Hidden Northern Spain - Galicia

Galicia in particular and Northern Spain in general have long been considered to be a hidden jewel in the entire Spanish tourist industry. Whereas elsewhere in the Iberian Peninsula the climate can be quite continental and extreme, in the northwest and on the coast the climate is as you would expect much milder and more of a maritime nature.

The Galician coastline boasts two different features in that in certain places it is extremely rugged and in others it can boast some of the most beautiful beaches in Spain.

Overall of all of the autonomous regions of Spain possibly Galicia is the most remote. Located in the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula Galicia is a green, rain swept region remarkable for the diversity of its landscape, where coastal cliffs alternate with lowlands and “rias.”

Galicia is proud to be the home of one of the most visited religious pilgrimage sites in the world whilst of a more earthly nature the region is extremely famous for its excellent cuisine especially the seafood. This particular pilgrimage site has actually generated a vast tourist industry all of its own that is vital to the economic viability of the region.

The cultural and language origins of Galicia are very much rooted within the Celtic family of communities found elsewhere in North West Europe.

Historically, always classed as the poorer cousin to some of the other richer regions Galicia had an economy that did not easily lend itself to modernisation. Galicia always seemed to be a very closed and inward looking area being fiercely resistant to any formal external invasion. Apart from a brief interlude in the 11th and 10th centuries when Galicia fell briefly under the rule of the kingdom of Asturias, Galicia has always been an independent region.

With the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Portugal bordering on the south opportunities for its inhabitants quite often were not that forthcoming. As with a lot of the major Celtic communities in Western Europe after a while the major industry became emigration.

Thankfully slowly throughout the 20th century Galicia has begun to develop a way in which to manage the traditional lifestyles with a modern community to ensure that none of its rich history is lost.

As you can imagine from a region where the coast plays such an important part, the major communities and cities lie on the coast at Vigo and Corunna. Fishing is vital to the economy of Galicia and it’s seafood is amongst the best in Spain.

The coastline, cut with fjord like Rias is dotted with fishing villages. The coast which was devastated by the damage caused by the 2002 sinking of the oil tanker Prestige has now by almost recovered and in some cases is almost better than ever.

Cape Finisterre, the most westerly part of the Spanish mainland is part of the Galician coast. Inland the region is dotted with ancient Celtic settlements which can be found in the often mist shrouded hillsides. Other examples of the Celtic traditions can be found in the many stone crosses found at crossroads and junctions throughout the region whilst also the continued use of the old traditional stone granaries found in many villages.

As with other Celtic regions, the love of music and the arts is very common in Galicia and as well as its own traditional language, Gallego, Galicia has its traditional musical instrument the bagpipes!

The other way the Celtic tradition is also represented in Galicia is within the various art and Cultural forms. With respect to the Galicians, there is a certain Melancholy to their traditional songs and poetry and this too they have in common with the Irish, Breton, Scottish, Welsh and other Celts. For those who find this a concept difficult to understand and view it as being purely depressing and boring then you have to try and understand the traditional background to the entire region and realize the centuries of hardship that these communities have had to withstand and as a result have manifested themselves in their traditional words music.