Galicia, Spain
Jan 17th, 2010 | 10:41 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1
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Galicia, Spain
I am planning a trip to Galicia in Sept. of this year. I would love to spend 3-4 weeks.
Our grandparents are from El Ferrol and La Coruna. We may have some family there that we would like to look up. I have other family members from the US that plan on joining me during parts of this trip. I was looking at a home in the tiny town of Cruceiro de Roo, in the Ria de Muros y Noia area.
Having never been to Spain, I am not familiar with these regions.
Would it be better to stay in a city?
Last year we took a trip to Tuscany. We spent one week in a villa in the hills overlooking Greve. We did day trips to nearby villages but always had a comfortable home and pool to come back to.
Any advise would be appreciated.
Our grandparents are from El Ferrol and La Coruna. We may have some family there that we would like to look up. I have other family members from the US that plan on joining me during parts of this trip. I was looking at a home in the tiny town of Cruceiro de Roo, in the Ria de Muros y Noia area.
Having never been to Spain, I am not familiar with these regions.
Would it be better to stay in a city?
Last year we took a trip to Tuscany. We spent one week in a villa in the hills overlooking Greve. We did day trips to nearby villages but always had a comfortable home and pool to come back to.
Any advise would be appreciated.
Jan 17th, 2010 | 12:22 PM
#3
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 26,710
Likes: 0
Noia is nice small town that is probably about an hour from Santiago de Compostela. I am sorry to say that there is litle to do in A Coruna.
There are specialized road maps for Galicia that will essential but the roads are fine.
Remember once you meet your friends or realtives, they will decide what you should do and eat that day.
Ask them if you can visit a market when the catch comes in. See Santiago. Lugo, and rias altas and the rias bajas.
Do not be surprised if the conversations are in Gallego. Or someone will start a sentence in Castilian and revert to Gallego, especially the older people.
My wife's father was born in a town of 5 houses near Santiago we always look forward to visiting the family.
There are specialized road maps for Galicia that will essential but the roads are fine.
Remember once you meet your friends or realtives, they will decide what you should do and eat that day.
Ask them if you can visit a market when the catch comes in. See Santiago. Lugo, and rias altas and the rias bajas.
Do not be surprised if the conversations are in Gallego. Or someone will start a sentence in Castilian and revert to Gallego, especially the older people.
My wife's father was born in a town of 5 houses near Santiago we always look forward to visiting the family.
Jan 17th, 2010 | 03:22 PM
#4
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
Hi Denise,
This sounds like a very special trip for your family. We spent 2 weeks in Galicia in September and enjoyed it very much. O Vicedo was our base and we toured the coast between Santander down to Pontebedra. In September most of the tourists have gone home and Galicia is very very quiet especially outside A Coruna, Viveiro, Santiago.
Driving up from Madrid it was easy to see why Galicia was so isolated and retained its own culture and identity for so long. It is a long drive across a very arid area and then you need to cross the mountains. The roads in Spain and in Galicia are excellent but due to distances it does take a long time to get anywhere. You can tell your American family that Spain is about the size of Texas and that should put it into perspective.There is still not a lot of development outside the seaside towns. The interior towns are very small and the population overall is elderly. Most people speak only Galician spanish which is a spanish/portuguese combination. It is very hard to find anyone that speaks English or French. However,people were friendly and we were able to communicate in the butcher, bakery, grocery stores. We even had a minor medical emergency and had to find a pharmacy in Viveiro. The pharmacist only spoke spanish but was very kind and helpful.
The beaches of Galicia are beautiful,especially the Playa de Las Catedrales Beaches or Cathedral Beaches where the rock formations are in the shape of arches found in cathedrals. And in Sepember there won't be any crowds. The day we were there we saw a wedding party having there photos taken on the beach. http://www.iknow-spain.co.uk/tourist...idays/galicia/
All through Galicia you will see pilgrims who are walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela http://www.santiago-compostela.net/
It is an amazing journey and the city of Santiago De Compostela is also amazing. Be sure to visit the cathedral and to have a tarta de Santiago (St. James cake) which is an almond cake historically carried by pilgrims (it is also Gluten free).
A Coruna is a major port city and you will see cruise ships stop. The Tower of Hercules has historic significance, there is a seafront tram ride also touring the old city. It is not a big city by any means, but there is more to do here than in any other other cities or towns. In A Coruna you will find a better selection of accommodations, more restaurants and shops which also stay open later. It is a good location to travel out from and over all it is brighter than anywhere else.
This sounds like a very special trip for your family. We spent 2 weeks in Galicia in September and enjoyed it very much. O Vicedo was our base and we toured the coast between Santander down to Pontebedra. In September most of the tourists have gone home and Galicia is very very quiet especially outside A Coruna, Viveiro, Santiago.
Driving up from Madrid it was easy to see why Galicia was so isolated and retained its own culture and identity for so long. It is a long drive across a very arid area and then you need to cross the mountains. The roads in Spain and in Galicia are excellent but due to distances it does take a long time to get anywhere. You can tell your American family that Spain is about the size of Texas and that should put it into perspective.There is still not a lot of development outside the seaside towns. The interior towns are very small and the population overall is elderly. Most people speak only Galician spanish which is a spanish/portuguese combination. It is very hard to find anyone that speaks English or French. However,people were friendly and we were able to communicate in the butcher, bakery, grocery stores. We even had a minor medical emergency and had to find a pharmacy in Viveiro. The pharmacist only spoke spanish but was very kind and helpful.
The beaches of Galicia are beautiful,especially the Playa de Las Catedrales Beaches or Cathedral Beaches where the rock formations are in the shape of arches found in cathedrals. And in Sepember there won't be any crowds. The day we were there we saw a wedding party having there photos taken on the beach. http://www.iknow-spain.co.uk/tourist...idays/galicia/
All through Galicia you will see pilgrims who are walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela http://www.santiago-compostela.net/
It is an amazing journey and the city of Santiago De Compostela is also amazing. Be sure to visit the cathedral and to have a tarta de Santiago (St. James cake) which is an almond cake historically carried by pilgrims (it is also Gluten free).
A Coruna is a major port city and you will see cruise ships stop. The Tower of Hercules has historic significance, there is a seafront tram ride also touring the old city. It is not a big city by any means, but there is more to do here than in any other other cities or towns. In A Coruna you will find a better selection of accommodations, more restaurants and shops which also stay open later. It is a good location to travel out from and over all it is brighter than anywhere else.
Jan 18th, 2010 | 03:36 AM
#5
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,760
Likes: 0
I live in Galicia and could provide you with a 1000 things to do, but at this stage I have to agree with Viajero2 give us some clues please.
But if you really do not have any idea as to what is where then the first point of call on the web is http://www.turgalicia.es/. This web page has all the tourist information you could possibly want, including all the official accommodation in Galicia.
From your list of villages you are thinking about stay do you realise the journey times between them and where your family could be? In the region of a couple of hours each way. So fours each day just to travel, that seems a large chuck out of your day.
In September on this part of the coast you may get some rainy days. So do not expect to sit by the pool every day.
Staying in a city or in the countryside is always going to be down to your personal taste. What is that?
But if you really do not have any idea as to what is where then the first point of call on the web is http://www.turgalicia.es/. This web page has all the tourist information you could possibly want, including all the official accommodation in Galicia.
From your list of villages you are thinking about stay do you realise the journey times between them and where your family could be? In the region of a couple of hours each way. So fours each day just to travel, that seems a large chuck out of your day.
In September on this part of the coast you may get some rainy days. So do not expect to sit by the pool every day.
Staying in a city or in the countryside is always going to be down to your personal taste. What is that?
