A holiday to Galicia delivers rich nuggets of culture

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Inland, Galicia has a touch of England’s Lake District or rural Ireland, all
lush green fields, drystone walls, gambolling lambs and land being worked in
much the same way for centuries. Where the similarity ends, though, is that
much of that greenery comprises vine leaves and glistening bunches of
grapes.

The recognised wine capital is the gorgeous little town of Cambados and on the
first Sunday in August the normally quiet streets are transformed with
booths celebrating the vineyards of the Rias Baixas.

For a white wine undergoing a sensational reinvention, head inland to the
valleys of Ourense and stay overnight in a pazo. These historic country
houses have bodegas attached and are now luxurious rural retreats with the
added bonus of ribeiro wine on tap.

You’ll find fascinating nuggets of history all over Galicia. The horreos
— old grain stores raised on stone stilts — are a hallmark, with some of the
best examples by the sea at Combarro. If you love the time-worn look, browse
around the preserved old parts of towns such as Pontevedra and Baiona, the
latter also boasting a replica of the Pinta, one of Columbus’s ships.

^{Granary guard: horreos were raised from the ground to protect the

grain from vermin}

If you have the energy, hop on a bike and scoot down the medieval roads,
criss-cross babbling brooks and tiptoe through ghost towns such as the
eerie, all-but-abandoned village of Pazos de Arenteiro. Look out for pan
de Cea, the famed bread of this region.

Long before they headed to the Spanish costas, people walked Europe’s first
tourist trail to the tomb of St James in the huge cathedral of Santiago de
Compostela – and still do.

Thousands of weary, footsore travellers dress their blisters after the journey
and revive themselves with a slice of the almondy tarta de Santiago.
The big university here ensures that the nightlife doesn’t end with vespers
but it has to be said that while Santiago mainly prays, the other big cities
of the region are very much places that play. And clean windows. A Coruña
earned the nickname City of Glass from sailors who fetched up in a port
where the facades of the buildings consist of thousands of panes of glass.

The elegant, white-painted frames of 19th-century apartment blocks are like
one big conservatory, creating huge sun-filled rooms — and the perfect
vantage point to experience one of the region’s most vibrant fiestas when
the locals set fire to the beaches in midsummer.

A Coruña also boasts the 180ft Tower of Hercules, thought to be the oldest
working lighthouse in the world, with Roman origins.

Whether exploring Galicia’s intriguing past or embracing its history with a
joyous festival, you’ll find this region rewarding on so many levels.

The Celtic connection

Having spent the week making the world, God sat down for a break and where he
put his hand was just by the coast of Galicia. Apparently, his fingers
created the dents in the coastline that are the rías, the distinctive,
fjord-like estuaries of Spain’s north-west.

Yet you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Anglesey at some points, or
Donegal, or taking that scenic drive up the west coast of Scotland. There’s
something closer to home about Galicia, this green and pleasant land of
ancient dolmens, hill forts, stone crosses and lonely chapels.

You won’t be in a bar for long before you hear the skirl of bagpipes. And call
in at the folk festival of Ortiguera next summer for pipes and drums galore
and folk leaping about, arms aloft, as would grace any highland festival. If
kilts are evident, it could be because first-century Galician warriors set
the trend to wear this men’s fighting skirt.

This is a land of funky fiestas and fairs where pagan rituals mix with
Christian tradition and where, after dinner, a fiery queimada, the local
version of poteen, is set alight in restaurants to keep witches at bay.

Folk festivals ring out with the airs and rhythms of Ireland, Scotland, the
Isle of Man, Wales, Brittany and Cornwall.

The origins of some of Galicia’s Celtic connections may be lost in the sea
mists here, but that doesn’t prevent the locals from proudly celebrating
these colourful links.

Tour operators who offer holidays to Galicia include:

Ramblers
Holidays

Kirker Holidays

Vintage Travel

Saga

Individual
Holidays

Visit the Telegraph’s Galicia
homepage to discover more about this secret corner of Green Spain

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