Property Videos

The majority of our clients live outside Spain, so here at Destination Galicia we strive to provide as much information as possible on the properties we have for sale. We have also started to provide videos for certain properties and they have proven a hit with our clients as they give a more better insight and feel for the property. We only have videos for certain properties as it's impossible to put a video for each property due to website space and time. However, if there is any property you really like and you want a video to ascertain if it's suitable, please ask and we'll be happy to provide a video.



Here we have an example of a video we took a while ago, camera work is not great but we are getting better. This property is ideal for any rural business as it has lots of space, outbuildings, original features and lots of charm. Price has been reduced from 600.000 to 400.000 euros making it very attractive. You can check all information on the property here:
http://www.destinationgalicia.com/index.php/Property/detail/8.html

End of Summer

We ended summer with a final visit to the beach. Happened two weeks ago and we decided to pay our first visit to the Islas Cies, voted by a Guardian reporter as the best beach in the world:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/feb/16/beach.top10

There are probably other beaches that can be considered the best, but the Rodas beach in Islas Cies is beautiful and a lovely place to spend a day. Set in the Islas Cies, a beautiful island declared a national park, apart from the beach it offers lots of hiking and lots of wildlife. The place is full of birds, flora and many animals which cannot be found in other areas, but here thrive due to its isolated location and protection. The surrounding waters are also visited by dolphins, whales and marine tortoises.


We reached the island from the port of Vigo, a boat takes you there for the return fare of 18€. The boat ride takes around 50 minutes, taking you through the bay of Vigo which is dotted with beaches, lovely villages and many sailing boats. You can also stay at the Cies campsite if you want to explore the island in depth and enjoy its beaches.

Overall, it was a fitting way to end the summer, it was a hot September day and the water was still warmish. No traffic, crowds...... Relaxing Sunday.

Galicia Day

Destination Galicia decided to spend the 25th July in Santiago de Compostela. This is a special date for Galicia, it's the official day celebrating Galicia, a day when Galicia and its culture are celebrated.

The main party takes place in Santiago as it's the capital of Galicia, the party goes on for a whole week. The weather this year was not great but the streets of Santiago were still full of locals and tourists from Spain and abroad, everyone taking in the special atmosphere, the mix of tradition and modernity. The big party started at 12am on the 25th when a huge fireworks/visual display takes place in front of the Cathedral, the display was incredible and 20.000 people filled the Obradoiro Square, this is considered one of the best fireworks display in all of Spain.

After the dazzling display, a short walk to the Franco full of tapas bars, time for a plate of Galician octopus, green peppers and a bottle of the local white wine, Albariño. The party then continued in the Quintana Square where the famous Galician folk band Milladoiro was about to play. The square was full of people, the setting was magical with the Cathedral as a backdrop and the beautiful celtic folk music of Milladoiro. After two hours of music and dancing the party continued around the cobbled streets of Santiago where there are many traditional bars and modern fashionable clubs. Around 6 am the party ended for me, it had been a long day of work and partying. Headed for the hotel to replenish the batteries for other fiestas. Summer is a long fiesta in Galicia.

Little Green Peppers

Galicia is a land that produces many culinary delights, one of these are the "Pimientos de Padron" or Peppers of Padron. These are small green peppers, or chilies, grown in the area of Padron which is near Santiago. It is a variety of chili brought back to Padron by franciscan monks who were placed in Mexico in the 16th century. These peppers soon started growing and probably due to the mild climate of Galicia they took on a more aromatic and subtle flavour, and also smaller in size.

These peppers are in season and can be found in any restaurant or bar, they are usually fried in olive oil and then seasoned with coarse sea salt. They are served either as a tapa or part of a main dish, and the small tail is left to allow it to be handled.

They are perfectly accompanied with an ice cold beer or local white wine, but careful there is always one pepper that can be hot, making the experience more fun. As we say in Galicia about these peppers: "Os pementos de Padron, uns pican e outros non" (The peppers of Padron, some are hot and others not)

Spain Champions!

At Destination Galicia we are feeling very hungover. It has been a long Sunday night full of celebration out in the streets of A Coruña, lots of singing and dancing. There was a very good reason....

Spain have finally won an international football trophy after many years of miserable exits from major tournaments. What really grabbed all football fans was the way it was won, winning all matches, only conceding three goals and playing very classy football. Spain deserved to be Champions. No longer under-achievers.

Horse Riding Holidays in Galicia

I'm happy to present a new horse riding holiday service in Galicia run by Digby Butler, who arrived in Galicia around a year ago and used Destination Galicia's services to make his dream come true.

The company Gallop Galicia offers a comprehensive range of riding holidays, from the Way of St. James Pilgrim ride to coastal rides on Galicia's fantastic beaches, and the use of fantastic Iberian horses (Lusitano, Spanish Arab and Luso-Arab crosses).

