Travel & Leisure

With regards to the tourist industry within Spain, Northern Spain and in particular Galicia especially have been very much a hidden treasure and hidden within lies a further particular treasure called Viveiro. Of all of the autonomous regions of Spain Galicia is considered the most remote and therein lies the charm of Viveiro hidden away longing to be discovered.

Galicia has always been seen as a poor rural region, whose economy was dependent upon agriculture and fishing and did not lend itself to modernisation and yet as far as tourism is concerned it is this constant contact with the past that gives the region its appeal and charm.

The Galicians are fiercely proud of their culture and language and their Celtic heritage; it is what makes them unique (they feel) within modern day Spain.

Galicia always seemed to be a very closed and inward looking area being fiercely resistant to any formal external invasion and in many ways this degree of isolation was very much driven by the geographical location of the region.

In what has been a mountain to climb slowly but surely Galicia is now trying to manage successfully the twin track of its regional lifestyle with a much more modern society and thankfully this appears to have had very positive results with regards to tourism with little sign of negative effects..

Viveiro can be found on the northern coast of Galicia and Northern Spain, almost mid way between Ribadeo and the naval port (and birthplace of Francisco Franco y Bahamonde better known as General Franco) of Ferrol.

It is on the part of the northern coast of Galicia known as the Rias Altas which is not as overdeveloped as the more developed and possibly better known western shores of Galicia, the Rias Baixas.

The Rias are slightly gentler and softer forms of coastal landscapes than the Norwegian Fjords but the principle is almost the same? The inlets of the Rias Altas are deep and make the almost perfect natural harbour and again almost the perfect (if not extremely chilly at times as you have to remember that this is the North Atlantic Ocean out here) points for swimming.

All of the stops on this stretch of beautiful coast, Viveiro is perhaps the best and most interesting. Viveiro is a curious place, right at the tail of the particular Ria, it is not uncommon to see small boats getting marooned on the mud flats at low tide. Viveiro is a busy place in the summer and it is not untypical to see a constant stream of tourists and holiday makers passing through.

In winter however it is a different story and has been described as a strangely lifeless. However, as they say I guess it is all down to what “floats your boat” with regards to what attracts you what makes you Tick in that sometimes there is a degree of attractiveness about being able to go somewhere that is the extremely quiet and unspoiled.

After the tourist season, Viveiro can be that place. The time of the year that perhaps Viveiro is best known is Easter. Viveiro has an Easter Festival which is quite a serious event that culminates with a candlelit procession throughout the town enacting the “Stations of the Cross”.

If you happen to be in Viveiro at this time of year then this festival and possession can be quite a moving event.

Scott James writes about a great many Internet Travel based issues and more on the above can be found at Accommodation in Galicia . For a more complete overlook at Tourism in Galicia try http://www.turgalicia.es

Northern Spain and Galicia particularly has long been an undiscovered jewel in the whole of the Spanish tourism industry. All over Northern Spain the climate is much more moderate than the rest of the Iberian Peninsula and the autonomous regions that make up this area of the country have exactly what it takes to help visiting tourists have a good time.

With regards to Galicia you have a region where you have a rugged coastline with extremely attractive sandy beaches whilst inland the mountainous regions provide a completely different experience for the visitor.

Of all of the autonomous regions of Spain it is understandable given its location that Galicia is considered the most remote. Galicia is a region of contrasts in that in the one extreme you have a rugged beautiful coastline mixed with gorgeous beaches whilst inland you have beautiful mountain scenery.

As well as beautiful scenery in Galicia you have excellent cuisine especially the seafood whilst at the same time you have right on your doorstep one of the most visited religious pilgrimage sites in the world at Santiago de Compostela. This particular pilgrimage site has actually generated a vast tourist industry all of its own that is vital to the economic viability of the region.

The Galicians, whose origins are Celtic, are fiercely proud of their culture and language.

Historically, always classed as the poorer cousin to some of the other richer regions Galicia had an economy that did not easily lend itself to modernisation. It absorbed little in the way of outside influence being fiercely resistant to all forms of outside intervention, was never conquered by the Moors, and in the Middle Ages fell under the control of the kingdom of Asturias. Apart from a brief interlude in the 11th and 10th centuries when Galicia fell briefly under the rule of the kingdom of Asturias, Galicia has always been an independent region.

One of the problems with Galicia as with some of the other remote communities in Western Europe lies within its geographical constraints. As with a lot of the major Celtic communities in Western Europe after a while the major industry became emigration.

Thankfully slowly throughout the 20th century Galicia has begun to develop a way in which to manage the traditional lifestyles with a modern community to ensure that none of its rich history is lost.

The port cities of and Corunna which are widely appreciated to be centres of culture and industry within Galicia. As befits a province that has such reliance on the sea, the seafood here is amongst the best in Spain and fishing is vital to the economy.

As well as the major ports the coastline of Galicia is dotted with tiny little fishing villages. The coast which was devastated by the damage caused by the 2002 sinking of the oil tanker Prestige has now by almost recovered and in some cases is almost better than ever.

The major geographical point on the Galician coastline is probably Cape Finisterre which is the westernmost part of the Spanish mainland. Inland the region is dotted with ancient Celtic settlements which can be found in the often mist shrouded hillsides. At road junctions and in towns throughout the region stand various old stone crosses and in the villages old stone granaries are quite commonplace.

The whole Celtic culture in Galicia is completed by the sound of the favourite instrument of Galicia, the bag pipes and their language, Gallego, is an amalgam almost of Portuguese and the various other Gaelic tongues and there is an extremely strong link between Galicia and some of the other Celtic Countries of North Western Europe.

Again this love of the arts and culture is very similar with other Celtic regions. This is further exemplified with the slight theme of melancholy running through quite often the words and music of the region. For those who find this a concept difficult to understand and view it as being purely depressing and boring then you have to try and understand the traditional background to the entire region and realize the centuries of hardship that these communities have had to withstand and as a result have manifested themselves in their traditional words music.

Stephen Morgan writes about a great many Internet Travel based issues and more on the above can be found at Accommodation in Galicia . For a more complete overlook at Tourism in Galicia try http://www.turgalicia.es