Galicia Tourist Guide 2018

Galic ia is one big party

A lover of festivals and parties, Gali- cia seamlessly blends Pagan and Christian traditions . It's rare to find a single weekend during the summer months when there is not some sort of celebration in one of the region's villages, towns or cities. Some of these festivals have even received recognition as events of Galician, national or international touristic interest. Many of the celebrations have re- ligious roots and are held in ho- nour of a saint or patron saint. It's worth your while to visit a vil- lage and watch the processions around the small churches and the open-air dances where you can dance the night away until well into the dawn hours.

Pilgrimages are another type of common festivity. Many of them offer you the chance to explore pe- culiar rites related to the supposed curative powers of some images , fountains or stones found in shrines such as those of Santo André de Teixido or Nosa Señora da Barca . At these celebrations, you will get to taste typical donuts, empanadas or cheeses during a country meal , while being serenaded by bagpipe and tambourine music . Food is an essential part of any Gali- cian celebration . Nearly all towns produce something that can be pre- pared in various different manners to create dishes served up to the masses at popular prices. Some ex- amples include the Festa da Lam-

prea [Lamprey Festival] in Arbo, the Festa da Langosta [Lobster Festival] in A Guarda, the Festa do Marisco [Seafood Festival] in O Grove, the Festa da Empanada [Em- panada Festival] in Noia and the Festa do Capón de Vilalba [Capon of Vilalba Festival] . Historic reenactments are also quote common in the historic cen- tre of Galicia's towns and cities, where participants travel back in time, such as at the Festa da Isto- ria [History Festival] of Ribadavia, the Feira Franca in Pontevedra and the Festa da Arribada [Arrival Fes- tival] in Baiona. Make sure to dress in period costume, so as to tru- ly become the character you are pretending to be.

79