Galicia Region

Galicia is an autonomous Spanish Community located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The autonomous communities in Spain are like the states in Brazil or the districts in Portugal.

The Galicia Region in Spain

Formed by the provinces of A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra, it has a greater demographic density in the area between A Coruña and Vigo. Santiago de Compostela is the capital and is in the province of A Coruña.

In addition to the provincial division, Galicia is also subdivided into counties and municipalities. The most populous cities are: Vigo, A Coruña, Ourense, Lugo, Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra and Ferrol.

The history of Galicia goes back to very ancient times, since the Neanderthals. However, Celtic culture is the one that has been consolidated to this day. The first Celtic people to invade Galicia were the Saefes, and the Romans claimed that they were the most difficult to conquer. Learn more about the history of Galicia.

The official languages of the Galicia region are Galician and Spanish. The region has Celtic and Roman influence, however, unlike the rest of Spain, the Arabs did not leave any marks.

The islands of Galicia

The Cíes islands archipelago, the Ons archipelago and the Sálvora archipelago also belong to Galicia, as well as other islands, such as Cortegada, Arousa, Sisargas or Malveiras.

Beaches in the Galicia region

According to the British newspaper The Guardian, these are the best beaches in Galicia:

• Rodas Beach, on the Cíes Islands
• The Cathedrals in Ribadeo
• Carnota Beach
• Bares Beach
• Xastelas Beach, on Arousa Island
• Gradin Beach, on Arousa Island
• Pantin Beach
• Lumebó Beach, in Ferrol
• Chanteiro Beach, in Ferrol
• A Lanzada Beach, in Sanxenxo

The Rías of Galicia

They say that the Rías Galegas are like fjords. Long passages of sea that invade hills and cliffs inland. Some say that after creating the world, God rested his hand on Galicia and his fingers formed the Rías Galegas.

Between the world-renowned vineyards of the Rías Baixas and the stunning scenery of the Costa da Morte, we need to highlight that the best crustaceans, fish and seafood in the world originate from the Rías of Galicia.

These are the four Rías Galegas, according to the Galician tourism body:

• Rías Baixas
• Costa da Morte
• Gulf of Artabrian
• From Cedeira to Ribadeo

Types of Tourism in the Galicia region

Spiritual and Religious tourism is very evident in the Galicia region, mainly due to pilgrimages to the cities of Santiago de Compostela, Finisterre and Muxía. Find out more about the pilgrims who go to Galicia every year.

The intense nature of the region and the various preserved natural resources mean that ecotourism, adventure tourism and active tourism are also highly sought after. Furthermore, the Galicia region also attracts a lot of historical tourism, due to its enormous historical-cultural heritage.

With the most popular gastronomy in Spain and its world-renowned Rías Galegas, and as it is an essentially rural region, there is evident Gastronomic and Rural tourism. The islands, coastal cities and the Rías themselves also provide high demand for sun and beach tourism.

Among the main tourist attractions are the Tower of Hercules, the various beaches and islands, the iconic city of Santiago de Compostela and much more. The Castros are also very famous in the region. They are ruins of circular-shaped fortified enclosures, dating back to Celtic times.

Typical dishes include Galician soup, Galician stew, Galician pulpo and Galician empanada. For dessert, the most famous is the Torta de Santiago.