Spain - Galicia guide

53 Pages·2002·3.051 MB·English

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A Coruña
Lugo
Ourense
Pontevedra
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Capital cities and towns
Santiago de Compostela 13
A Coruña 17
Betanzos 20
Ferrol 20
Mondoñedo 21 United Kingdom
Dublin
Lugo 21
Ourense 24 Ireland London
Tui 27
Pontevedra 28
Vigo 30
Paris
Touristic routes
The Monastery Route 32 France
Rías Baixas 34
Costa da Morte 35
Rías Altas and Mariña Lucense 36 Cantabrian Sea
Ribeira Sacra 38
The Road to Santiago 40
GALICIA
Leisure and shows 42
Madrid
Useful information 47 Portugal
Lisbon Spain Mediterranean
Sea
Atlantic Ocean
Melilla
Ceuta
Text: Printed by:
José A. Ferreiro Piñeiro Grafoffset, S. L.
Translation:
D.L. M-00000-2000
Hilary Dyke
Morocco
Layout:
NIPO: 380-01-031-X
OPCIÓN K,
Comunicación Visual, S.L. Printed in Spain
Photographs:
TURESPAÑA Picture Library, First edition
TURGALICIA
Published by:
©Turespaña
Secretaría de Estado
de Comercio
y Turismo
Ministerio de Economía
M A R C A N T Á B R I C O
Motorway Monument
Expressway Historical ruins Estaca
Cabo Ortegal de Bares
National Road Nature Park
Cariño
Primary basic network road Nautical sports centre Porto do Barqueiro
Secondary basic network road Camp site
Local road Golf course Cedeira Ortigueira Viveiro Cervo
Railway Spa Atios 549 Burela
Road to Santiago Airport Valdoviño
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CARTOGRAFÍA: GCAR, S.L. Cardenal Silíceo, 35
Tel. [phone] - 28002 MADRID - AÑO 2000 Feces BRAGANÇA
VIANA DO CASTELO
Introduction place on the confines of the
continent of Eurasia. Every night,
hundreds of Chinese and tourists
The country of Finis
climb to the top of the Tai Shan
Terrae and the way
mountain in eastern China to
of the stars
watch the sun rise from among
From the ages of darkness to the the clouds beneath them.
discovery of America, the world
was flat. The sun came up in the Every evening for millions of
Orient, in the Empire of the Rising years, the Galician coastline
Sun, and died in the Occident witnessed the drama of the
(occidere,to kill), becoming fiery descent of the sun into the
red as it sank into the Atlantic. It “shadowy sea”, the sea of
set over the Finis Terraeof the unfathomable chasms which no
Romans (where they erected the sailor was brave enough to ply.
ara solis, or altar to the sun), the Nowadays, however, the
coast of the dead and the woods observer enjoys the magnificent
of the Celtic Druids, the present beauty of a firmament flooded
Costa de la Muerte, or Death Coast. in a symphony of orange, pink
and purple hues. Eventide is the
The rising and the setting of the sky’s moment of glory, as the sun
sun are two cosmic shows taking sets and night falls.
Cape Finisterre. A Coruña
The Milky Way also reaches and, on the grave of
Finisterre. In prehistoric times, Charlemagne, two rows of stars
this, the Way of the Stars, was point significantly in the
set between parallels 42º 36’ direction of Compostela.
and 42º 46’ as a route of Although the Road to
civilisation from the Santiago comes to an
Mediterranean to the Atlantic, end at Compostela,
clearly the result of the some pilgrims carry
advanced knowledge of on to Finisterre as a
astronomy and astrology coming way of recalling the Way of the
from the cultures of the Middle Stars (the scallop, the shell
East. There are still carried by the pilgrims, is a
archaeological remains of this maritime symbol of the goddess,
route, along with a number of Venus).
place names deriving from the
Land and sea
word estrella, or star. Thus, on
both sides of the Catalonian For the millions of foreigners
Pyrenees, we find Pic d’Estelle, who think that Spain’s
Puig d’Estelle, Puig de les Tres landscape is like the one
Estellesand Les Esteilles; and, in described in the Quixote and
Navarra, both in Basque and in for the millions of tourists who
Spanish: Estellaor Lizarra, and are familiar with Mediterranean
Lizarraga(star cluster). Spain, Galicia is another world.
