- Pontevedra
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Spain
The province of Pontevedra is full of various legends related with different characters: from witches to werewolfs or "mouras".
Most of these legends come from the inlands, telling us magic stories that, sometimes, will scare us and others will fascinate us. For example, there are legends related with petroglyphs where women went to conceive babies, or with the "mouras" (bewitched, very beautiful character) who appeared to men who felt in love with them.
There are also legends in the coast, so some women went to a specific beach to get pregnant.
There are many others, do not hesitate to look for them. There is a magic world beyond our own.
The province of Pontevedra is full of interesting villages with castles, monasteries, natural reserves, Celtic settlements, spectacular viewpoints, and much more. If you have the intention of spending your holidays there, I recommend you rent a car to go from one village to another.
Sometimes it is a little bit difficult to find the right place, but don't worry, take a good road map with you and everything will be OK.
I think that's better than going by bus, because the bus connections aren't very good and you'll spend more time in the bus than visiting nice places.
The airport of this province is the airport of Vigo.
I think that the best way of enjoying the province of Pontevedra is through nature. The sea is one of its best characteristics due to its varied and rich seabed.
Two months ago, I had two friends who came here for diving and they were surprised with the beauty of the waters. They said it was incredible and amazing.
www.buceopontevedra.com/
www.riasbaixas.org/web2005/index.php?id_idioma=3&bnn=hacer&secc_int=2
This is a festival in honour of seafood. It is celebrated in O Grove (Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain) during the first two weeks of October and it is one of the most important festivals of Galicia.
Here, anyone can taste the different kinds of seafood: from oysters, mussels and cockles to prawns, crabs and barnacles. It is amazing how many different dishes there are for a good price. Moreover, there are also folk performances.
This year, there were more people than ever. The village was full of people from all parts of Spain, and even from outside. It was very difficult to book a hotel for those people who did it in the last days before the event because the occupancy rate was at the highest level.
Two of the main important characteristics that make this festival different are the fact that the seafood from this area is among the in the world; and the second fact is that it is awesome to have lunch in front of the estuary Ría de Arousa. It is a perfect location for this festival: you can enjoy this wonderful landscape while you taste the best seafood.
Galicia is quite simply one of most picturesque areas of Spain I have visited
After residing for so many years in the dryer, hotter south, one really notices the change in climate, vegetation, atmosphere and old-worldy charm so similar to the villages of Ireland or a small hamlet in Britain.
Galicia has really everything to offer: it is clean and green; it offers a pleasant climate throughout spring and summer; the coastline is dotted with picturesque villages and small quaint harbours; most of Spain's best beaches are to be found in this area; and lush meadows and orchards are abound.
Driving around the countryside and coastline is a real pleasure, with fantastic views from almost every corner of the province, and of course a word on Galicia would not be complete without mentioning the incredible selection of super fresh seafood and fine wines on offer in almost every cafeteria, restaurant
and tapas bar in Galicia.
One of the prettiest towns in Galicia would have to be O Grove.
O Grove is one of Galicia's many charming fishing villages, and due to its situation on the eastern side of the headland which faces the mainland it is protected from the tidal force of the Atlantic Ocean.
It has a gentle personal charm endearing to all visitors, there are a good smattering of restaurants to suit all prices, and most of them with one thing in common: seafood. It's everywhere, and so fresh it basically walks onto the plate by itself.
As you walk along the beaches in the area as the tide recedes, you will come across cockles, clams, shrimps and small crabs laying in clean golden sands of the Rios.
Be careful though not to get the urge to fill up a bag to take away, as that is not allowed. This true treasure of the sea is jealously guarded by the ladies who work in the local cooperatives making their living cultivating this local delicacy.
One strange occurrence was that the locals understood my Spanish, Andalucian twang included, which is not always the case in other parts of Spain.
I would highly recommend a trip out into the Rios on one of the many comfortable glass-bottom boats that take sightseers out to the mussel and oyster platforms. Included in the trip is a plate of freshly harvested and cooked mussels washed down with a cold glass of Ribero (local young white wine) ... Delicious.
Situated in the middle of the Rias Baixas region, some 25km west of Galicia's capital Pontevedra.
Cycling is becoming a way of transport more than a sport in many countries but not in Spain. Anyway, in Europe there are thousans of wonderful places for cycling and here, in Spain too. If you want to spend a day in your bike and, at the same time, enjoy the summer days near the coast, do not doubt to try the following route in Pontevedra, Spain.
It is a route from the regal noble town of Cambados to the island of Arousa.
