Galicia

A green and beautiful, mythical corner of Spain

Santiago de Compostela – Riveiro – Ribera Sacra

General overview

What – 8 days (7 nights), all inclusive holiday, small groups of 2 – 6 people. This holiday is of course a walking, food and wine holiday but it’s a little different to the other holidays because we use the train to travel around the Southern part of Galicia, around the Spa town of Ourense, close to the Portuguese border.

Self guided – Does not mean you will be left to figure things out for yourself, far from it everything will be arranged and clearly explained on a daily basis. When changing hotels luggage will be collected after breakfast and transferred for you to the next hotel.

What to expect – Typical day will start with a good breakfast in the hotel/guest house before setting off for a beautiful hike through a wide variety of stunning sceneries, terrains and environments. During the day you will usually stop for a good lunch of classic Spanish and Galician food. Usually (but not always), we will end up at a local wine cellar for a little tour and tasting.

Where – Galicia is in the top North West of Spain on the Atlantic coast, the bit of Spain above Portugal. A large part of the holiday is set in the beautiful, green countryside between Vigo and Ourense, close to the River Minho which divides Spain and Portugal.

Getting here – Fly to and from Santiago de Compostela.

When – Being on the Atlantic coast makes Galicia notoriously unpredictable weather wise, May, June, September and October are probably the best months. The summer can get too hot whilst late autumn or early spring brings a good chance of rain. Whatever time of year you travel you’re very likely to see the sun, but there’s always a chance of a drop or rain too, quite possibly both on the same day.

What to bring – A small day pack with water bottle (2), food/snacks, sun screen, hat, light rain jacket, phone, shorts and light long trousers, ski/hiking pole (optional but recommended).

The Region – Galicia is often overlooked by tourists visiting Spain, mostly because the typical tourist is first and foremost looking for sun and the beach. However if you’re looking for fantastic walking, food and wine Galicia is a must. A historical region steeped in mystery and legends and really beautiful. It’s very green and lush thanks to it’s proximatey to the Atlantic coast, it rains a lot in the winter.

Walking – A good level of fitness is needed, expect to walk 8 – 15 km a day, some fairly steep sections but it´s walking not climbing so nothing that requires any specialist skills or equipment.

The food – The best! Ask a Spanish person which region has the best food and probably they’ll say Galicia, really. Being on the Altlantic coast means it has an unrivalled selection of seafood but because it’s so green and fertile it has fantastic fruit, vegetables and meat too. Typical Galicia food is simple, unfussy, delicious and plentiful, they’re generous people and big eaters.

The wine – Most people will have heard of the white wine Albarino but there are an amazing range of indigenious varieties that you won’t have heard of, both red and whites.We visit two very interesting and completely different regions, Riveiro and the Ribera Sacra, both are relatively unknown by many but Riveiro is actually Spains oldest wine region or DO (Designation of Origin), dating back some 2000 years. Ribera Sacra is high up in the mountains with breathtaking views. The vineyards are on the incredibly steep banks of the River Minho. We get there by train and walk down them by the way, not up!