| Northern Spain and Galicia particularly has | | | | In what has been a mountain to climb slowly |
| long been an undiscovered jewel in the whole | | | | but surely Galicia is now trying to manage |
| of the Spanish tourism industry. All over | | | | successfully the twin track of its regional |
| Northern Spain the climate is much more | | | | lifestyle with a much more modern society. |
| moderate than the rest of the Iberian | | | | |
| Peninsula and the autonomous regions that | | | | Galicia has always maintained strong links |
| make up this area of the country have exactly | | | | with the sea and the port cities of Vigo and |
| what it takes to help visiting tourists have | | | | Corunna are centres of culture and industry. |
| a good time. | | | | As befits a province that has such reliance |
| | | | on the sea, the seafood here is amongst the |
| The Atlantic coast of northern Spain boasts | | | | best in Spain and fishing is vital to the |
| extremely attractive sandy beaches whilst | | | | economy. |
| inland the mountain ranges are criss-crossed | | | | |
| by numerous foot paths. | | | | The small fishing villages dot the entire |
| | | | coastline. The coast which was devastated by |
| If you look at all of the autonomous regions | | | | the damage caused by the 2002 sinking of the |
| that make up modern day Spain, Galicia has to | | | | oil tanker Prestige has now by almost |
| be the most remote. Found in the North West | | | | recovered and in some cases is almost better |
| corner of Spain, Galicia as has been said is | | | | than ever. |
| a region of vast contrasts. | | | | |
| | | | The most westerly point in Spain, Cabo |
| Galicia is proud to be the home of one of the | | | | Fisterra is situated in this rugged stretch |
| most visited religious pilgrimage sites in | | | | of Galician coastline. Inland, the hillsides |
| the world whilst of a more earthly nature the | | | | which are quite often shrouded in mist |
| region is extremely famous for its excellent | | | | conceal the remains of Celtic settlements |
| cuisine especially the seafood. Such is the | | | | throughout the region. At road junctions and |
| nature of the pilgrimage site at Santiago de | | | | in towns throughout the region stand various |
| Compostela that it appears to have inspired a | | | | old stone crosses and in the villages old |
| tourism industry of its own. | | | | stone granaries are quite commonplace. |
| | | | |
| The Galicians, whose origins are Celtic, are | | | | There is a very strong connection in Galicia |
| fiercely proud of their culture and language. | | | | with the Celtic culture found there and also |
| | | | dominant in some of the north-western |
| Traditionally, Galicia was seen as a poor | | | | territories of Europe such as Ireland, |
| agricultural region, whose economy did not | | | | Scotland and Wales (not to mention the |
| lend itself to modernisation. Galicia always | | | | Bretons in France and the Basques elsewhere |
| seemed to be a very closed and inward looking | | | | in Spain) and one of these connections is the |
| area being fiercely resistant to any formal | | | | traditional language of Galicia known as |
| external invasion. For a region that was so | | | | Gallego. |
| proud of being fiercely independent Galicia | | | | |
| only really had an independent monarchy | | | | The other way the Celtic tradition is also |
| during between the 10th and 11th centuries. | | | | represented in Galicia is within the various |
| | | | art and Cultural forms. This is further |
| Bordering Portugal to the south and enclosed | | | | exemplified with the slight theme of |
| by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the | | | | melancholy running through quite often the |
| west Galicia could offer its inhabitants | | | | words and music of the region. With regards |
| little in the way of new land for | | | | to Galicia (as with County Donegal in the |
| cultivation. As with a lot of the major | | | | Republic of Ireland), as anyone who has |
| Celtic communities in Western Europe after a | | | | experienced some of the fierce storms coming |
| while the major industry became emigration. | | | | in from the Atlantic perhaps this is |
| | | | understandable. |