For the first few weeks of driving around here, we kept passing the same sign: Castro. Along a winding road into a village, at a turn-off in the middle of nowhere, next to a field. Castro here, Castro there. We…
Back when we lived in an ordinary Dutch residential neighbourhood, spotting a duck or a goose on the path was already a small event. A funny moment, maybe a photo, and then back to the day. Now that we live…
When we moved to a village in the Ribeira Sacra, one of the first things we had to figure out was how the house would be heated. There is no central heating system here, and that turned out not to…
Monte Faro stands on the border between the provinces of Lugo and Pontevedra, between the municipalities of Chantada and Rodeiro, and at over 1,180 metres it is one of the highest points of the Dorsal Gallega, the mountain spine running…
When we started looking at Galicia, we looked at all of it. We compared houses, prices, climate, all the usual things. To us, the whole region is beautiful, but there are small differences between the areas, and a lot of…
What Nobody Tells You About Galician Bureaucracy (As a Foreigner) Before we moved to rural Galicia, we’d read the warnings. Spanish bureaucracy is slow. Bring patience. Bring photocopies. Bring more patience. We thought we were prepared. We were prepared for…
We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve walked up to a shop, pharmacy, or office in Galicia only to find the shutters down. Not because it was a Sunday. Not because it was siesta time. But because it was…
One of the questions we are asked most often by people considering a move to Galicia is surprisingly simple: “What is the internet like?” Many people still imagine rural Galicia as a remote corner of Spain where reliable internet connections…
Buying a house abroad is one of the biggest decisions you can make. When we first started thinking about emigrating from Northern Europe, Galicia was not even on our radar. We were convinced that Portugal would become our new home.…
Galicia is often seen as one green region tucked away in the northwestern corner of Spain. But once you start exploring, you’ll quickly discover that the differences between its regions are surprisingly large. Are you looking for vibrant city life…
When people dream about living in Spain, they usually think of the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, or perhaps the Balearic Islands. Sunshine, beaches, outdoor cafés, and a relaxed lifestyle immediately come to mind. While that image is certainly appealing,…
Every year on the night of June 23rd, Galicia comes to a stop. San Juan is an official public holiday — businesses close, the region pauses. And when it gets dark, the fires are lit. The festival officially marks the…
When people hear that you’re moving to Spain, they often immediately think of sunshine, drought and temperatures above thirty degrees. We, too, had that image in our minds. A life under a clear blue sky, spending almost the whole year…
For those who wish to walk the Camino de Santiago but have limited time, the route from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela is the most efficient option. These sections meet the minimum distance requirement of 100 kilometres needed to obtain…