Galicia Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Galicia (Galician: Galiza) is in Spain.
Contents |
Regions
There are four regions:
Major Cities
Other destinations
Understand
Talk
The local language is Galician sometimes referred as portuguese variety- very influenced by spanish). So Portuguese and Spanish are also near-universally understood.
Galician (or Galego) is Galicia's proper language. Spanish and Galician are co-official in Galicia, as recognised by the Spanish Constitution. Nowadays, Galician is understood by the vast majority of the population, and Spanish is spoken by virtually everyone. Travelers should have no problems communicating in Spanish or even in Portugese.
Galician is a romance language, the result of the evolution of Latin in the Roman province of Gallaecia. Galician is closely related to Portugese. In fact, Galician and Portugese were the same language in the Middle Ages. After the arrival of the Castillian nobility towards the end of the Middle Ages, Galician disappeared from the public eye, being preserved in the private realm. It was only in the 19th century that Galician started to be reclaimed in all areas of everyday life.
Get around
See
Itineries
Way of St. James - Traces the route of the apostle James.
Eating
If you like eating, maybe you´ll never come back from Galicia. Some favourites are Empanada (a mixture between a pizza and a meatcake), Pulpo á Feira (octopus prepared with oil, salt and hot paprika - surely the best octopus you´ll ever find), seafood and a wide range of products made from pork (the whole animal is eaten, even the blood). Caldo Gallego is a "poor mans stew" from Galicia. It's not extravagant, but extremely satisfying and useful for combating the cool dampness of the region. -Pimientos al Padron (see Drink section)
Drink
The main drink is black wine, but Licor Café (coffee liquor) is a main choice for those who want to get drunk fast. But be careful, although Galician people are very friendly, severe ingestions of this liquid could cause a problem. Also try Queimada (spirituous liquor with sugar burnt into a pot while a traditional spell is usually said). And if at this point you´re drunk enough, you´re ready to go out. (Nightlife in Galicia doesn´t finish even with daylight). Estrella Galicia is the regional beer. It's not bad for the price, but the real "estrella" (star) is their Special 1906 batch. Try it with a plate of "pimientos al padron" (lightly fried regional peppers...most of them are mild and very flavorful, but without distinguishing quality, some are extremely hot!). Keep your drink handy and partake with a few friends.
Stay safe
Get out
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