It is the land of the Atlantic, of
The symbolism of stars is the thousand rivers, of leas and
reflected in the discovery of the autochthonous forests, with an
tomb of St. James the Apostle, overwhelming assortment of
or Apóstol Santiago (a fresh, succulent shades of
motionless star drew the green.
attention of the eremite, Paio)
This is nature in its pure state,
the understructure of
biodiversity, with unique species
which can only be described as
metaphors: from the goose
barnacles, appearing like
geological gnarls on the sea-
beaten rocks, to the river
lamprey, a true, prehistoric,
living fossil, not to mention
the ecological wonder of
Ría de Corme y Laxe. A Coruña
2
thousands of horses orange, lemon and palm trees, set
roaming free in the against a background of leas
mountains. glistening in countless shades of
green, maize fields, woods of
chestnut, pine and birch, the furze
and the broom, and the
vineyards, with their rich spectrum
of colour where yellow blends
With a into red. Mingling in with all
surface area of these sights are the farming areas
30,000 km2, undulating of the traditional Galician
relief and wide valleys, smallholdings: market gardens,
Galicia is the oldest land meadows, cereal fields, pastures
on the Iberian Peninsula. and wooded hills.
The high mountain
ranges, situated on As the traveller reaches the
the eastern side, are shore, further delights lie in
the result of tectonic store along the 1,300 km of
movements producing coastline. To begin with, the
the Cebreiro, Ancares, unusual geographical feature
O Caurel, Manzaneda known as the rias, broad inlets
and Trevinca mountains, forged by the sea. Found only in
with altitudes ranging Galicia, they constitute the most
from 1,000 to 2,000 interactive of symbioses
metres. Reminiscent of between sea and land, providing
Mount Olympus, it is unique biological conditions for
from these ranges that fish and shellfish and an
rivers like the mighty Sil unbeatable setting for pleasure
come gushing down sailing. Temperatures are mild:
through gorges and between 18ºC and 23ºC in
canyons. summer and no lower than 8ºC
in winter.
Below the lofty peaks
clad in oak, yew, beech, However, the engaging, tender
hazel and holly, lies the beauty of the riasstands in
shoreline with its contrast with the open sea, a
Mediterranean-like contrast which is also reflected
vegetation of mimosas, in Galicia’s 700 beaches, where
camellias, gardenias, there is a great difference
Cross at Finisterre
between the ones that are da Herbeira, with a sheer
exposed to the open sea and drop of 612 metres, proudly
those lining the rias, which are stands.
peaceful and sheltered. The sand
is ideal in colour, going from Lastly, several groups of islands,
white to golden, bathed by surrounded by the turquoise
waves of all shapes and sizes: waters of the Atlantic Ocean,
anything from unruly breakers are situated at outlets of the
for windsurfing and surfing to Rías Baixas: the Cíes, Ons and
gentle ripples. In terms of Sálvora by the rias of Vigo,
environmental quality, every Pontevedra and Arousa, and the
year, about 40 Galician beaches Sisargas, just opposite the cape
receive the European Blue Flag known as Cabo San Adrián in
award. Malpica (A Coruña). Of great
scenic beauty, the islands are
Another striking contrast is to home to gods, octopus, seagulls
be found in the vast and cormorants and are the
sandbanks, such as the beach coveted destination of summer
at Carnota, stretching into holidaymakers, day-trippers,
infinity, or the moving sand bird-watchers and yachtsmen.
