Dive Galicia


By Alison Boler


Galicia is a part of Spain which might rightly be called a Spanish Secret. Spanish holidaymakers have enjoyed its green mountains and empty golden beaches since ancient times while we Brits have somehow missed it, flying over its delights on a lemming like rush to the southern costas. And that's a shame because it's a fantastic area with so much to offer.

I'd been meaning to visit for a while after I'd noticed that one of the regular BSAC Travel Forum's members had set up a diving business and a rural "casa" guesthouse in the area. Finally made it in April and had such a superb time that we will definitely return. It's the perfect spot for a family holiday - lots and lots of gentle sandy beaches, warm sheltered waters, interesting towns. For divers, there is plenty of interest - wrecks and reefs - and more or less guaranteed diving because of the many sheltered, fjordlike inlets.

For anyone who likes their food and drink, Galicia is a paradise, especially if you like seafood. I have never seen so many oysters and mussels on offer, fresh from the sea. The fishing boats come in with their decks heaving with mussels, both gathered up and grown on large "ropes" - no wonder this part of Spain is called A Costo Do Marisco - The Seafood Coast. There are many seafood resaurants selling both fish and shellfish - all washed down a treat with a glass or two of the local white wines! This is an area where the fishing industry is alive and well and thriving.






The Area:

Galicia is in the north west of Spain, on the Atlantic coast, sandwiched between France and Portugal. The main cities are Vigo, San Gaetano, La Corunna and Santiago de Compostela. The coastline is hugely indented with lots of fjordlike rias and there area also tiny islands off the coast which further protect against the open sea. Inland the area is green - mountains covered in pine and eucalyptus trees, waterfalls, many, many rivers. It doesn't look like our popular vision of Spain at all - more like a cross between Switzerland, Cornwall and Western Scotland.

The beaches are stunning. There are so many and unlike those in Southern Spain, they are largely undeveloped. That is not to say that you can't find ones where you can have a shower, rent an umbrella or lounger but that if you are looking for empty sand, you won't have far to look. In the summer season, lots of little tapas cafes open up along the back of the beaches and you can be snorkelling all morning and then retire to a nearby table for a fresh seafood lunch in the afternoon. They were all spotlessly clean.

In April, the water temperature was about 16C and it was extremely clear. In the summer, it warms up and the visibility goes down a bit, but in compensation there are lots and lots of fish. This is not the dead Med - much of the area is a National Marine Park and has been protected for a very long time!

If you're a walker, there are hundreds of miles of marked walking trails both through the mountains and along the coast. This area has been an area of pilgrimage for centuries because of the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela and it features in Chaucer.

The Cathedral is a must see for any visitor. Dating back to the 9th Century, it remains a centre of pilgrimage for thousands who walk their from as far away as Istanbul every year. The city itself is a World Heritage site and contains a fascinating medieval district and many ancient buildings. You can easily spend a day or two exploring here.

Vigo is Galicia's largest city and a thriving seaport. Its history is very ancient and contains encounters with the Knights Templar and unfriendly visits from Sir Francis Drake (regarded as a pirate locally) who sank many treasure ships in the baixa which have never been found. More treasure ships were sunk here by a combined force of British and Dutch vessels in 1702, again as yet unrecovered. Galicia is full of ancient sites. The Celtic tribes have left settlements, currently being excavated and you will see standing stones and old forts on hilltops everywhere. The Romans were also here and have left their traces including the world's oldest functioning lighthouse at La Corunna - The Tower of Hercules. The castles of the Knights Templar, the ancient paths of the pilgrims, the old inns built to house them - there is just so much to see.

You can go canoeing, horse riding, sailing, cycling, rafting and quadbiking if you're feeling active. You can also enjoy the shops of Vigo and La Corunna, set up to tempt the many cruise ships that now call in at this part of Spain.

The area is not only famous for food but also for wine and you can visit many vineyards and enjoy winetastings. Day trips into France and especially Portugal are very possible and for those of you who like a drop of port (like me!) the proximity of Porto and the Douro valley is irresistible. Probably one of the most enjoyable things is just to get in the car - like we did - and explore the many villages and seaports around the edges of the rias, stopping for the beach, snacks at the local cafes, visiting the markets. The resemblance to parts of Devon and Cornwall is quite marked at the coast.






Getting There:

You can fly cheaply to Santiago de Compostela daily with Ryanair from Stansted, East Midlands and Liverpool, and there are also flights from London with Iberia. You can also get a flight into Porto (Portugal) which is only about 60 miles south. There are car ferries from Portsmouth and Plymouth which are ideal if you are bringing a large party.

Where to Stay

We chose to visit Chris and Margaret Gait at Casa Quireza, Website, in the tiny, mountain hamlet of Quireza about 30 minutes from the coast near Vigo. The Casa Quireza is a superb conversion of an eighteenth century farmhouse and has 6 bedrooms - 4 doubles, 2 twins, all en suite. The bedrooms are all spacious and furnished with flair and charm whilst containing modern conveniences like tvs. The bathrooms are pristine and beautiful. The mountain views from all the guest rooms are stunning and it is a delight to wake up and look out.

