Here in the north-west of Spain lies the autonomous region of Galicia.
Galicia is divided into 4 provinces of Lugo, A Coruña, Pontevedra and Ourense.
An area of great diversity, rugged coastline, lush green valleys, deep river estuaries, tree lined slopes and stark heath covered moors. All surrounded by over 1,000 kilometres of coastline and fed by numerous rivers, the main one being the River Miño (Minho) which separates Spain from Portugal as it flows out to the Atlantic..
1) A Coruña
A rugged coastline and wild seas form the tip of Galicia and contains La Coruña. A city of economical importance, a port and a medieval town with many churches and monuments, including the Tower of Hercules one of the largest lighthouses in the world.
Santiago de Compostela is the 3rd most important city in Christianity after Rome & Jerusalem. Many thousands of pilgrims travel along the various "Caminos" every year. They complete their journey at the large and beautiful cathedral of Santiago reputedly housing the remains of St James, one of the 12 apostles. It is set amongst the medieval walls and adjacent stone flagged streets and squares bordered by noble houses and cloisters. A thriving tourist centre there are a myriad of restaurants many of which serve the most wonderful seafood.
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2) Lugo
With mountains rising to 2,000 metres, Lugo province is full of rivers and moors. The city has a Romanesque walled perimeter and cathedral. Reaching to the Northern coastline and the Bay of Biscay, Lugo has the reputation of wonderful architecture and crafts combined with an abundance of culture and tradition.
3) Pontevedra
Both
Vigo and the city
of Pontevedra lie on the Rias Baixas an area with it's own microclimate and lush
green landscape, gently lapping the rich estuary coastline with wonderfully
sheltered sandy beaches that can be enjoyed all year round. Vigo is a bustling
port with visiting cruise ships and wonderful shops to wander around. The next
estuary contains Pontevedra with its Roman Bridge and historical quarter filled
with shops and restaurants, more intimate and tranquil, it nevertheless
has a busy shopping centre and good restaurants.
With both cities quiet countryside is only 10mins drive away.
Out to sea are the protected islands of Cies, a bird haven and with wildly
stunning beaches.
Golf and scuba-diving are just to of the varied sports and pastimes of the area.
To the South, the province is bordered by the River Miño, a rich fertile valley
and one of the major wine producing areas of Galicia.
Spectacular scenery,
mountains, rivers and acres of vineyards. On the other side of the river is
Portugal with equally spectacular scenery..
4) Ourense
Eastwards brings us to Ourense, the last province with its city of the same name. Lively and full of culture, it is famous for it's mineral waters, smoked chorizo and wines. A beautiful province of mountains and valleys with many lakes and reservoirs for water based activities.
Climate
The climate is
tempered with a good quantity of rain giving it the lush green countryside.
However it is not as wet all over Galicia as forecasters would have you believe.
Certainly the North parts of Galicia are more exposed to wet and wild weather
(Cape Finistere & Bay of Biscay), but also the weather is much milder by
comparison to the UK and thus we enjoy the outdoors easier.
The Southern regions enjoy a gentle climate with average summer temperatures
between 25 and 30 Celsius.
You can even enjoy temperatures in the 20's during January and the Autumn!
Great for grape picking.
Current weather and forecasts for the area:-
Click on: Weather in Pontevedra
Weather in Melgaço, over the valley from our house: Food and Drink Obviously with a rich
coastline, seafood and fish are in abundance, as are many meat dishes and local
produce such as chorizo, hams, cheese and bread. Each province has its own
signature dish and wine to accompany it. Transport There is a good
transport system, very good and mostly quiet, with wonderful views of the
countryside and coast. Trains Galicia has a good
train service. From A Coruña and Santiago de Compostela you can board overnight
trains for Madrid and they are constructing a high speed AVE train line due for
opening in 2012. A particularly spectacular journey is the train from Vigo to
Ourense that follows the river Miño. Connecting to trains to Madrid where you
can transfer to Paris and London. Airports Santiago De Compostela
(Lavacola) is the main airport with daily flights to London, Madrid etc. Vigo also flies to
many airports in Spain and now also London Heathrow. Alternatively their
are many flights from UK Airports to OPorto in Portugal, which is 1hr 30mins
from Galicia. Sea Ferry services to
Bilbao and Santander which at the moment are about 4hours from the North-east
border of Galicia.