dunes at Corrubedo in Ribeira
A scattered population
(A Coruña), broken off here
and the art of travelling
and there by spectacular cliffs
like the ones belonging to the Another of the special
Sierra da Capelada, where the characteristics of this land is that
highest cliff in Europe, Vixía its inhabitants, totalling nearly
Pallozas in O Cebreiro. Lugo
Pazo de Oca. A Estrada. Pontevedra
three million (Galicia is the fifth the ferns. He may rest assured
autonomous community in that he will come across idyllic
terms of population), with a spots which will arouse all his
density of 92.6 per km2, are senses, find himself visiting an
scattered into 30,000 population out-of-the-way Romanesque or
nuclei, half of the overall figures baroque church or plunged into
for Spain. Although part of the the merrymaking of a fiestaor a
rural population has been drawn popular fair.
more recently by the industries
based in the towns and cities, When it is time for a meal, he is
historically speaking, Galicia’s advised to try one of the
population has tended to be traditional eating houses,
scattered. unpretentious yet welcoming
with their stews, fries and
In a world where no virgin casseroles. He must not be
territory remains to be surprised if the innkeeper, with a
discovered, Galicia offers the somewhat peculiar sense of
traveller the excitement of salesmanship, starts complaining
uncovering the secrets of its vast that it is too late to serve food or
terrain. To do this, he must leave indeed, that there is none left.
the motorways and venture onto Just nod and take a seat. You will
the regional roads that wind have a meal fit for a king!
their way round the mountains,
reduce speed to 40 or 50 km/h As for accommodation, you will
and drive with the windows never be far away from one of
down to take in the fresh smell the 253 rural tourism hostels,
of the hay and the shadiness of which have been tastefully
5
Fortified hamlet at Santa Tecla. Pontevedra
refurbished. Here, you will again (paradores) or private hotels
encounter the luxury of simplicity, and 34 are engaged in rural
or the simplicity of luxury. tourism.
The traveller will also find The hórreo, a typical
curious features that form an construction in the area, is used
inherent part of the Galician to ripen and dry maize. Some of
countryside: pazos (ancestral them, like the ones at Carnota
homes), hórreos (granaries)and and Lira, measure up to 35
cruceiros(crosses). metres in length. At Combarro,
there is a varied group of these
Pazos(from the Latin palatium) granaries, lined up in perfect
are an original type of ancestral formation as they overlook the
home. A total of 640 have been Pontevedra ria.
catalogued, some of which are
in the towns, although the Cruceiroshave existed since
majority are situated here and the thirteenth century at
there in the country areas. All crossroads, the porticoes of
styles are to be found, baroque churches, anywhere, in fact, as
being the commonest. However, the commemoration of a
at the very least, they all have a misfortune or an expression of
small garden, a chapel, an gratitude. Elaborate or plain,
hórreoor a dovecote. Some of they are used as places of
them operate as state hotels worship, meeting points or a
6
spot to go and have a chat. The
most noteworthy cruceirois the
one at Hío, Cangas
(Pontevedra) and the oldest,
dating back to the fourteenth
century, is to be found at
Melide (A Coruña), on the Road
to Santiago.
History and signs of
identity
In the period between the sixth
and ninth centuries B.C., Indo-
European peoples, with some
Celtic traces, arrived in Galicia.
Petroglyphs at Mogot. Pontevedra
The bulk of the Celts, however,
would not appear until the fifth
and fourth centuries B.C., when Bronze Age. The culture of the
they settled in the westernmost castros, or fortified hamlets,
regions of Europe. also dates back to the Bronze
Age, reaching its height in the
The dolmens, a form of tomb Iron Age and lasting through
found all over Galicia, belong to Roman domination, that is, a
the Neolithic period, while the full millennium. The most
petroglyphs, or rock carvings, spacious, best excavated ones
now enthusiastically reproduced are at Baroña (A Coruña), on a
because of the popularity of peninsula jutting out
Celtic symbology, go back to the spectacularly into the ocean; at
Granary at Carnota. A Coruña