Spotlight on A Coruña

A Coruña is the oldest city in Galicia, an important port and commercial centre. It is after all the capital city of the province. You will find a bit of everything; a harbour, a good beach, exquisite seafood, great nightlife, Romanesque architecture, entertaining museums and the football team Deportivo.

Most of the city can be explored by foot. A Coruña is home to one of the longest promenades in Europe. Luckily, there is a half hourly tram ride that runs along it if you don't fancy the long walk.

Avenida de la Marina is one of the city's landmarks. Here you will see houses with gleaming glass fronted balconies called galerías. They make up the largest glass facade in the world. It is because of this that it is often called the crystal city or the glass city.

Close by is the Plaza María Pita, a popular spot for pavement cafés. This lovely square is named after the local heroine. She was a formidable character who was married and widowed four times! It is said that she refused marriage a fifth time due to her forth husband's will. In 1589 the English led by Sir Francis Drake, besieged the city. After several days of fighting, most of the town took refuge in the Old City. Men, women and children all did what they could to barricade themselves. The English, however, managed to penetrate their defences. When all seemed lost María Pita came armed with a pike and stabbed the English flag bearer. She then took the colours, rallied the people and sent the English packing. In the middle of the square is a statue of her, pike in hand and a couple of dead Englishmen at her feet.

Just to the east is the Colegiata de Santa Maria del Campo. Many local sailors pray to her for protection before a sea voyage. One of the oldest churches in the city is the Iglesia de Santiago. It is also the start of one of the stages of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

If you fancy a quiet spot then head over to Jardines San Carlos. This Romanesque styled garden is laid out on the site of a fortress whose walls you can still see today. Buried here is General Sir John Moore, who was killed by a French cannonball at the Battle of Elviña in 1809 during the Peninsular War.

If museums are your thing then there are three good ones. Museo de Bellas Artes is an art museum featuring Spanish and European painting as well as Galician art. There are some prints by Goya and ceramics by the local pottery firm of Sargadelos. Museo Arqueológico is housed in the ancient fortress of Castillo de San Antón. Here you can see the history of Galicia from the Palaeolithic Era to the time of the Roman Conquest. It also illustrates the culture of the castros or fortified villages and medieval sculptures in A Coruña's history. The newest museum is the Domus, housed in a futuristic looking building. It is also known as Casa de Hombre or Museum of Mankind. It is the world's first interactive museum devoted entirely to humankind.

Your stay is not complete until you visit the famous The Tower of Hercules. Built by the Romans, it is the world's oldest working lighthouse and has been lighting the way for ships since the 2^nd Century. Local legends however say that a giant called Gerión fought for three long days with Hercules, Zeus's son. Hercules won and cut off the head of the giant. He then ordered a tower to be constructed to commemorate his victory. If you climb the 234 steps to the top you will be rewarded with an awesome panoramic view of the city and across the sea.

Close to the Torre de Hércules are two small beaches of Das Lapas and San Amaro. The city's main beach is Riazor-Orzán. During the summer months the beach is packed out. At the far end of the beach is the Estadio de Riazor which is the home ground of Deportivo. For decades this tiny football club struggled in the lower divisions but by the 1990s rose to the top of the division. Since then it has grown in strength to become one of the more popular European football teams.

Spotlight On Rías Altas

The Rías Altas are on the northern coast of Galicia between the towns of Ribadeo and Ferrol. It isn't as developed as the west coast but nevertheless you will find some interesting fishing towns and some lovely beaches.

Ribadeo is a fishing town on the estuary of the river Eo, which forms a natural boundary with the neighbouring region of Asturias. Just north of the town lies the 18th Century fort of San Damián. This has now been turned into a museum. Just outside Ribadeo you will find the beach at As Catedrais (The Cathedrals). So called because of the awesome rock formations found on the beach which look like Gothic buildings and arches. Carry on westwards and there are some nice little beaches. If you're into surfing then the beaches at Praia de Lóngara and Fontela are your best bet.

6 miles west of Ribadeo is the small fishing town of Foz which also has some nice beaches. Nearby you will find the Romanesque Iglesia de San Martín de Mondoñedo. This was once a cathedral and houses the tomb of San Gonzalo.

The next port of call is the town of Viveiro. This is a pretty and very popular town in the Rías Altas, with some good hotels and restaurants. It boasts the best Easter procession in Galicia, enacting all the stations of the cross via candlelight. Other festivities include the town's patron saint of San Roque and Nuestra Señora held on the week of 15 August.

You can still see some fragments of its medieval walls and of note are the Romanesque Iglesia de Santa Maria del Campo and Iglesia de San Francisco.

