Galicia is a region in the north-west of Spain. The region has a population of 2.7 Million scattered across four provinces A Coruna, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra.
Galicia is known for its rugged Atlantic coastline with many inlets. It also has green mountainous areas inland. The regions high rainfall makes it extremely green and productive.
The capital is Santiago de Compostela, famous for its Camino Santiago. People have been doing the Camino Santiago since the middle ages. The Camino ends at the Cathedral of Santiago where the remains of St James are buried.
The Galician coastline and cooling winds from the Atlantic make for lower summer temperatures. Because of this, Galicia is a popular summer destination for Spaniards seeking to relief from summer heat.
There is a deep Celtic influence in Galicia. As a result, Celtic symbols can be seen everywhere. Galician bagpipes are a traditional instrument.
The region is home to many unusual Galician traditions that you can read more about here.
Read information and tips on these Galician Cities and Towns:
Santiago de Compostela – The Galician capital and destination of the Camino de Santiago
A Coruna – Beachside and port city in the North of Galicia
Vigo – Galicia’s most populous and important fishing city in the South
Pontevedra – Lovely pedestrian city that is easy to expore
Ourense – Historic city with hot springs
Betanzos – A Medieval town with a rich history
Cambados – The Albarino wine capital
O Grove – Lovely seaside town with an amazing seafood festival
Padron – Home of the famous Pimientos de Padrón
Ribadeo – Ribadeo is a charming coastal town with natural beauty and heritage
Sanxenxo – A popular seaside resort town
Vilagarcia de Arousa – A small port and fishing town
Vilanova de Arousa – A pretty seaside town
Galicia is famous for its seafood including all varieties of shellfish. Also important are empanadas and nobody does potatoes quite as well as Galicians. No meal is complete without some local rustic bread as well. The most famous Galician dish is Pulpo a Feira. This simple dish is octopus, potatoes, pimenton and olive oil. Sounds simple, but you have to try it if you visit Galicia. Read more about Galician food here..
There are regular flights to all the major cities of Galicia, especially to Santiago de Compostela. Flying time from Londons Stanstead airport to Santiago with Ryanair is just over 2 hours. Flying time from New York to Santiago is close to 10 hours with a change along the way.
After landing in Santiago, you can explore the rest of the region on the excellent rail link north and south. It takes only 30 minutes from Santiago by train to reach A Coruna in the north. Vigo in the south takes around an hour.
Cruise liners stop in A Coruna in the north and Vigo in the south.
Santiago de Compostela is a 6 to 7 hour drive from Madrid.
If you are in Portugal, it is only a 1 hour 30 minute drive from Porto to Vigo in the south of Galicia.
The high-speed rail connection to Galicia was recently completed. Because of this, the rail travel time from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela is now just over 3 hours.