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| Sil Canyons in Ribeira Sacra, Ourense |
Galicia is an autonomous region in Spain's northwestern corner comprising the four provinces of A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense, and Pontevedra. Galicia has a total area of 29,574km2, and is home to about 2.7 million people. Due to its location, Galicia's language and culture is heavily influenced by its southern neighbor Portugal. Galicia is also the only Spanish region with the Atlantic Ocean as its backdrop. Inland Galicia is lush and green, characterized by its many inland fjords and river outlets, known in Galicia as rias.
A Coruña
The northwestern province of A Coruña has an area of 7,950km2 and 1.1 million inhabitants. It is named after its provincial capital, the city of La Coruña, or A Coruña in Gallego. The Province of A Coruña has two main cities, A Coruña and Santiago Compostela. A Coruña is the provincial capital, whereas Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous region of Galicia.
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| Fonte dos Surfistas, Praia Orzán |
The city of A Coruña is the largest city in Galicia and is home to about 245,000 people. Noteworthy sights in the city include the Maria Pita Square with the Municipal Palace, and the iconic Hercules Tower, a lighthouse built by the Romans and has been in operation since 2nd century AD. It has now been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has a scenic and lively beachline with Praia Orzán and Praia Riazor, with most of the seafood restaurants in the parallel street Rua Orzán.
The Galician capital Santiago de Compostela is with its close to 100,000 inhabitants the second largest city in the Province of A Coruña.
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| Catedral de Santiago |
Points of particular interest in Santiago de Compostela are the historical centre and World Heritage Site, el Catedral de Santiago. The cathedral is allegedly the burial place of the apostle St. James the Great. The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrimages leading to Saint James the Great's shrine inside the cathedral.
Lugo
To the east of the Province of A Coruña lies the Province of Lugo. The province has a population of about 330,000 people, of whom just under 100,000 live in the provincial capital, Lugo.
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| Catedral de Santa María, Lugo |
Lugo is the only city in the world which is completely surrounded by an intact roman wall. The wall is between 10-15 metres tall and dates back to the 3rd century AD. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside the walls, the Cathedral and the glass-covered view of the Piscina Romana on the Praza de Santa María is a worthwhile visit.
Ourense
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| San Esteban del Sil, Ribeira Sacra |
To the south of the Province of Lugo is the landlocked Province of Ourense, surrounded by mountains on all sides. The province has a population of about 310,000 people with 105,000 of them living in the capital city. The province is known for the scenic Ribeira Sacra wine region. The river Sil, a tributary to the Miño running through Lugo is meandering through the landscape. A series of canyons make this a worthwhile trekking site. Near one of the canyons is the monastery San Esteban de Sil, or Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil in Gallego.
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| Alameda de Concello Park, Ourense |
The city of Ourense has a few interesting sights, including its cathedral, whose original structure dates back to 572AD before it was rebuilt in the 13th century. The city is surrounded by pine and oak forests and no less than four rivers run through the city, the Miño, Barbaña, Loña and Barbañica. The famous Roman bridge Ponte Vello straddles the banks of the main river, the Miño.
Pontevedra
To the south of the Province of A Coruña, is the Province of Pontevedra. Close to a million people live in this province, but only 82,000 of them live in the provincial capital.
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| Las Corrientes Bridge, Pontevedra |
The city of Pontevedra lies at the estuary of the Ría Pontevedra. The city is known for its urban planning, quaint historical centre, and the many bridges over the Lerez River, which traverses the city. The most famous landmark in the city is the iconic Peregrina Church in the city centre, and the old Burgo bridge, dating back to the 12th century, and put in place instead of the original Roman bridge that is believed to have given the city its name from Vulgar Latin Ponte Vetera, old bridge. Pontevedra is also known for holding the annual celebration of
Dia da muiñeira, a Galician-style music and dance heavily influenced by Celtic. It is played with a bagpipe called a
gaita. The event is held around the first of June each year.
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| Ría de Vigo, Vigo |
The main city is Vigo with nearly 300,000 inhabitants. Despite its size, Vigo has a quaint charm about it, almost more Portuguese than Spanish. It is known for its location near the Ria de Vigo, one of the Rías Baixas, and especially the proximity to the Islas Cíes, some 15 kilometres off the shore.
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| Combarro, Rías Baixas |
The Rías Baixas are a series of estuarine inlets that run along the coast from Cabo Finisterre in the north (Province of A Coruña) and through the entire Province of Pontevedra down to A Guarda, close to the border with Portugal. Meandering through the mountainous landscape as backdrop and along each of the four Rías Baixas make for one of the most scenic road trips in Spain. Points of interest along the route from north to south include Cape Finisterre, Cabo Fisterra in Galician, from Latin Finis Terra, "end of the world", through Combarro, Baiona, Pontevedra, Vigo, and finally A Guarda.
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| Islas Cíes, Islas Atlánticas |
Galicia's only national park the Parque Nacional de las Islas Atlánticas de Galicia is located off the shore of the archipelagos Cíes, Ons, Sálvora, and Cortegada. Each archipelago is located at the mouth of one of the four Rás Baixas. The park is teeming with wildlife and it is possible to spot whales, orcas, and dolphins.
One of the park's beaches, the Playa del Rodas, has been described by the Guardian as nothing less than one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
