Galicia Travel Guide

Galicia is a rain-swept land of grass and granite, much of its coastline gouged by fjordlike inlets called rías. The verdant countryside often reminds visitors of Ireland. Indeed, Galicia is part of the Celtic fringe of far western Europe that also includes much of Portugal, the region’s immediate neighbor to the south. Many residents, known as Galegos, speak a Spanish dialect that has a lot in common with Portuguese. Although much of the interior is mountainous, Galicia is famous across Europe for its fisheries, including swordfish and expensive goose barnacles, or percebes.

Nothing did more to put Galicia on the tourist map than the Camino de Santiago, the route of religious pilgrims (pictured above). The oldest and most famous route in continental Europe, it made Santiago de Compostela the first tourist city on the continent. To guarantee a place in heaven, pilgrims journeyed to the purported tomb of Santiago (St. James the Apostle), patron saint of Spain. From the ninth century on, they trekked across the Pyrenees by the thousands, risking their lives in transit. The Camino de Santiago contributed to the spread of Romanesque art and architecture across Spain and provided a rallying point for Christian armies to expel the Moorish conquerors. About 500,000 people still make the trek each year—some out of religious conviction, some for the athletic challenge, and some to participate in the route’s deep history.

Fisheries are Galicia’s other pride—something you’ll realize immediately upon perusing any menu. Boats trawling out of A Coruña land much of the hake (merluza) and several species of tuna prized throughout the country. Much of Spain’s swordfish catch hails from A Guarda. The marshy shores near Pontevedra and O Grove yield many of the various species of clams that are packed in brine and sold as tapas. Galicia’s processors also produce the bulk of the country’s tinned anchovies and other seafood delicacies so important to Spanish barroom dining. The region is especially celebrated for braised octopus. Not to be outdone, inland Galicia also produces some of Spain’s finest beef.