 Click on the photo to see a short video of Galicia
Factual Overview
Galicia is an autonomous region situated in the northwest corner of Spain. The region has its own language, its own government and its own flag. To the north and west it’s bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, to the east by the regions of Asturias and Leon and to the south by Portugal. Galicia is divided in to four provinces, Pontevedra, A Coruña, Ourense and Lugo. The coastal area, know as the Costa del Muerte(Coast of Death) is littered with firth-like inlets called rias, formed by the flooding of river valleys after the last ice age. The interior is sometimes referred to as the land of a thousand rivers, for obvious reasons. The areas two main rivers, the Sil and the Miño have carved dramatic landscapes as they meander their way through the province. The later, the river Miño, forms the boundary between Spain and Portugal as it flows to the sea. Away from the main cities of Vigo, Ferrol, A Coruña, Lugo, and Ourense life revolves around small rural communities’dependant on traditional agriculture. Perhaps Galicia’s most famous landmark is the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela, termination point of the Camino de Santiago. 
Ribeira Sacra – Our Home Many believe that Ribeira Sacra means sacred riverbank or shore and takes its name from the monasteries and hermitages of the area. It’s a quiet, rural place made up of a series of small villages that bridge the provinces of Ourense and Lugo. The main town in the area is Monforte de Lemos where the wine museum is located. Wine making is the areas main industry. It produces fine reds made from the mencia grape and lively whites made from the godello or albariño grape varieties. In many respects, the Ribeira Sacra is a land that time forgot or has a least been kind on. The people are warm and generous, the climate is far better than most expect and the landscape and scenery is a gift from God. |