Spain: Galicia

Overview

Galicia (population 2.8 million) in the extreme north-west of Spain contains the provinces of A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra. The main towns include Corunna (A Coruña, the region’s capital), Lugo, Ourense, Pontevedra, Santiago de Compostela and Vigo (the most important port). Galicia was the original cradle of Christian Spain and was the only region not to be conquered by the Moors. Santiago de Compostela is one of the most important holy places in Christendom (it once rivalled Rome) and has been a place of pilgrimage since the ninth century when the tomb of St James (Spain’s patron saint) was ‘discovered’. It contains a wealth of fine and interesting buildings, not least its Romanesque cathedral.

Galicia covers an area of 29,500km2 (11,390mi2) and is a land of stunning panoramas, verdant green forests and pasturelands, rugged mountains, and a wild Atlantic coastline (380km/240mi), with landscapes more common to northern Europe than Spain. The coastal area is divided into two sections, distinguished by their deep inlets or estuaries (rías). The upper rias (rías altas) of Ribadeo and O Barqueiro are wild, while the lower rias (rías bajas) of Pontevedra and Vigo are gentler, with the sea embraced by sloping hills. The region is famous for its romantic mists, superstitions and shipwrecked sailors off the aptly named ‘Costa de la Muerte’ (coast of death), where in late 2002 the oil tanker Prestige broke in half and sank covering hundreds of beaches in inches of tar and ruining the livelihoods of thousands of Galicians.

Galicians are a fiercely independent people, descendants of Celtic invaders in 1000 BC, with their own language (Gallego), customs (bagpipes, gaitas, are a traditional instrument), cuisine, dress and architecture. In the last century, Galicians populated most of Hispano-America, particularly Argentina, and those who return are still called americanos (the area is also infamous for its Columbian drug connections). Galicia’s most famous son was General Francisco Franco (born in El Ferrol), although he turned his back on the region after he came to power and even banned the use of the local language. Galician (gallego) is a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese and is today spoken by 80 per cent of the population (around 2.2 million people), 40 per cent of whom (mostly in the countryside) speak it exclusively. Like Catalan, Galician is a recognised language and not a dialect, although three dialects are spoken.

The main industries are agriculture and fishing, while timber production and shipbuilding are also important. Some 60 per cent of Spain’s huge fishing fleet is based in Galicia, where there’s a close relationship between the people and the sea. Galicia is noted for its fine cuisine and the best fish and seafood in Spain (it also makes what many consider to be the best white wines in Spain). The region has a mild and humid climate, with warm summers. However, it’s also the wettest region in Spain, particularly in winter, when most rain falls along the northern and western coasts (in contrast the plains are very dry). Average temperatures are around 13°C (55°F) and average rainfall 1000mm (40in). The region has poor communications with the rest of Spain, although these have improved in recent years and it’s a fascinating place to visit. Foreign homebuyers have started to show interest in the region and Galicia is a growing market with the added advantage of some of the country’s cheapest property. The south coast around the Rías Bajas (e.g. La Toja) is more expensive than the north. Houses needing restoration are available from €50,000 and a large modern family home costs from €180,000.

© Survival Books Limited 2005

“Buying a Home in Spain 2006” 5th Edition, David Hampshire.

Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on this topic can be found in “Buying a Home in Spain 2006” 5th edition, by David Hampshire.

For extensive, annually updated information about buying a property in Spain, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net