©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Santiago de Compostela & Galicia Includes ¨ Why Go? SANTIAGO DE Galicia, a unique region with its own language and distinc- COMPOSTELA ......507 tive culture, is home to Santiago de Compostela, the goal of COSTA DA MORTE ...514 several hundred thousand people who set out yearly on the RÍAS ALTAS .........517 storied Camino de Santiago pilgrim trail. Santiago is one of A Coruña ...........519 Spain’s most beautiful and magical cities, and an exception- ally good reason for any traveller, pilgrim or not, to make RÍAS BAIXAS .......526 their way to Spain’s northwestern corner. Vigo ............... 535 But Galicia is much more than Santiago. The wild coast- Lugo .............. 544 line is frayed up and down its 1200km length by majestic rías (coastal inlets), and strung with cliffs, beaches, islands and fishing ports that bring in indisputably the best sea- food in Spain. Inland is a labyrinth of deep-green valleys and hills, speckled with stone-built villages, aged monasteries, Best Places to Eat vineyards and farms that put top-quality meat on Galician ¨ El Silabario (p539) tables. Nor is Santiago Galicia’s only exciting city: A Coruña, ¨ Restaurante Paprica Vigo and Lugo are all contemporary cultural hubs with (p545) heady nocturnal scenes. ¨ O Curro da Parra (p512) ¨ Abastos 2.0 (p512) ¨ Adega O Bebedeiro When to Go (p520) Santiago de Compostela °C/°F Te mp Rainfall Inches/mm 40/104 8/200 Best Places 30/86 6/150 to Sleep 20/68 4/100 ¨ Casa de Trillo (p516) 10/50 2/50 ¨ Hotel Herbeira (p523) ¨ Hotel Costa Vella (p511) 0/32 0 J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨ Parador Hostal dos Reis Católicos (p512) Jun & Sep No Jul & Aug If 24 Jul Spectac- ¨ Hotel Mar da Ardora peak-season you’re aiming for ular fireworks crowds or prices some beach time, (p515) launch Santiago but (hopefully) your best chance de Compostela’s ¨ Casa do Castelo de decent weather. of sunny weather celebration of the Andrade (p522) is now. Día de Santiago. 506 l t a s Praia do 0 20 km s A Picón e# í a 0 10 miles R Cabo Ortegal Punta da Estaca de Bares Cariño Bares Peninsula #\ Garita de Herbeira#ö#5 #4 #\ Bay of A T L A N T I C #\ O Barqueiro Biscay San Andres de Teixido #\ #\ #\ Ortigueira Cedeira Mera #\ Cangas Serra da Viveiro #\ O C E A N Valdoviño #\ 0¸AC862 Capelada Luarca (40km) #\ Moeche Praia As D Catedrais Ù# Ferrol #] #\ #\ Fene Ribadeo #\ #\ Pontedeume #\ Malpica de #\ Costa da Parque Natural Mondoñedo #\ Vegadeo Bergantiños A Coruña ^# #÷ Morte #\ #\ Fragas do Eume #\ Caión /·A8 Corme #\ Carreira #2 #\ Buño #\ Laxe #\ Betanzos #\ #\ Vilalba Goiriz Camelle #\ #\ #\ Carballo Carral Guitiriz #\ #\ Camariñas #\ Muxía #\ #\ Vimianzo R A Fonsagrada /·AP9 #\ #\ Santa bre í am o Comba o T Rí M #\ Cée : #\ Fisterra i ^# #\ O Pindo Santiago de ñ Lugo #\R Arzúa o Cabo Monte Pindo Compostela #\ Palas (627m) #\ Fisterra #^#1 Melide de Rei /·A6 #\ Carnota #\ Serra dos Ancares Muros #\ #\ la : Noia Río Ul Portomarín Monterroso #\ #\ SANTIAGO DE COMPO COMPO DE DE SANTIAGO #\ Padrón #\ Porto do Son /·AP53 #\ Sarria A Estrada Pe:drafita do #\ #\ Rianxo #\ #\ #\ Vilachá #\ Cebreiro Catoira Taboada #\ #\ Silleda #\ #\ Samos #\ #÷ Lalín O Cebreiro A Pobra #\ Caldas Chantada D de Reis #\ Cambados Cerdedo Astorga #\ #\ Monforte Serra do (70km) #÷ #\O Grove Ribeira de Lemos Courel Combarro Sacra #\ #\ Parque National #\ ^# O Carballiño Quiroga #\ Pontevedra #\ Os Peares #\ C #\ de las Islas a #7 Atlánticas #÷ Sanxenxo #\ ñó Maside Luintra#\ n do Sil Castro ío Sil de Galicia /·AP9 #\ #\ R R Cabo de #\ Moaña #\ Caldelas ^#Ourense Parada Home #\ A Rúa S í #\ #\ #\ S Redondela #\ de Sil a TELA & & TELA #÷ TELA & & TELA de Ribadavia Tarreirigo A Pobra a #] s Illas 6 Rí Vigo A Teixeira # go i de Trives V Cíes /·A52 B Baiona #\ Salvaterra Viana do a Celanova #\ #\: G de Miño Bolo i G #\ ALI x #\ Benavente ALI Tui R o ío Miñ : a (100km) #\ C #\ s Goián Valença do Minho Bande A Gudiña D C IA IA #\ IA IA 3 #\ neda A Guarda # Vila Nova a Pe /·A52 de d Verin R de Cerveira ra r #\ Se C Monte de Santa Trega ompostela PORTUGAL D Braga (20km) #\ #\ #\ & G & #\ #\ #\ #\ ^# #\ Santiago de Compostela & Galicia Highlights #\ alicia 1 Santiago de Compostela Feasting on fresh fish, octopus atop Europe’s highest ocean (p507) Soaking up the with Galician wines anywhere cliffs at the Garita de Herbeira. H incomparable atmosphere and along the coast, as at A Guarda. 6 Illas Cíes (p537) Sailing ighlights history of this fascinating city. 4 Beach time (p524) to pristine beaches and trails of 2 Costa da Morte (p515) Choosing from popular and these spectacular islands. Exploring the capes, beaches busy, or remote and dramatic 7 Ribeira Sacra (p543) and lighthouses north of Cabo like Praia do Picón. Meandering in the wineries, Fisterra, Spain’s ‘Land’s End’. 5 Cliffs and capes of the woodlands and canyons of the 3 Seafood and wine (p538) Riás Altas (p524) Standing ‘Holy Riverbank’..