¡Galicia!

Today I would like to introduce you to the beautiful North West Spanish region of Galicia. This region is considered to be one of the most interesting places in Spain and also in Europe.

Let me list a series of words that could best describe Galicia; “El Camino” (Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage), Marisco (seafood), Ternera Gallega (Galician Beef), Wild Sea, beautiful beaches, wonderful forests, ancestral traditions and some local legends that came from the Celts.

In my opinion, one of the areas that includes all these magical things in  Galicia is “Ferroltera”, a small area in Galicia just  North of the region. Ferrolterra is an ancient group of towns that forms an imaginary  circle when seen from above, and it is here where you can enjoy the best seafood ( Percebes), wonderful beaches like Pantin, Villarrube or Baleo, Cultural areas like San Andres de Teixido (Pilgrimage) and a fine cuisine based on traditional dishes like “empanada”, “caldo gallego” or “Pulpo a la Gallega”. You will find hundreds of places where to delight your palet with the very high-quality food  in Spain.

It is known that Galicians were always on the move they had to emigrate due to the lack of employment in Spain in the 1940´s and 195 0´s, we can see this in Argentina where people call any Spaniard “Gallego” due to the amount of Gallegos  who emigrated to South America during that decade.

In Ferrolterra you have a few interesting places that attract  many visitors through the year: “San Andres de Teixido” a small town situated on top of a hill with its old Catholic Church, famous for the large amount of people  visiting every year to pray the local saint (“San Andres”) for miracles.  There are  several legends about these places but what is true is that you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views overt the Atlantic Ocean from the many viewpoints available. One of the highest cliffs in Europe and breathtaking views are situated in “San Andrés de Teixido”.

“Percebes” is the most famous and expensive seafood dish in Galicia and in fact Spain,  People in Madrid are willing to pay around 150 euros per kgs  for this exquisite seafood. The sea there has the best natural conditions for Percebes to grow due to the strong ocean waves breaking hard against the rocks creating the perfect environment because of the pure oxygen coming from the ocean.

 “Pantin Beach” is the name of the famous surfing spot in the area. A perfect place for surfers looking for the perfect wave, every year the “Pantin Classic Surf Challenge” is hosted there where surfers like Tom Curren or Sunny Garcia have been enjoying these cold sea waters. Close to the Beach my favorite place to eat is “Casa Caneiro” a typical “tasca” (small bar) very local, where you can eat the best seafood in Spain. That bar is owned by Rocio and Manolo a nice local couple that prepare everything with the same care and dedication as  their parents did back in the 194o’s. They offer fresh seafood taken directly from the ocean every morning. Manolo Caneiro is a respected name in the Market, every single morning he writes on a chalkboard the fresh seafood taken directly from the sea: Percebe, Pulpo (Octopus), Longueirones, Vieiras, Mejillones (mussels), Langostinos (langoustine).

Bottom line, Galicia and Ferrolterra are one of the most beautiful places to visit in Spain, food, surf, beach, mountain and a lot of things are waiting for you. Please enjoy!