Galicia city guides

The main cities in Galicia are

Santiago, La-Coruna, Lugo, Pontevedra, Ourense, Vigo, Lugo, Tui and Ferrol.

To find out more about any of these places, click on the emboldened text in the city summaries below. You will then be taken to a full page of information about your selected location.

Santiago is the capital city of Galicia and is some 30km inland from the coast. It has a famous cathedral and a beautiful medieval area. It is the regions most visited city and also has a famous pilgrimage associated with its long history. It is serviced by an international airport and has a large number of hotels both inside and on the outskirts of the city. It is the home of Galicia's parliament.

Lugo, both the city and province, offer a view of the un-commercial side of Galicia. Lugo province is the largest of the regions four provinces and has a capital city surrounded by a 1700 year old Roman wall. The city has clearly defined old and new towns and is also a cathedral city. Lugo can be reached from Santiago de Compostela by a main road network in less than one and a half hours and is increasing in tourist popularity.

La Coruna is often ignored at the expense of its neighbour, Santiago de Compostela, but it is an important city that is rich in tourism. The extensive harbour area is well known for the many glass fronted building which adorn it and these have given rise to its name - "the crystal city". La Coruna's most famous structure is an ancient lighthouse dating back to Roman times, but it also has castles and the remains of an old Roman wall.

Pontevedra is the site of Galicia's smallest provincial capital city and it is dwarfed in size by the massive metropolis of Vigo, just a few kilometres away down the coast. Pontevedra does however possess many of the qualities looked for by visiting tourists and has one of the regions best old towns with a wealth of courtyards, old buildings and a long history of war and political unrest.

Ferrol, close to la Coruna, is built on the Galician coast and has a long seafaring history. Commercially, Ferrol is an important port, but it has yet to capture the imagination of Galicia's tourists despite being the launching point for Spain's Armada in its failed attempt to conquer Britain. The town has both new and old quarters and boasts several beaches, a large maritime harbour and seafood cuisine .

Ourense, situated inland, is Galicia's least populated and least visited province, but its capital city is large and has many tourist attracting features. Ourense possesses an attractive old town, some Roman baths and a Roman bridge. Other highlights of this city are its cathedral and a small but elegant church off the main town courtyard.

Vigo, found in the southern Pontevedra province, is the largest and most prosperous city in Galicia with a population of about 300,000. Vigo combines a modern and forward looking city with historic connections and the region’s best climate. The city’s old town has seen significant regeneration and refurbishment over the last 3 or 4 years making it well worth a visit.

Tui is not the most popular of Galicia's cities when it comes to foriegn tourism, however it probably should be as it has many features to endear it. Located at the southern most tip of Pontevedra province, it was originally a Roman settlement and although possessing city status, has a population of less than 15 000 people. Its old district is very attractive and overlooks Portugal.

Clicking on the emboldened text or the photos next to the city summaries will take you to a page of information about the city that you choose.

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