Galicia is one of the seventeen autonomous communities that make up Spain.  Located at the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, it borders Portugal to the south, the Spanish regions of Asturias and Castile and León to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east and west.  It is comprised of the provinces of LaCoruña, Pontevedra, Lugo, and Ourense, all of which are named after their capital cities.

Galicia is dubbed as the “land of One Thousand Rivers”, where in, these rivers cross all-over the region from the mountainous inland down to the coast, forming the raise.  These are estuaries that were filled with in with the rising sea levels after the Ice Age.  Divided into the Rías Altas and the Rías Baixas, they make the coast an important fishing area.  This earned the coast its dub as the “Seafood Coast” or the “A Costa do Marisco" in Galician.  The coast, on the other hand, is quite an attraction in itself, with the spectacular contrast of its smooth beaches of As Mariñas to the perilous cliffs of Costa de la Muerte.  Its terrain is composed of dense Atlantic forests, green hills, cliffs, and rias, which are features that are not commonly understood as a Spanish landscape.

Overall, due to its location, Galicia has both a maritime and Atlantic climate.  The weather is rather good between the months of May and September.  Average temperatures during these months are around 20°C with the sun shining in most days.  Rain often falls during spring and summer, but would only last for a day or two.  This is more pronounced at the lower regions of Galicia, most particularly in the Rias Baixas.  Winter in Galicia is temperate, with minimal temperatures averaging at about 5°C.

The area was first inhabited by Celtic tribes. This is before the Romans invaded the region in 137–136 BC.  The Romans left their legacy in the region with the bridge of Ourense, the walls of Lugo, and the Tower of Hercules.  The discovery of the tomb of the apostle, Saint James, left its cultural and historical mark during the Middle Ages.  The discovery prompted the discovery of the town of Santiago de Compostela, where thousands of pilgrims would find their way to the town’s cathedral.  The collection of these routes that were used by pilgrims to travel to Santiago de Compostela gave rise  to the Way of Saint James, or Camino de Santiago de Compostela.  This route is flanked by numerous churches, chapels, and monasteries of high artistic an historical value.

These aforementioned landmarks and monuments are but part of the numerous attractions of the region. Its other major attractions include A Coruña, which is an important economic center that boasts of Romanesque churches, an old synagogue, and the city’s old quarter where one could find an interesting contrast between near-fragile buildings against massive stone castle walls. 

Vigo is Galatia’s most densely populated city, as well as the largest fishing port in Europe.  The city provides excellent facilities and promotion of the nautical sports, such as with the establishment of the institutions of Real Club Nautical de Vigo in 1906 and Liceo Marítimo de Bouzas in 1907.  Vigo also boasts of a well-preserved old quarter, as well as numerous museums.  Some of its notable museums include Museo do Mar de Galicia, Museo Municipal Quiñones de León, Museo Etnográfico Liste, and the Casa Galega da Cultura.

The city of Lugo was one of the three important Galician-Roman Centers during the roman era.  The Beautifully preserved Roman wall that surrounds the city and its Romanesque cathedral are indicative of its once important role.

Ourense, which was also founded by the Romans, is primarily a city of services and of historical tourist sites.  The city is divided into the three sections—the old Medieval district, the area of 19th century expansion, and the modern district that forms the city’s periphery.  Its most important monument is its Romanesque cathedral, which is the second oldest in Galicia.  Other important monuments in Ourense include the Ponte Vella Bridge which has Roman foundations and the former episcopal palace that houses the Provincial Archaeological Museum.

Pontevedra is an ancient town and medieval [port that has been dubbed as a "definitive old galego town".  Like most cities in Galicia, Pontevedra also boasts of its own roster of historical monuments.  These include historic Zona Monumental or the “Old City”, the pilgrim chapel of Praza da Peregrina, Praza de Leña, and the Alameda, which is a promenade along the Ria.  One of Christopher Columbus’ ships, the “Santa Maria”, was built in the ports of Pontevedra.

The customs and traditions of the locals also add up to the unique attractiveness of Galicia to its visitors.  Reflective of its Celtic and Gaelic origins is. The folklore of the region, with Galacia’s most characteristically instrument, the Gaita or the bagpipe, is also reflective of its origins.  Galacia’s gastronomical offerings, which often employ fish and shellfish, are just as well-known.  Its other much reputed delicacies and dishes include a meat or fish pie which is locally referred to as empanada, the typical carnival dish lacón con grelos, Centolla which is said too be equivalent to King Crab, as well as its variety of locally produced cheeses, such as Centolla   cheese and the tetilla cheese.  The region also produces high-quality wines, such as the Ribeiro wine.

This northwestern inland region of Spain has been receiving a growing attention from foreign property buyers who are seeking to set-up a home away from the crowd of the costal tourist hotspots and its saturated property market.  The shift of attention towards the inlands was brought upon by the ludicrous property prices in most well-known locations.  As the overall Spanish property market goes on a marked slow down, the Galacian property market caught the end of its whip and brought upon it a possible byers market in 2008, and even beyond.

There are several reasons for the sol down of the Galacian property market.  The primary reason is the overpricing of the property market for the domestic buyers.  The bulk of the property buyers in Spain are made up of the locals, and now they are reluctant to take out mortgages in a market where interest rates are set to rise.  Simply put, many Spaniards, particularly Galacians in this context, are unable to afford for their own house.

Yet, this may be a good opportunity for any foreigner or buyer to purchase properties in Galicia.  There are many reasons why properties fond in the inland regions of Spain, such as Galicia, making it suddenly more attractive to foreign buyers.  Foremost of these is the fact that property prices in Galicia are still more affordable than in any coastal location in Spain.  In addition, satin up residence in any of the towns or cities in Galicia can offer two or more of these benefis: a massive supply and a wide variety of available properties, these properties are set in a variety of backdrop—coastlines, mountains, valleys, rivers, and meadows, rural properties generally come in bigger plots, expansive spaces and quiet surroundings, and a chance to live out a rustic lifestyle.

There are other several noteworthy points that a buyer could consider when buying a property in any of the cities or villages in Galicia.  For instance, La Coruna has a significant British expatriate community; where in, about 52% of the population of British expatriates living in Galicia is currently living in the La Coruna province.  In addition, houses and apartments in La Coruna offer excellent rental vacation prospects, albeit confined to the summer season. 

The Pontevedra province comes next as the most appealing location in Galicia for British expatriates, wherein 1/3 of these expatriates living in Galicia has chosen to live in Pontevedra.  Houses and apartments in this province also show a potential for earning significant rental yields.

Thus, Galicia has properties that feature various architectural designs.  The most traditional and popular style of home set as a resale property in Galicia is a stone-build house which are considerably cheaper than newly built and will often offer all the amenities of the town  or the village; and stone country houses which are particularly  attractive to foreign buyers.  Off plan developments include apartments, villas, and townhouses.