As we carry on westwards the coast becomes more rugged with some excellent views. We pass the small fishing village of O Barqueiro. It's a peaceful spot to stop at and from here. about an hour's walk through the eucalyptus forest will take you to Punto de Bares, the most northernmost point in Spain.

Continuing our journey we reach the fishing port of Ortigueira. This is transformed in mid July for the massive Celtic World International Festival. The festival is in it's 29th year and features artists from all over the Celtic world including Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Brittany in France.

A short distance to west is the fishing port of Cariño. From here take a walk northwards to Cabo Ortegal with it's good views and lighthouse. Further westwards Garita de Herbeira is a worthwhile visit. A desolate arch of granite cliffs pounded by waves and weather.

Our next stop is the pretty village of Cedeira. Here you will find some excellent beaches, a small fishing harbour and some spendid seafood. Some 8 miles to the north, perched above the wild Atlantic Ocean is the 12th Century monastery of San Andrés de Teixido. This is a Galician shrine that once belonged to the Knights of Malta. They brought back a relic of St Andrew from the Holy Land. St Andrew is revered here and superstitious locals will often bring offerings for various wishes. There is a well attended pilgrimage on 8 September. Some will make the journey in coffins to give thanks for narrow escapes. It is also customary for the pilgrams to throw breadcrumbs into the nearby spring. Legend has it if your crumb floats, your wish will be fulfilled.

We finally end our journey at the naval port of Ferrol. It was from here that some of the ships in the Spanish Armada set sail from. Although it's glory days ended with the Peninsular War it's still an important port and the navy is still very much in evidence here. Most of Ferrol is just an urban sprawl but in the central Magdalena district you will find some elegant houses with glass balconies as well as the white-washed Iglesia de San Xulián.

It's worth mentioning the attractive medieval town of Pontedeume, some 6 miles south of Ferrol. There is an impressive 14th Century tower built by the Andrade family who were the local lairds. Further in the hills is the the monastery of Caaveiro.

Galicia and Galicians

Galicia is Spain's most north-western region. The bit that sits on top of Portugal is how I always describe it. Most people then say aah and stare at you blankly. Why? Probably because not many people are aware of it. Galicia is the land of the Spanish Celts, of bagpipes (yes they have them here too!) and the resting place of St James the Apostle.

Galicia is made up of four provinces or counties. La Coruna, Lugo, Pontevedra and Orense. A green and windswept region, it faces the Atlantic Ocean along the west and northern shores. It is bordered on the south by Portugal and to the west by the districts of Castilla y Leon and Asturias.

Its coastline is full of inlets similar to fjords but which are called rias. All along the coast are countless of fishing ports. It is therefore no surprise that fishing is vital to the economy and Galician seafood is considered the best in Spain. Its beaches are outstanding and with the hefty waves of the Atlantic it is also a surfer's paradise. Inland you will find plenty of hillsides shrouded in mist concealing ancient Celtic settlements.

This is very much Celtic Spain. The Celts settled here around 600BC, although the Romans did invade in 50AD very little Roman culture was absorbed by the Celts. When the Moors invaded Spain during the 8th century they didn't bother too much with the region. The wild countryside and wet weather was obviously a big turn off for them. Maybe this is why the Celts originally made themselves at home. The terrain and weather being so similar to that of Ireland or Scotland.

Thinking of themselves as Celtic, the Galician people are very superstitious and their culture is based on many mysticisms. Many myths and legends abound based on werewolves, faeries, and witches. Another Celtic legacy is bagpipe or gaita. Although smaller than the Scottish or Irish versions the sound is, however, is unmistakable.

In addition to Spanish or castellano, Galicia has its own language called gallego which is similar to Portugeuse. This is widely spoken throughout the region and is experiencing a revival after being discouraged for many years. It is now being taught in schools and can be heard in everyday life.

Getting there is easy. Galicia is served by 3 major airports in Vigo, A Coruna and Santiago de Compostela, which is also the region's capital and is the main airport. Budget airline Ryanair fly to Santiago de Compostela from London Stansted.

If travelling by road you will find good networks of motorways or autopistas linking Galicia with the rest of Spain and onto Portugal and France. If planning your journey by train the main RENFE routes will take you to A Coruna, Ourense and Santiago de Compostela from Madrid. Altenatively you can take the scenic ride on el transcantabrico which is a narrow gauged service run by FEVE that takes you along the northern coastline from San Sebastian to Ferrol.

Whichever way you get there you will be amazed by the beauty that is Galicia that will stay with you forever.