6 things to do in Galicia this autumn

Welcome, autumn! Here you come, with the fall of the leaves, the change of weather and lots of things to do and places to visit. Are you ready for the Galician autumn? Here are six plans to immerse yourself in it:

1. Enjoy the change of colour in the forests. There is nothing like walking through one of our forests to appreciate the varied seasonal hues, harmonies and contrasts of yellows, reds, earth tones, ochres… In the province of Lugo, in the mountains of Os Ancares and O Courel, there are forests in which different species are combined (oaks, chestnuts, birches, hollies, rowans…) and where, curiously for this area, beech trees abound. All this diversity, accompanied by its fauna and flora, offers us fantasy scenarios. In Os Ancares you must not miss the forest of Os Grobos; the Souto de Agüeira; the Faial (beech forest) of Pintinidoira; the Aciñeiral (oak forest) of Cruzul; the Avesedo de Donís; the famous Fraga da Marronda, or the Fraga da Cabana Vella. In O Courel the impressive Devesa da Rogueira awaits us; the Souto do Vilar; the Faial of Fontefermosa; the Faial de Liñares, or the Souto de Mercurín. What a lot of forests!
2. Make a magosto (roast chestnuts). Despite the name, however much you like it, there is no magosto in August. We have to wait until the end of September to find good chestnuts. In addition to chestnuts, the requirements for a magostar are to have an outdoor grill, or a pan with holes, or an oven, and good company, of course, because a magosto alone can also end in indigestion. In Ourense they are specialists in magostos, you only have to see how Montealegre is packed with people roasting chestnuts for San Martiño. They also take advantage of the opportunity to roast chourizos (spicy pork sausages) and drink young wine. Being a seasonal fruit, the festivals on these dates, such as San Martiño or Samaín, draw on magosto, so, fortunately, there is no escape.
3. Relax in hot springs. We are in the main thermal destination of the peninsula, how can we not take advantage of the opportunity to escape from stress in one of the many spas in Galicia? There is nothing more autumnal than taking the waters as if we were in the 19th century, in establishments with a lot of history. For example, in O Grove, on the island of A Toxa, where we can´t remember the island without the spa. Here we can treat dermatological, respiratory, locomotor ailments, anxiety, stress, and also play golf, go to the casino, eat good seafood… In Ourense, in the Val de Monterrei, there are up to five springs, many of which we know from bottled water, such as the one in the Cabreiroá spa, with very healthy waters for the digestive system and the skin. In the province of Lugo, the Augas Santas spa stands out, in Pantón, in the Ribeira Sacra, between rivers and mountains, with sulphurous waters very good for the locomotor, respiratory and skin systems, and the Guitiriz spa, in A Terra Chá. In this spa town, with several fountains and a water route, we find a large spa, which has weakly mineralized waters, very suitable for the digestive system, dermatology, liver, respiratory system, muscles and metabolic disorders.
4. Santiago from another perspective. After the overdose of tourism typical of summer, a quiet walk through Compostela in autumn is appreciated. Change of season, change of weather and, why not, change of perspective. How about going up to one of the most unexpected viewing points in Santiago? Unexpected because it is in the very heart of the city, in the most important building. We are referring to the roofs of the cathedral. When we ascend the terraced roofs, all the history and art of the cathedral and the old town opens up before us from a bird’s eye view, with the towers within reach. The entrance to the roofs, through the Xelmírez palace, includes a visit to the Cathedral Museum, a guided tour of the roofs and access to the A Carraca tower.
5. Eating seafood in the Rías Baixas. This is the time of months with an “r”, ”, which means that the best season for seafood begins. One of the most important events of autumn is in the Rías Baixas, at the Feira do Marisco do Grove, a festival of national tourist interest that is now in its 60th edition. The celebration runs from 3 to 13 October, with delicacies from the Arousa estuary at a good price and, in the O Corgo square, a daily concert with figures such as Guadi Galego, Delaporte, Carlangas, The Rapants… And, if we are still hungry for more, in November we can expect the O Grove crab gastronomic days.
6. Eat octopus in Lugo. One of the most classic autumn festivals is San Froilán de Lugo. This festival of national tourist interest is celebrated from 4 to 12 October. We will find many attractions and entertainment: parades, magic, performances, concerts (Fillas de Cassandra, Sés, Renaldo and Clara, TAB, Milladoiro…), ceramics fair, honey fair, cattle parade, medieval fair… A lot of variety and, above all, what has not been missing in San Froilán for centuries: octopus stalls, one of the best places in the world to taste this delicacy.

To make our plans even better, we have to take into account the two autumn tourist promotions: the Gastronomic Autumn (from September 13 to December 15) and the Tourist Bonus (from September 10 to December 25).