We are planning to spend 12 days in Portugal and Galicia in late August and early September and will be flying in and our of Lisbon. Our preference is to limit our switches in hotels or paradores and explore from several home bases. Plans are to rent a car as needed or for all portions of the trip outside of Lisbon.

Thoughts on what towns would make the best locations from which we can in a relaxed fashion go exploring. Suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

There's an Autovia (limited access expressway) from Tui (on the Portugal-Spain border) to a'Corunha; I wouldn't recommend that for the first part of your journey to Galicia. In nearby la Guardia, there's a National Historic site, Monte Santa Tecla: A restored Celtic (Castreño) village.
From la Guardia the coastal route to Baiona reminds me of California's Mission Trail.

There's a Parador (Castillo del Conde de Gondomar) in Baiona at the mouth of the Ria de Vigo where Columbus made landfall on returning from his first Voyage of Discovery. There are other Paradors in Valença do Minho (Portugal), in Tui, and in Santiago de Compostela (Parador de los Reyes Catolicos). I was there twice when King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia stayed at the latter.

In the Catedral/Basilica there's a huge Incense Censer that swings on festive dates and/or Masses. Attend a Pilgrims' Mass Saturday evening and you may be lucky enough to see it!

Watch out for pickpockets of every shape & size wherever there are crowds. Once I was on c/Fonseca watching a Tuna Universitaria performance: a young man with a 4-year-old tried to pick my pocket.

In August accomodations may be 'tight.' Everyone is on vacation.

Click on my name and you will find my Portugal/Galicia trip report. It may be of some use.

The Incense Censer in Santiago's Basilica is the Botafumeiro.

In Vigo, there's a Marketplace up the hill behind Hotel Bahia Vigo called la Pedra. If you're lucky, the lady who sells tobacco's there will sell you a shrink wrapped block of Cuban MonteCristos (25-count) at the best price I have found in Spain.

At the base of the hill and just west of the Hotel is a morning Fish Market: very interesting!

Look at the Pousada at Viana do Castello as a base for the Minho region. I would also base in Obidos for 2 nites to see that region, to include Nazare, Batahla, etc. Good luck !
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3832

Thank you for the information. What do you think of the following plan?

Lisbon - 2 nights
Aveiro - 3 nights - with day trips to surrounding towns
Santiago de Compstela - 3 nights with day trips
returning to Lisbon via
Zamora 1 night
Caceres 1 night
Lisbon 2 nights

Thinking about going from Aveiro to Baiona for 2 nights and then staying only one night in SC. Thoughts?

<< Thinking about going from Aveiro to Baiona for 2 nights and then staying only one night in SC. Thoughts? >>

I prefer 'Plan B! But 'day-of-the-week' is another thing you have to factor in for Santiago. If it's a Saturday or Sunday you've got a better chance of seeing the Botafumeiro swing than on other days.

There's an AutoVia (very expensive toll road) from Tui to a'Corunha. If you get on at the Vigo Interchange you'll be in Santiago in about 30min.

Living in Galicia I have to have some input. First of all SdC is not Galicia, there is so much more to this area than just one city.
So please get out and explore.
All the comments are about the coast of Galicia. The Rias Baixas is rather flat but the Rias Altas much more rugged and has a lot of cliffs and for me is far more interesting.
To be honest 12 days with the distances you are planning to travel and wanting a relaxing vacation does not work so well.
Given you limited time I would by pass Vigo and even A Coruña, especially if you want a bit of piece and solitude. These are the 2 biggest cities in Galicia and Vigo is the most industrialised.
The Botafumeiro does not swing unless someone pays for it. So it does not happen often these days.
You say you have 2 nights in a lot of locations but this only works out to be effectively 1 full day in the said location. Sometime that is not enough.

I guess at this point we will go with plan B and stay 2 nights
in Baiona. I'm so sorry that we do not have more time as I would like to spend 3-4 days at each location. This is our second trip to Spain though first to Portugal. I'm already thinking we will have to schedule another trip with more time.