Guide Shows Clearly Both Elements: the Rich Tourist Offer of the Eu- Ro-Region and Our Capacity to Valuate It Through a Common Brand: “Two Countries One Destination”

PROGRAMA Unión Europea COOPERACIÓN TRANSFRONTERIZA FEDER ESPAÑA～ PORTUGAL COOPERAÇÃO TRANSFRONTEIRIÇA 2007～ 2013 Invertimos en su futuro CITIES OF EIXO ATLÁNTICO PUBLISHER SECRETARIES OF COORDINATION Eixo Atlántico do Noroeste Peninsular Vânia Oliveira DIRECTOR Elisa Vázquez Xoan Vázquez Mao DESIGN AND LAYOUT DRAFTING AND COORDINATION José Fandiño Paula Míllara Rolán PRINTING LAYOUT COORDINATION Tórculo Artes Gráficas, S.A. Chus Torres ISBN: 978-989-98943-1-0 ENGLISH VERSION Xiana Vázquez 2 INDEX FOREWORD ............................................................................... 4 Carlos Negreira President of Eixo Atlántico and Mayor of A Coruña ...........................4 Alberto Núñez Feijóo President of Xunta de Galicia ..............................................................5 RELIGIOUS TOURISM ....................................................................7 The Way of St. James ..........................................................................8 Religious events .................................................................................38 HERITAGE, ETHNOGRAPHIC-CULTURAL AND CASTROS’ TOURISM .........................................................................................47 ENO-TOURISM ..............................................................................99 NATURE .........................................................................................115 National parks .................................................................................115 Natural Parks ...................................................................................119 Hiking routes and equestrian tourism in the Eixo Atlántico cities ...123 WATER TOURISM ........................................................................135 Beach and the art of navigation ......................................................135 Navigation routes ............................................................................147 Rías Baixas .......................................................................................151 SPA TOURISM ...............................................................................157 Miño River Route .............................................................................157 Chaves-Verín, Water eurocity ..........................................................160 Route between the Douro and the Miño .........................................163 Spas in Finisterre .............................................................................164 KILOMETRIC DISTANCES ..........................................................165 3 CARLOS NEGREIRA We cannot ignore the importance that Eixo At- lantico has had, during the last 22 years, to boost cooperation between the North of Por- tugal and Galicia. It has developed its work in many areas; some of them so strategic relevant as the Urban Agenda, which will be drafted and discussed during the two-years presidency that I have the honor to Chair. Among all actions promoted, the most important in the short and medium term due to the great economic growth that it involves is the promotion of the tourism within the Euro-region. Our Euro-region has great assets in those values that tourist look for: the religious tourism, nature & leisure tourism, health tourism and heritage related tourism, are present in a territory so rich and charming that six of our cities have been recognized by UNES- CO as World Heritage places. This Guide shows clearly both elements: the rich tourist offer of the Eu- ro-region and our capacity to valuate it through a common brand: “Two countries one destination” I hope that you really enjoy of this Guide and we will have the opportu- nity to see you in our cities! Carlos Negreira President of Eixo Atlántico and Mayor of A Coruña. 4 ALBERTO NÚÑEZ FEIJÓO The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela has been decisive to the roll of structuring Europe and its potentialities as a channel of communi- cation and genesis of interculturality still have full force today. The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) re- presents one of the sites with most historical-artistic value. The extraordinary wealth of monuments and landscapes of these routes attract each year thousands of pilgrims. They are the ones that preserve to history the Jacobean legacy. The Jacobean routes take part of the most powerful links between Galicia and Portugal. This guide gives us a more profound knowledge of the different routes but also of the tourism resources of the territory where with this unique and authentic destination is settled in, characterized by the quality and the valorization of the endogenous resources. The way of St. James is considered to be our icon of differentiator