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 Discover Southern Galicia

Galicia has always been seen as a poor rural region, whose economy was dependent upon agriculture and fishing and did not lend itself to modernisation and yet as far as tourism is concerned it is this constant contact with the past that gives the region its appeal and charm.

The Galicians are fiercely proud of their culture and language and their Celtic heritage; it is what makes them unique (they feel) within modern day Spain.

Galicia always seemed to be a very closed and inward looking area being fiercely resistant to any formal external invasion and in many ways this degree of isolation was very much driven by the geographical location of the region.

In what has been a mountain to climb slowly but surely Galicia is now trying to manage successfully the twin track of its regional lifestyle with a much more modern society and thankfully this appears to have had very positive results with regards to tourism with little sign of negative effects..

If you take a look at Galicia on a geographical basis and divide it into four quadrants or two halves then the southernmost would be that area south of a line drawn between Santiago de Compostela in the west and possibly the Reserva Nacional de os Ancares in the east which as anyone who knows the area covers quite a wide area.

Included within this area is the major city of Vigo and just north is the provincial capital of Galicia’s southern province, Pontevedra. Southern also includes further to the east Ribadevia, Ourense, Monasterio de Ribas de Sil and Monforte de Lemos. Further south almost on the Portuguese border you will find the Mino River Valley.

The Mino River is actually Galicia’s longest river covering approximately 190 miles from its source high up in the Sierra de Mierra in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. On its way downstream it flows through the towns and Ourense entering the Atlantic at A Guarda. The river valley is actually a beautiful landscape of steep valleys and extremely good agricultural land and the hidden jewel in all of this is that it is here where the best wines in Galicia are grown. The area produces nice crisp white wine called Ribeiro.

There is an interesting drive through the valley for a tourist that is approximately 47 miles and there are many interesting stopping off places along the route. To the south of the route you will find Salvaterra de Mino leading next to Arbo, Crescente and finally leading up to Melon. you will find the Monasterio de Santa Maria de Melon which once belonged to the Cistercians. Fragments of the original buildings dating back to the 12th Century have survived and make this an interesting site to walk around.