Recreation, sport and entertainment

There is always something to do in Galicia, but Spain's theme parks, water parks and streets of English style eateries disappear long before the Galician border is reached.

Organised shows with dancing, singing, English speaking compares and comedians are also absentees and the entertainment that you will find is intended for local consumption rather than foreign holiday makers.

In Galicia, recreation and entertainment is not provided for the international holiday maker and the organisation of holiday activities that many take for granted in "sun, sea and sand" resorts are absent in this region.

Entertainment is however all around, but rather than being themed or contrived, it is nothing more than the normality of Galician culture and life. Galicia is a theme park in itself, but a cultural one that gives you the opportunity to explore medieval towns, try unusual variations on seafood cuisine and see a region for what it really is.

If you want to see the real Spain or the place that people describe as "hidden Spain" or green Spain", then Galicia is definately the place for you.

Galician cuisine

Eating and drinking is a big part of the Galician lifestyle and restaurants and bars can be found everywhere.

The seafood obsession in this region becomes visibly apparent in any restaurant and you will see dishes comprising fish, seafood and shellfish in all of their forms.

Tapas is also popular and again it is usually centred around something caught in a net or extracted from a submerged rock or sand bed. Local specialities include octopus (pulpo) and a mollusc called goose barnacles, but dishes of pork, chicken, veal and beef are also popular, as are a number of stews which the locals enjoy during their cool winters.

Eating times in Galicia also deviate from those of most other nations with the evening meal taking place between 10.00pm and midnight. Most restaurants do not open until 8.00pm or 8.30pm or in the evening, however they will often remain open till well sfter midnight.

Sport

Sport is ever popular in Spain and Galicia is no exception. Even the smallest town will have municipal tennis courts, football grounds and probably basketball courts too.

Surprisingly, not just bars, but many restaurants as well will have TV's showing national league football matches and the obsession with this sport is evident everywhere. Golf, whilst not as popular in the north of Spain as the south, is played in Galicia and there are a number of fine courses across the region although their numbers are limited.

Adventure golf, ten pin bowling and similar pastimes have yet to reach Galicia where the more mundane activity of taking a walk in the evening and then enjoying a family dinner still dominates everyday social life.

Festivals

For a taste of real regional entertainment, Galicia's many festivals offer a chance to see culture, music, dancing and often some elaborate outfits, floral displays and fireworks.

These festivals take place all year round although most are in the summer months of July and August. Anyone is free to watch and participate in these events and they vary from town to town, often celebrating a Saint's day or some regional anniversary.

The larger festivals, e.g. like that of Saint James' day at Santiago de Compostela, are massive spectacles with large scale concerts and expensive firework displays and they can be attended by tens of thousands of party goers travelling from all over the region.

Not all festivals are on a large scale and the smaller towns and villages have their own much smaller, but every bit as enthusiastic, events. Some of these festivals will last a day whilst others may extend to four or five days and encompass a number of different activities.