Hire a car or walk but holiday in Spain your way

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All around the Rías Baixas there are beaches of golden sand, pretty villages
and historic towns. Stop in Pontevedra for some tapas under the porticoes in
the square, then head to Vigo when you are in the mood for the shops,
museums and cafés of a bigger city.

Continue down the coast to Baiona, maybe spending a night in the parador in
the medieval fortress of the Conde de Gondomar on a headland.

After all the curves of the coast, south of Baiona the landscape becomes
gentler towards the border with Portugal. Driving at dusk along the road
right by the Atlantic, with the sun setting and the surf glittering, is one
of my favourite Galician experiences.

My destination is always the Monte de Santa Tecla, with circular stone
vestiges of a settlement more than 2,000 years year old. From the top of the
hill, the panoramic view takes in ocean, vineyards and estuary.

Following the course of the Miño river inland, you start to discover the
variety of landscapes in Galicia. Stop in Ribadavia, which has a Jewish
Quarter dating back to the 11th century, and have a look around the old town
in Ourense.

Head north to drive through the gorge flanking the river Sil, one of the most
stunning sights in the region. The 10th-century Santo Estevo monastery is
now a parador and the perfect base for exploring the Ribeira Sacra wine
region. From there, you could drive to Santiago de Compostela for a couple
of days.

^{Deliciously aromatic wines are a hallmark of fine Galician cuisine}

Most stretches of this journey would also work well as walking or cycling
routes. As well as the paradores, there is an excellent rural network of
traditional small hotels and self-catering cottages.

Galicia is revered for the trails that form part of the pilgrimage to Santiago
de Compostela, such as the Camino Francés, or French route. Pilgrims have
been walking along here to the tomb of Saint James for more than 1,000 years
and today they are joined by those on bicycle and horseback. Even with
limited time, you could spend a day walking or cycling the last stretch into
the city.

While the Camino Francés is the most popular, it is just one of the pilgrimage
routes. Try part of the English route from theGalician coast at Ferrol, or
the Fisterra route, which continues to the coast from Santiago.

These days, you see all sorts of pilgrims in Galicia. As well as the truly
spiritual, increasing numbers of visitors are on a gastronomic quest,
touring the different wine regions and attending one of the many local food
festivals.

Whatever your reason for visiting Galicia, you’ll soon realise that there is
so much to explore.

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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