Galicia: Finisterre

A lively seaside resort on the north-western tip of Galicia, where the Atlantic shapes a wind-swept peninsula, La Coruña is a port city famous for the Tower of Hercules, the only Roman-era lighthouse still in operation in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its most distinctive feature is the glassed-in galleries of the buildings facing the harbour, which have earned it the nickname "city of glass". The Ciudad Vieja, the old town, holds intimate squares and Romanesque churches such as Santiago and Santa María del Campo. Along the shore stretch the broad urban beaches of Riazor and Orzán, the heart of city life. Renowned for its seafood cuisine and Atlantic atmosphere, La Coruña invites you to wander between ocean, history and light.

A monumental town in the south of the province of Lugo, Monforte de Lemos gathers around a hill crowned by the castle keep, a Benedictine monastery and the Parador, from where the gaze sweeps across the Galician countryside. The town is home to the Colegio de Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, nicknamed the "Galician Escorial", which preserves precious works of art, including paintings attributed to El Greco. All around stretches the Ribeira Sacra, one of Spain's most striking wine regions, where the Sil and Miño rivers carve deep canyons terraced with vineyards clinging to vertiginous slopes and dotted with ancient Romanesque monasteries. Between river cruises, heroic wines and breathtaking landscapes, it is an ideal destination for those seeking nature, history and authenticity.

Known for its deep bond with the sea, Vigo is Galicia's most populous city and the region's main port, an ideal base from which to explore the Rías Baixas. Its old heart, the Casco Vello, slopes down to the sea with cobbled lanes, lively squares and markets where you can taste the celebrated oysters of A Pedra. The city is the gateway to the Cíes Islands, a protected archipelago within the Atlantic Islands Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, where Rodas beach stretches between clear waters and sandy dunes. All around, the Rías Baixas alternate sheltered inlets, fishing villages and vineyards of Albariño, Galicia's white wine par excellence, perfect alongside the freshest seafood. Between ocean, flavours and enchanting islands, Vigo invites you to discover the most authentic Galicia.

Capital of Galicia, Santiago de Compostela is one of the most important sacred cities in Europe, the final destination of the Camino de Santiago walked for centuries by pilgrims from every corner of the world. Its magnificent historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a weave of paved streets, arcades and granite squares, often gleaming with rain. Its beating heart is the majestic Cathedral, a Romanesque masterpiece with its sumptuous baroque Obradoiro façade, which by tradition holds the relics of the apostle James. Around it open solemn squares such as the Praza do Obradoiro and the Praza da Quintana, amid convents, palaces and the ancient university. Its lively streets invite you to discover Galician cuisine, from octopus "a feira" to Albariño wines, set against the vibrant atmosphere of a young, cosmopolitan city. Between spirituality, history and Galician warmth, Santiago welcomes all who arrive as if at the end of a journey.