Reviews for Galicia

Average overall ratings - Based on 54 reviews.

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Mr Russell Freeman

Featured holiday homes in Spain

Galicia

Known to the Romans as the end of the world, Galicia is the north-westernmost community of Spain and has the status of a historic nationality. A mountainous, region, it has a jagged coastline formed by a succession of inlets, rias (rivers) and wide, rocky estuaries.

Inland there are many meadow and forests; the countryside is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. The area has a farming, hunting and seafaring tradition.

Aside from its territory on the Spanish mainland, Galicia also covers the archipelagos of Cies, Ons, Salvora, the Malveiras and Sisargas Islands and Cortegada and Arousa Islands.

Galicia is made up of the provinces of A Coruña, Ourense, Lugo and Pontevedra and the main cities are Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Vigo, in total the community has 1.2 million inhabitants.

History & Culture
Galicia has a culture all its own and a rich tradition of folklore. The region also has it's own language, known as Galego.

The region descends from the one of the first tribes of Celtic heritage in Europe and Galicians consider themselves as having a Celtic identity and background, rather than the predominantly ‘Latin’ or ‘Hispanic’ culture, which identifies most of the Iberian peninsula.

Having said that, Galicians have no separatist intentions, they consider themselves very much Spanish, despite the poorer nation attitude from the wealthy heart of Spain.

And if you hear the doleful strain of the bagpipes, don’t think you've suddenly been transported magically to Scotland; this is the ‘national’ instrument of Galicia too. The festivals of the region are the best way to discover the marvellous inventiveness of the Galician people, in the costumes, music, food and folklore.

Travel
The Airport of A Coruña lies 8 kilometres from the centre of the city, and receives international flights from most busy international destinations.

Santiago de Compostela airport receives international flights from Dublin, London Stansted, Frankfurt, Paris, Rome and Zurich, as well as many domestic cities; and international flights to Vigo arrive from Brussels and Paris.

The area can be reached from pretty much anywhere in the world using the main hubs of Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Paris, London, and Amsterdam.

The region is connected to the motorway network of Spain and further afield in Europe.
The main cities of La Coruña, Vigo and Santiago de Compostela are all connected by rail to Madrid and beyond.

Coastal Galicia
The beautiful and often rugged coastline of Galicia is the longest (when taking into account all the coves bays and inlets) of all the communities of Spain. The result is a seemingly never-ending series of picturesque beaches and coves. The coastline is dotted with many ports and seaside towns.

Natural Galicia
Galicia is known as the land of a thousand rivers. These flow into the sea at estuaries and bays, or inlets, known locally as ‘rias’, which translates to a river.

Geographically the rivers are split into upper and lower rivers. The mid-point between the two is the well-known port of Finisterre (from the seafarers weather report) and whose name means the end of the earth.

Finisterre signifies changes in both landscape and climate. The upper rivers are backed by sparsely vegetated rocky mountainous hillsides. Temperatures are also often lower in the north, and the wind blows with a little more force. Generally it is also a little wetter in the north.

South of Finisterre the gentler backdrop to the coastline features pine and eucalyptus woods, as well as fields of crops and meadows; its an overall much greener and more benign region. The hills too are more rounded as you travel further south.

Beaches
Galicia is blessed with an astonishing variety of stunning beaches, which range from golden to white sand with seas that can be crashing rollers or almost lakeside calm. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean, which wash these spectacular shores of Galicia, are cooler than the Mediterranean.

Cuisine
The uniqueness of the Galician culture is demonstrated in the local gastronomy: you will not find so much rice or pasta in Galicia as you do elsewhere. Potatoes tend to be the accompaniment of choice for fish and meat dishes.

Shellfish is very popular in Galicia and seafood is considered the staple diet. Galicia harvests more fruits of the sea than anywhere else in Europe; the sand beds of the coastline, and the many fishing ports, make this possible.

The astonishing variety of fish species and crustaceans are prepared and cooked in a myriad of dishes depending on the region within Galicia. With the main cities being so close to the ports, freshness is always assured.

Climate
The Galician climate is generally quite temperate; in the winter it is not uncommon for strong winds to blow off the sea. Throughout the year there is quite a bit of rain. Spring and summers are warm. Weather here is often changeable and can have several faces in one day.

Things to do while you are here

Exciting places to visit in Galicia

Reviews for Galicia

Average overall ratings - Based on 54 reviews.
City
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23. Aug 2021
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Vila de Cruces review



Costa de Galicia reviews

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6. Aug 2019
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Vila de Cruces review



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8. Jul 2019
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Muros review



Costa de Galicia reviews

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14. Sep 2018
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Vila de Cruces review



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23. Oct 2017
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Vila de Cruces review

An interesting local town with a very good supermarket that has a wide range of fresh local food.


Costa de Galicia reviews

The Galician coastline is spectacular and very varied. It is dotted with interesting towns and villages, where, invariably, you eat very well and cheaply.
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22. Oct 2017
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Vila de Cruces review

Met all our needs.


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21. Oct 2017
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Vila de Cruces review



Costa de Galicia reviews

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26. Sep 2016
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Outes review



Costa de Galicia reviews

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26. Sep 2016
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Muros review

Muros is not a city - it's a small town - the area of Muros is beautiful along the coast.


Costa de Galicia reviews

Wonderful!
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19. Aug 2016
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Beluso review

good location for beaches and local towns. take a sat nav though!


Costa de Galicia reviews

Perfect, will return for sure.
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9. Aug 2016
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Sanxenxo review



Costa de Galicia reviews

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17. Jun 2016
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Cangas review

The property is not in Cangas....about 20 minutes drive. Cangas itself is quite a busy city and port where you can catch a ferry to Vigo or Isles de Cies. The property is in a far superior spot in my opinion but if you want bars and nightlife on your doorstep it won't be the one for you.


Costa de Galicia reviews

The area is beautiful and unspoilt, there are numerous lovely beaches, pine forests, amazing sea food...not much English spoken, you will need to have at least a few words of Spanish or Google translate!
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7. Sep 2015
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Cangas review



Costa de Galicia reviews

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9. Aug 2015
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Sanxenxo review



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2. Aug 2015
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Sanxenxo review



Costa de Galicia reviews

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11. Apr 2015
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Sanxenxo review

Fantastic - Friendly and welcoming


Costa de Galicia reviews

The coast line was stunning, we took our bike with us and the rolling coast line made it a great place to cycle.
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4. Nov 2013
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Coruña review

Very pleasant compact city where the public spaces and parks are well respected and looked after by the locals, almost everywhere is within easy walking distances, this is though a very Spanish location and I virtually did not hear one British accent throughout my weeks stay...which made it even more enjoyable from my point of view!
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7. Aug 2013
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Coruña review

Loved everything about the city ... Relaxation, Nightlife,Beaches, History, Warm People, Shopping and of course Tapas & Wine! ... You name it, it has it all


Costa de Galicia reviews

Stayed in Coruna only and it was the best
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27. Jul 2013
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Pobra do Caramiñal review

Nice little town. Not great in architecture, but really relaxed.


Costa de Galicia reviews

Save beaches on the site of the Rias, rougher on the Atlantic site.
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4. Jul 2012
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Monfero review

Very Galliegan - Monferi is a rural area, the main town in Pontedeume with its' narrow streets and lots of bars. Not what you expect in "Spain" - very different, but so it is - it's Galicia! Locals friendly, local wine & sea food excellent.


Costa de Galicia reviews

Wide open beaches, large Ria estuaries - like Cornwall but on a massive scale. This is where most of Spain's sea food comes from - the restaurants reflect that.
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