Tour by car, bicycle, foot or horse and you’ll find Galicia offers many rewards
Whenever someone asks me to recommend the most spectacular drives in Spain, several in Galicia immediately spring to mind.
If you had a week to explore this lovely green region, I would suggest flying to A Coruña for a couple of nights, then heading around the dramatic Costa da Morte, where the Atlantic crashes on to the rocks. But don’t stay in the car; get out and walk, feeling the sea spray on your face.
Travelling south to the Rías Baixas, you are likely to make slow progress as there are so many tempting places to stop. Wander around the evocative town of Cambados, the hub of the local wine-making area, then drive to O Grove, where the estuary meets the ocean. While the seafood is amazing all around the coast, here it is particularly tasty.
All around the Rías Baixas there are beaches of golden sand, pretty villages and historic towns. Stop in Pontevedra for some tapas under the porticoes in the square, then head to Vigo when you are in the mood for the shops, museums and cafés of a bigger city.
Continue down the coast to Baiona, maybe spending a night in the parador in the medieval fortress of the Conde de Gondomar on a headland.
After all the curves of the coast, south of Baiona the landscape becomes gentler towards the border with Portugal. Driving at dusk along the road right by the Atlantic, with the sun setting and the surf glittering, is one of my favourite Galician experiences.
My destination is always the Monte de Santa Tecla, with circular stone vestiges of a settlement more than 2,000 years year old. From the top of the hill, the panoramic view takes in ocean, vineyards and estuary.
Following the course of the Miño river inland, you start to discover the variety of landscapes in Galicia. Stop in Ribadavia, which has a Jewish Quarter dating back to the 11th century, and have a look around the old town in Ourense.
Head north to drive through the gorge flanking the river Sil, one of the most stunning sights in the region. The 10th-century Santo Estevo monastery is now a parador and the perfect base for exploring the Ribeira Sacra wine region. From there, you could drive to Santiago de Compostela for a couple of days.
Most stretches of this journey would also work well as walking or cycling routes. As well as the paradores, there is an excellent rural network of traditional small hotels and self-catering cottages.
Galicia is revered for the trails that form part of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, such as the Camino Francés, or French route. Pilgrims have been walking along here to the tomb of Saint James for more than 1,000 years and today they are joined by those on bicycle and horseback. Even with limited time, you could spend a day walking or cycling the last stretch into the city.
While the Camino Francés is the most popular, it is just one of the pilgrimage routes. Try part of the English route from theGalician coast at Ferrol, or the Fisterra route, which continues to the coast from Santiago.
These days, you see all sorts of pilgrims in Galicia. As well as the truly spiritual, increasing numbers of visitors are on a gastronomic quest, touring the different wine regions and attending one of the many local food festivals.
Whatever your reason for visiting Galicia, you’ll soon realise that there is so much to explore.
Tour operators who offer holidays to Galicia include:
Visit the Telegraph's Galicia homepage to discover more about this secret corner of Green Spain
