage and a view from one of the tables on the tiny terrace at the ‘O Refuxio de Fisterra’café. Then head into the center of town for lunch at one of the many harbourside restaurants offering every type of seafood platter you could want.

Castro de Baroña Celtic Ruins

If you fancy rough coastal views, turquoise waters, and ruined Celtic cities nestled alongside cliff’s edges, Castro de Baroña, will impress.

It’s the type of place that inspires your mind to wander and imagine what times were like so many centuries ago for the Celts who set up their home/fortress there (purposely in a tough to reach place with barriers set up so they could see their enemies coming).

2. GALICIA’S HISTORIC MONASTERIES & CONVENTS

When it comes to historic and beautiful monasteries and convents Galicia has an embarrassment of riches. It seems there is a crumbling abbey or a refurbished palatial monastery (sometimes now serving as luxury hotels) around every corner.

A couple of the most impressive sites that I visited were the 10th Century Benedictine Monastery, Santo Estevo and the 9th century – or older-the exact date is not known –  monastery of Santa Cristina both nestled in the picturesque mountains and forests of the Ribera de Sil area in Ribeira Sacra.

For a full list of monasteries or to plan your route, go here.

3. GALICIA IS WORLD RENOWNED FOR ITS WINES

Galicia is a region rich in premium vineyards and wine. It is the top quality producing region for Albariño in Spain as well as the world.

Don’t miss an opportunity to visit and taste wine at the local vineyards in Rias Baixas (the primary Denominacion de Origen or DO in Galicia for quality Albariño). Though many vineyards are so small, it’s recommended that you call in advance to make an appointment-it’s well worth the effort.

Two great bases for exploring the vineyards in Rias Baixas are Cambados and Pontevedra. Both are extremely well situated to visit most of the Val do Salnés (a sub-region of Rias Baixas and my personal favorite area) vineyards, and both are must-visit Galician cities. Take a look at a map of the Rias Baixas region and sub-regions here.

Pontevedra is a charming little city full of beautiful historic buildings and ruins and has a great food and wine scene.  It’s easily walkable as well. You can see literally everything within a half day but if you want to really get to know the city spend a couple of nights here, get an apartment with a kitchen and take advantage of the phenomenal Mercado Municipal which boasts every possible type of seafood (and so fresh that they are often still moving!).

Cambados, known as the capital of Albariño & elected in 2017 as Europe’s ‘City of Wine’, is a gem of a small Galician town with a lovely plaza (where you can actually visit the fantastic Palacio de Fefiñanes  and their Bodega) and small stone streets. The Vieira (sea scallop) reigns here and you will find it front and center on every menu.

A few wineries to consider visiting in Rias Baixas are the following (all family owned and with longtime roots in Rias Baixas since before it became an official DO):

• DO Ferreiro (or Bodega Gerardo Mendez)
• Bodega Gran Bazan (or Agro de Bazan)
• Bodega de Pazo de Señorans

Insider Accommodation Tip: Try a casa rural instead of a traditional hotel. Not only will you typically be renting directly from a local and/or a small business but you’ll get to stay in some really cool places (rurally located outside cities but often quite close) for much better prices than hotels.

Insider Local Food-Culture Tip: Try to find an old school restaurant that serves house wine in cuncas (little ceramic bowls) as it was traditionally drunk in the past in Galicia. You can still find many ‘house’ wines served in simple Galician eating establishments such as furanchos (a sort of restaurant opened up below someone’s home, originally for the purpose of selling left-over wine after harvest) which serve a limited menu of a few simple, hearty, fresh local food.

Nothing gourmet. Nothing fancy. But real.