tourism that draws international tourists regardless the time of the year. For all of these reasons, the way of St. James is placed in the center of the first strategic line of the Tourism Plan of Galicia in which the Jacobean Route is defined as a structuring axis of the new alternatives for tourism and an international demonstration model. The preservation, the management of fluxes, the signalization and services, as well as the implementation of the Smart Way aim to consolidate the way as a sustainable and differentiator resource by means of the use of innova- tion and technology. A fair share of the preservation and marketing of the associates values of the Jacobean Route is only possible thanks to the work of the Associations of Friend of the Way. There are more than 200 all over the world with almost 80 thousand associates. Therefore there is an extensive network that revolves around the dissemina- tion of the cultural and tourist values of the Jacobean Route. This is a live sample of the day to day of the Way as an element of cohesion. This year, on the occasion of the VIII Centenary of the Pilgrimage of San Francisco of Assisi to Santiago celebration, the capital of Galicia will host the first International Summit of Associations of Friends of the Way, at Santiago. A historic event that wants to symbolize the gratitude of Galicia to all those who live and feel the Way. Galicia will have this year multiple artistic events, exhibitions and congres- ses to celebrate this ephemeris. This is a great year to make the Way and go across the routes enjoying the cultural offer of the centenary, a unique experience. The Way is a living museum of some of the most important patrimonial and artistic resources of the world, a route that has traveled throughout history leaving us a treasure that we must preserve, share and disseminate. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, President of Xunta de Galicia. 5 6 RELIGIOUS TOURISM The universality of the religious feeling has pushed men and women since the antiqui- ty to go all over thousands of kilometres with the hope of redemption. The appearance of the remains of Apostle San- tiago and the successive bulls of the Popes made “El Camino de las Estrellas” (“The Way of the Stars”) the uncertain destination of pilgrims who fought against the inclement weather to arrive to Santiago de Com- postela, where the religious ca- tharsis took place. Nowadays, the religious feeling still exists, although the sceneries of religious nature are also a magnet for other public, more interested in the ludic and cultural aspects. The cities of the Eixo Atlántico, besides counting on numerous monuments of churches, basilicas and monasteries spread over its emblematic territory, en- ables to enjoy the pilgrimage to the jubilee city of Santiago de Compostela, as well as, for instance, to intensely live the Holy Week or other festivities of religious nature, spread all across the Euro-region’s area. St James’ Way The cultural inquisitiveness and the religiosity The adventurous desire of the personal challenge Dominated by Romanic and Gothic styles Going all over paths of ancient Templars and Benedictines Among chestnuts and carballos (oaks). Among legends and miracles. Thousand years of History for millions of stories 7 The Way of St. James All the ways converge to reach the Obradoiro Square For more than one thousand years, the Way of St. James has driven pilgrims till the sanctuary of an Apostle of Christianity: St. James the Great. His tomb, discovered in 813 in Libredón hill, would be the cornerstone of a prodigious Cathedral and of a city that would attract walkers from all Europe. The pilgrimage to Santiago was the most important religious and cultural occur- rence of Christianity between the 11th and 13th centuries, fact recognised by the UNESCO, which declared it as World Heritage. Many cities of the Eixo Atlántico are traversed by the different routes of the Way of St. James. 1. French Way. Sarria. 2. Silver Route. Bragança, Ourense, Verín, O Carballiño and Lalín. 3. Portuguese Way. a. Medieval or Central Way: Porto, Vila do Conde and Barcelos. b. Interior Way: Peso da Régua, Vila Real, Chaves and Verín. c. Coast Way: Porto, Matosinhos, Vila do Conde, Vigo and Pon- tevedra. 4. English Way. Ferrol, Narón and A Coruña. 5. Winter Way. O Barco de Valdeorras and Monforte de Lemos. 6. Primitive Way. Lugo. 7. Towers’ Way. Guimarães and Braga. 8. Pilgrimage Route of the Sea. www.turgalicia.es www.xacobeo.es info + 8 SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA From the 10th century, Santiago built monasteries, churches, hospitals and refuges to look after the pilgrims. Everything in the city is an echo of the Way: the Cathedral itself or the ancient hospital for pilgrims –today the tourist hotel of The Catholic Monarchs- both in Obradoiro Square, in the middle of

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