The route starts in Cambados, a town full of history and magnificent architecture. In this town, it outstands the Pazo de Fefiñáns. The route is along the coast, with a fantastic view of the beautiful and quiet Atlantic Ocean. The next stop is the Illa de Aoursa, the biggest island of Galicia. It is joined to the land by a bridge. In this island, there are remains of old civilizations that recall us it was an isolated island. It is a paradise island because it is not very exploited and there are almost 80 wild beaches and some of them with Blue FLag. You must know this island is rich in fauna and flora, and it is the perfect place to enjoy the different species of birds.
Cycling is becoming a way of transport more than a sport in many countries but not yet in Spain.
Anyway, in Europe there are thousands of wonderful places for cycling and here in Spain too. If you want to spend a day on your bike and, at the same time, enjoy the summer days near the coast, do not doubt to try the following route in Pontevedra, Spain. It is a route from the regal noble town of Cambados to the island of Arousa.
The route starts in Cambados, a town full of history and magnificent architecture. In this town, it outstands the Pazo de Fefiñáns. The route is along the coast, with a fantastic view of the beautiful and quiet Atlantic Ocean. The next stop is the Illa de Aoursa, the biggest island of Galicia. It is joined to the land by a bridge. On this island, there are remains of old civilizations that recall when it was an isolated island. It is a paradise island because it is not very exploited and there are almost 80 wild beaches and some of them with a blue flag rating.
You must know this island is rich in fauna and flora, and it is the perfect place to enjoy the different species of birds.
In the Rías Baixas, each season and each month has its own gastronomical festival to honour the different tasty food of this region.
So, for example, the first two weeks of April, there is an oyster festival. The festival is during this date because the oysters are in the best moment to be tasted. Together with the gastronomic festival, there are other performances for the public.
You can enjoy non-stop eating from the oyster sample plates.
Pazos are typical Galician manor houses from the 16th or 18th centuries. They are buildings built to order by bourgeois Galician people. In these pazos, you can travel along history and recall the dresses, traditions and furnishings of the Modern Ages.
Some of the pazos are private property, so they are closed to the public. Likewise, the visitor can only enjoy the outside pazo.
Others are open to the public, and some of these are available for accommodation. One example of a pazo restored as a hotel is the Pazo da Buzaca, in Moraña. It is a wonderful manor house composed of three buildings. It has rooms decorated in different styles, a dining room with fireplace and a library. It is a luxury building for lovers of history and nature.
Others, as the Pazo de Lourizán hold different exhibitions. In a few words, pazos are regal buildings.
For futher information: www.pazosdegalicia.com/index.html
www.riasbaixas.org/web2005/
In other articles i have talked about lamprey and seafood, but apart from these kinds of fishes in the Rías Baixas there are also molluscs and common fishes. How you can see, we have a wide range of fishes and various gastronomy.
Among the mollucs, calamari and octopus outsantd. There is a speciality of octopus called "pulpo á feira", and should you know everybody who comes here to taste it, eventually they like it. The recipe is based on boiling the octopucs and then it is served in a wood dish salted with red peper.
Calamari is also very tasteful in this area. It is served in many diferent ways i am not going to enumerate them here. But if you come to Spain, overall to the south or to the north, try in the restaurants a "tapa" of calamari. I'm sure you could not stop eating it.
Finallly, i have to talk about common fishes as sardines, turbots, sea bass or monkfish. All this fishes live in the sea with the exception of the sardine. Some of them are more delicious than others but anyway not everybody likes the same, so one of them you would like.
Furthur information about Rías Baixas in the website www.riasbaixas.org
Why lamprey? Lamprey is a delicious fish that lives in the southern rivers of the Pontevedra province. It is a tasty fish cooked with its own black sauce. It is cooked in diferent ways but the most delicious is the recipe that came from France.
Romans settled in Pontevedra, fell in love with the fish and tried to take it to Italy.
During the last weekend of April, in Arbo (Pontevedra, Galicia), there is is a fiesta in honour of the fish. People can taste different recipes made from lamprey with a traditional wine of this area.
Apart from the fiesta, tourists can taste this dish in many restaurants of the region, one of them is A Rula in Arbo.
Do not miss LAMPREY.
I love it.
The southwest coast of Galicia has hundreds of beaches. From long and sandy beaches to smaller scale. What they have in common is the amazing landscape of the rías (inlets).
Going by car you can see how the rías go along the coast until they open to the infinite sea, there are also some small islands where many green forests grow.
At the end of the Ría de Vigo we can see Cíes Islands and at the end of the Ría de Pontevedra we can see Ons Island. They have beaches dressed with white sand and clear waters, placed behind green forest hills. That is a mixture of forest and sandy beaches.
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