Galicia Guide
We are dedicated to providing information on the wonderful region of Galicia and promoting Spains best kept secret. We hope you find our website useful and feel free to contact us regarding anything related to Galicia.
Use the menus at the top to navigate your way through the numerous sections we have created on various topics which cover many aspects of Galicia such as Galician gastronomy, things to do in Galicia, where to stay in Galicia, beaches, restaurants, towns & cities in Galicia, Galicia tourist information, how to get to Galicia, car rental in Galicia and much, much more.
Galicia Information
Galicia is an autonomous community which occupies the north western region of Spain. The 4 provinces (provincias) in Galicia are A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra. The ancient and majestic captial of Santiago de Compostela is located in the heart of Galicia and is visited by pilgrims and tyourist alike from all over the world. Galicia is bordered by Portugal to the south, the Spanish regions of Castile and León and Asturias to the east the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Bay of Biscay to the north. Galicia has its own historic language known as Galician (Gallego) which is similar to Portuguese. The official languages are Castellano Spanish and Galician (Gallego) although younger people can speak English and other European languages.
Galicia is one of the most mountainous regions in Spain which contains numerous nature reserves, enchanting streams, rivers, woodlands and an abundance of wildlife. The region consists of roughly 1000 rivers,1300 km of coastline, 700 beaches of which 119 are Blue Flag beaches, 21 balnearios (spa resorts) and over 5,000 restaurants!
Anyone planning a visit to Galicia in Spain can expect a warm welcome by its friendly people and enjoy Galicia’s picturesque villages, castles, monasteries and ruins, not to mention Galicia’s culture, mouth watering seafood delicacies, high quality wines, architecture and religious heritage.
Besides Galicia’s continental territory, the region of Galicia also includes the archipelagos of Cíes, Ons, Sálvora, Cortegada Island, the Malveiras Islands, Sisargas Islands and Arousa Island. Among some of the many towns and villages to explore in Galicia, popular tourist locations include Baiona, Sanxenxo, Cambados, O Grove, La Toja, Mondariz, Finisterre, Tui and A Guarda. In short, Galicia is a region of Spain where one can enjoy magnificent natural beauty and landscapes.
Galicia consists of approximately 3 million inhabitants with the largest populations in 2 coastal areas from Ferrol to A Coruña in the north-west and from Vilagarcía to Vigo in the south-west. The capital of Galicia is Santiago de Compostela which lies in the province of A Coruña. The city of Vigo in the province of Pontevedra is the most populated municipality with around 300,000 inhabitants. A Coruña is the second most populated municipality with around 250,000 inhabitants in its municipality.
The picturesque northern coastline which runs from the Costa Da Morte and ends in Ribadeo on the Asturian border is an area known as the Rias Altas. The diverse and varied west coastline is made up of a number of fjord-like sheltered estuaries that hide a large number of breathtaking beaches and protected islands such as the National Park of Las Islas Atlanticas, the most famous of which is the Cies Islands (Islas Cies) which was named as featuring the most beautiful beach in the world in a recent survey. The west coastline extends all the way to the border with Portugal where it is separated by one of Spain’s largest rivers, the river Mino and it is this area of Galicia here which is known as the Rías Baixas.
No tourist visit to Galicia is complete without a trip to the capital of Santiago de Compostela, the ancient capital features some of Europes greatest if not best examples of baroque architecture and is arguably considered the third most religious city after Rome and Bethlehem. The mesmerising granite cathedral which is a UNESCO World Heritage site is famous throughout the world for the pilgrimage route “el Camino de Santiago”.
Galicia really is a place which caters for all tastes from families to pilgrims to surfers. You will find lots of information on this website on all the various places to see and visit aswell as Galicia tourist information for the main cities and towns. It is also worth while noting that it is very easy to visit northern Portugal from Galicia which includes picturesque cities like Oporto, Braga and Guimarães which are within reach from the south of Galicia for day trips or short stays. Visit inspirational Galicia and discover this magnificent region of Spain.