Downstairs there is a huge lounge/dining room where you can relax in front of a log fire in the winter. Of course in many months of the year it is possible to eat outside and relax in the lovely garden which surrounds the property. A feature of the garden is the ancient grainstore, examples of which are found all over Galicia. The one at Casa Quireza is renowned locally as a real "luxury model" and you can certainly see why!

Chris and Margaret are putting a swimming pool in this year which will be a great addition.

Chris is a chef by trade and the meals are a real feature of a stay here. They bake fresh bread every day (gorgeous to come down to) and breakfast and dinner are both great treats and something to look forward to. We had an especially memorable wild boar pate with chestnuts and also a wonderful fresh sea trout - absolutely delicious. Margaret has just invested in an ice cream maker and you can expect to enjoy sampling her home made ice creams and sorbets - just right on a hot day.

Bed and Breakfast for 2 people is around 60 euro per night (per room), dinner 20 euro and packed lunches and packages are always on offer. You can rent the whole house for about 230 euro per night which is about 19 euro per head. A great option for a diving party.

Chris and Margaret are superb hosts and frankly could not do enough for us, we felt extremely welcome and very much at home at the Casa. If only we could have stayed longer!

Car hire is very much recommended to see the area and Chris has arranged very advantageous local deals. He will pick you up at the airport or ferry and you can either go and get the car right away or take it the next day either from the rental office or the Casa. It's a very personal service and we cannot recommend the place highly enough. If you are looking for a home away from home with delicious food in gorgeous surroundings then Casa Quireza is an excellent choice.

Chris is also a diver of longstanding, a BSAC Open Water Instructor and FEDAS Instructor. He set up Dive Galicia to offer diving trips and holidays to qualified divers and in tandem with Casa Quireza, it is a tempting package.




The Diving:

There are active Spanish dive clubs in the area and both scuba and snorkelling are very popular. Spearfishing is very popular with Spanish freedivers. Most of the diving is around either the offshore islands of Cies and Ons or in the sheltered waters of the rias. There are over 400 known wrecks. Visibility is good to very good - it was really excellent when we were there. There are a lot of sites to choose from, something for everyone really and Chris has done a lot of exploring and knows the waters well. The diving is either done from various fast ribs which have echo sounders, gps, and are licensed for 8 to 12 divers or in some cases, from the shore. It is just such easy access - a real joy. You can literally walk off the beach and within 100m enjoy beautiful pinnacles, reefs and rock formations teeming with fish. There are also quite a few wrecks in the area and given the history of the place, likely to be many more as yet undiscovered.

The rias contain a large number of mussel platforms in places but unlike fish farms these do not cause pollution, instead they seem to be fish magnets and you often find very large schools of fish beneath them. An interesting sight.

This is a fantastic place for a club holiday. Easy diving for trainees and Ocean Divers - right off the beach if you like. Plenty more for the experienced. Great for non divers and families. If you're looking for somewhere that's guaranteed weatherwise, with good visibility and yet not so different from the UK that it doesn't give your divers the "right" experience, Galicia is a superb bet. It's not tropical - you will need a good wetsuit - 5mm in summer, 7mm or a drysuit at other times.

Dive Galicia offers both week and long weekend diving packages complete with all diving, tanks, weights and air, sightseeing tours, permits, full board and snacks.

Their website Here gives details of their current offerings but Chris and Margaret are very flexible and can put together a package to suit you - just ask. Non diving partners are also very well catered for with special tours and also welcome at the dive sites. Chris often organises the day so that everyone is transported to a nearby beach, the divers go off and return to a family picnic or bbq.

If you want more diving, Chris can organise night dives and river dives - a great way to rinse the kit. The best thing is that after both you also get wine and tapas - the benefit of diving with the Diving Chef! More dive holidays should be like this - or maybe not as my wetsuit is already a bit snug to say the least.



When to Go:

We were there in April and it was gorgeous t shirt weather during the day - certainly good enough to enjoy the beach and the countryside. In the evening you would need a light jacket. The winters are mild - much milder than the UK. The summers are hot - in the 30s. You can dive and enjoy the area year round really.

Summary

I can only thoroughly recommend both Dive Galicia and Casa Quireza. We had an absolutely super time and would definitely love to return. I guarantee that if you go, you'll fall in love with the whole place - it's absolutely gorgeous. Lovely for a holiday with your partner, perfect for a family holiday, a fantastic choice for a club holiday. Seriously, if you are looking for somewhere to take a group from the branch or go with a group of friends, Galicia takes a lot of beating. Fantastic food and drink. Fantastic scenery. Gorgeous accommodation. Easy, enjoyable diving with plenty of variety and lots to see. What more can you ask for?

Casa Quireza Casa Quireza
Dive Galicia Dive Galicia
or contact Chris on casaquireza@telefonica.net


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