Anyone interested in experiencing these exciting holidays and excellent hospitality can get in touch with Digby Butler at digby@gallopgalicia.com or check their website www.gallopgalicia.com

New Flight Route to Galicia

Clickair has just started a new route from the UK to Galicia, at the moment they have flights from Heathrow to A Coruña.

The new flight will service the southern area of Galicia, all the area of Pontevedra and Vigo, a very popular summer destination for Spaniards. The flight will be between Gatwick and Vigo airport, a modern airport with good access to the fantastic nearby beaches and northern Portugal.

More information www.clickair.com

The NIght of San Juan

It's been a while since my last post in this Blog. Apologies.
Tonight is my Saint Day, "San Juan". A popular festivity all over Spain, particularly in Galicia. It is a festival celebrating the arrival of summer and the longest day of the year, the summer solstice.

Bonfires are lit all over Galicia at 12 pm on 24th July in order to frighten away the bad spirits and purify the soul. It is a tradition to jump over the bonfire 9 times for good luck and protection. During the night aromatic plants are picked and are soaked in water during the night, in the morning the water is used for washing the body, therapeutic and cleansing properties are attributed to this herbal/aromatic water.

In this magical night, the tradition is to eat barbecued sardines, maize bread and local red wine. This festival is celebrated throughout Galicia, especially in A Coruña where many bonfires are lit all over the beach of Riazor.

Carnival

The first major celebration of the year is upon us, the very entertaining Carnival or "Entroido" as it's known in Galicia. For those not familiar with Carnival it's a festival where people often dress up or masquerade, a celebration held before the 40 days of lent.

In Galicia it is a major celebration, especially in the province of Ourense where in some villages the celebrations last for several weeks. The photo above depicts a "cigarron" from Verin (Ourense) which has the longest carnival in Spain. The costume weighs 25 kilos including the cow bells tied around the waist, the elaborate masks always have the image of a wild animal, and the Cigarron holds a whip in his hand and hits anyone who gets in his way.

The celebrations continue well into the early hours of the morning, to keep the body going you will need to eat and drink, especially the traditional coffee liqueur and "lacon con grelos", the traditional carnival dish which consists of salt ham, turnip tops, chorizo sausage and potatoes. For dessert there is the traditional Galician pancake known as "Filloas".

Happy Christmas

The Christmas holidays are upon us. Just a quick post to wish all our readers a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hope to include many new posts and articles in the coming year. If you have any ideas or want to see specific news please email us:
info@desinationgalicia.com

As we say in Galicia:

Bo Nadal e Feliz Ano Novo
(Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year)

The Cemetery of the English

In the Coast of Death, Galicia's and Spain's westernmost area, there is a small monument next to the rough coast dedicated to the 175 English sailors drowned off the coast here on 10th November 1890, when their ship, the Serpent, sank in a terrible storm. Only 3 sailors survived.
The locals recovered the dead bodies and buried them next to the beach on what is known as the Cemetery of the English. The British goverment thanked the people of Camariñas and the mayor was given a shotgun and the parish priest a gold watch.




Next to the cemetery there is a lovely stretch of coast, a lovely and virgin beach named Playa do Trece. You need to leave the car parked next to the cemetery and then a 20 minute walk to reach the beach. This is a lovely beach, for me one of the most beautiful, it has plenty of sand dunes and a lovely stretch of white sand. At the end of the beach there is a large hill covered in white sand, throughout the years the strong winds dragged sand towards this hill and eventually created a large sand dune. A great place to get a good view of the area and spectacular sunsets. This stretch of coast is usually empty due to its remoteness and wild sea, which makes it very attractive if you want to spend a relaxing day, just you and the sound of the crashing waves.

Let's live like Galicians!

Just thought I should include this advert from a leading Galician supermarket chain. This advert is currently causing a stir, many Galicians identify with the personality traits and traditions portrayed in the one minute and thirty second spot. Thousands have downloaded the advert from the chain's website and from YouTube, there's even a version with English subtitles, not a very good translation, funny in a way. There's also an ending inspired by Braveheart. If you are Galician you have probably seen the advert, if you're not, check it out and discover how many Galicians think and live.

See for yourself.

Autumn Festival - Magosto

Halloween and All Saints Day has gone, now comes the end of autumn and Galicia celebrates the chestnut fiesta of Magosto. This is a traditional festival celebrated in November, whereby the main ingredients are chestnuts and wine.

People get together in the village square or streets to roast chestnuts on the open fires and drink young red wine, everyone will drink, sing, dance and tell stories around the fires. At the end of the night people will blacken their faces with the remaining ash and jump over the remaining fire, this will bring luck.

The origins of this tradition are remote, but everyone agrees it's a celebration of the year's harvest and an opportunity to eat the plentiful chestnuts provided by Galicia's forests.