Holidays in Spain: Galicia
Tour Guide to La Coruña's Fine Seafood, Albariño and White Beaches
Galicia is becoming one of the best areas in Spain for holidays, affordable property and food, thanks to its mild weather, natural beauty and welcoming cities.
If your knowledge of Spain does not extend beyond the overdeveloped tourist traps of the south, then the magnificent city of La Coruña has some real surprises in store. Madrid and Barcelona have worked tirelessly to put themselves in the tourist map, but few people have ever heard of this Galician city in the northwest corner of Spain. It’s a region famous for its abundance of succulent seafood, cheese, “chorizos”, ham and a worldwide recognized wine: Albariño. The Atlantic Ocean washes its coasts forming some of the most impressive white sand beaches in Spain.
Old Town Fiesta
In August La Coruña celebrates its month long fiesta and the available tourist fare could not be more plentiful: book and craft fairs, a comics market, bullfighting (an acquired taste!), museums, theatres and concerts. The meandering streets of the Old Town make this the ideal venue for a vibrant Medieval Fair, flanked by crooked old houses, churches and convents, breaking the usual calmness with a multitude of food and craft stalls and the ever present sound of Celtic music.
The Old Town is the perfect retreat amidst the madness of a bustling and expanding city. Ancient and well maintained stone carved churches with magnificent rose windows built as far back as the 11th century offer visitors a place to meditate and rest.
Architectural Highlights
Close to the Old Town you will encounter other architectural jewels like the Archaeology and History Museum Castle of San Antón, previously a fortress and prison, which now offers visitors an insight into the region’s Prehistoric, Roman and Iron Age periods. Nearby the splendid Town Hall Palace of María Pita, built in a romantic square surrounded by inviting restaurants and busy bars, creates a spectacular bridge between the Old Town and the new.
White Sand Beaches
A short walk away are the beaches of Orzán and Riazor, the oasis in an urban desert, where locals and tourists alike meet in summer to defy the cold waters of the Atlantic and watch the surfers showing off their skills.
Galician Cuisine
After a tiring and revealing walk around the town, the attraction of the innumerable restaurants and tapas bars will be too great to resist. At lunchtime - which in Spain is always around 2pm - the smell of cooking saturates every corner, ensuring that La Coruña maintains its status as a provider of first class cuisine.
Bear in mind, however, that Coruña is just the tip of the iceberg. Galicia has endless pleasures to discover.
