Visit Viveiro In The Heart Of The Rias Altas
Galicia in particular and Northern Spain in general have long been considered to be a hidden jewel in the entire Spanish tourist industry and hidden away within Galicia itself are some further jewels and we are going to examine Viveiro further.
If you look at all of the autonomous regions that make up modern day Spain, Galicia has to be the most remote and hidden away within that remoteness lies Viveiro.
Historically, always classed as the poorer cousin to some of the other richer regions Galicia had an economy that did not easily lend itself to modernisation and herein lies a paradox in that it is this very reluctance to embrace modernity throughout that gives the region much of its appeal as far as tourism is concerned.
The natives of Galicia if you trace them back far enough have origins very similar to their Celtic cousins in the north and are justifiably proud of their language and culture and these connections no matter how stretched or tenuous give them their sense of regionalism and uniqueness.
Galicia always seemed to be a very closed and inward looking area being fiercely resistant to any formal external invasion and in many ways this degree of isolation was very much driven by the geographical location of the region.
Slowly but surely in the 20th century, Galicia began to develop and today traditional lifestyles rub shoulders with modernity throughout the region whilst at the same time the region has lost none of its more traditional culture and within the tourism economy this is starting to show real benefits.
Viveiro can be found on the northern coast of Galicia and Northern Spain, almost mid way between Ribadeo and the naval port (and birthplace of Francisco Franco y Bahamonde better known as General Franco) of Ferrol.
It is on the part of the northern coast of Galicia known as the Rias Altas which is not as overdeveloped as the more developed and possibly better known western shores of Galicia, the Rias Baixas.
The Rias are slightly gentler and softer forms of coastal landscapes than the Norwegian Fjords but the principle is almost the same? The inlets of the Rias Altas are deep and make the almost perfect natural harbour and again almost the perfect (if not extremely chilly at times as you have to remember that this is the North Atlantic Ocean out here) points for swimming.
All of the stops on this stretch of beautiful coast, Viveiro is perhaps the best and most interesting. Viveiro is a curious place, right at the tail of the particular Ria, it is not uncommon to see small boats getting marooned on the mud flats at low tide. Viveiro is a busy place in the summer and it is not untypical to see a constant stream of tourists and holiday makers passing through.
In winter however it is a different story and has been described as a strangely lifeless. However, as they say I guess it is all down to what “floats your boat” with regards to what attracts you what makes you Tick in that sometimes there is a degree of attractiveness about being able to go somewhere that is the extremely quiet and unspoiled.
After the tourist season, Viveiro can be that place. The time of the year that perhaps Viveiro is best known is Easter. Viveiro has an Easter Festival which is quite a serious event that culminates with a candlelit procession throughout the town enacting the “Stations of the Cross”.
If you happen to be in Viveiro at this time of year then this festival and possession can be quite a moving event.
About the Author
Stephen Stewart writes about a great many Internet Travel based issues and more on the above can be found at Accommodation in Galicia . For a more complete overlook at Tourism in Galicia try http://www.turgalicia.es </p>
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