Albariño is the most famous wine from the Rias Baixas, followed by Riberio from
the Ourense region. During the year there are many festivals, most of them
dedicated to saints or more usually Food!
Motorways criss-cross and are direct from Madrid and the
Airports.
La Coruna has an airport for flights throughout Spain and to London.
Again there is a new motorway under construction to reduce this travel time.
Alternatively you can make use of the large international terminal at Vigo for
embarking on cruise ships (Med and Atlantic) which frequently call in!
The Costa Verde is Portugal’s northernmost region bordering Galicia in Spain and includes the province of Minho and the coastal region of the Douro (Portugal’s smallest province).
Minho is Portugal’s most unspoilt province where
many villages remain lost in time and are virtually untouched by modern
developments.
The people even have their own dialect which has more in common
with the Galician language spoken over the border in Spain than it does with
Portuguese.
Minho (which produces vinho verde or green wine) clings to its
conservative rural traditions and many farmers still rely on ox-drawn carts and
ploughs (the countryside is among the poorest in western Europe).
It’s
Portugal’s most beautiful province, noted for its verdant, densely wooded hills
and lush river valleys fed by the Cavado, Douro, Lima and Minho rivers.
Minho is
also Portugal’s most colourful and lively province, famous for its local
festivities and picturesque old towns full of quiet charm and interest. The
region is a haven for hikers and nature lovers, particularly the 70,000 hectare Parc National de Peneda-Gerês, and is home to many rare plants and animals.
The region takes in Porto (Oporto in English), Portugal’s second largest city
and its commercial centre, with a population of around 500,000. Magnificently
situated on the banks of the Douro River (river of gold), it’s famous for its
port wine lodges (fábricas) at Vila Nora de Gaia, where visitors can sample
Portugal’s most famous wine.
Porto (the birthplace of Prince Henry the
Navigator, Portugal’s most famous seafarer) is Portugal’s most sophisticated,
modern and best-developed city, and is acclaimed for its monuments, picturesque
streets and spectacular graceful bridges.
The grapes for port wine are grown on
the land either side of the River Douro, which has one of the most beautiful
valleys in Europe; a spectacular railway (opened in 1887) runs from Porto to
Pinhão (150km/93mi), following the river for around half its journey.
Braga is the capital of Minho and the country’s ecclesiastical capital; it was
once the seat of the Primate of Portugal and is dubbed the Rome of Portugal on
account of its many churches, cathedral and archbishop’s palace.
Guimarães was
the first capital of Portugal in the 12th century and is known as the cradle of
Portuguese independence.
It’s the birthplace of King Alfonso Henríques,
Portugal’s first king, who set out from here to re-conquer the south of the
country from the Moors.
The region has many picturesque fishing villages
(including Caminha, Esposende and Ofir) and popular resorts which include
Espinho (with one of the largest markets in Portugal), the once sleepy fishing
village of Póvoa do Varzim (now a fashionable resort with a vibrant nightlife),
Viana do Castelo (a major cultural centre noted for its pottery) and Vila do Conde (a handicrafts centre famous for its lace).
The area is also famous for
its fascinating market towns which include Barcelos (noted for its Thursday
market) and the romantic town of Ponte de Lima, plus its many fortified towns,
among the best of which are Monção, Melgaço and Valença (do Minho).
Porto has good rail and road connections (it’s linked to Lisbon by the A1
motorway) with the rest of the country and an international airport.
The airport is served by many international airlines, worldwide destinations and
now Ryanair and EasyJet routes to the UK & beyond.
Apart from
Porto, which has a sizeable foreign community (particularly British expatriates
working in the port wine industry), the Costa Verde isn’t well known among
visitors from other countries (except France and Spain) and thus attracts few foreign homebuyers.
Galicia is a region of where you are feasting on either beautiful countryside, breathtaking coastlines, or delicious food and wines.
Come and sample what it has to offer!