Sunday, November 16, 2008
The town of Noia
Below is an article I did several years ago about Nois. It has been sindicated around a bit since then, but it still gives a desent introduction to the town.
The holiday town of Noia is located at the foot of the Muros bay in the region of Galicia, just above Portugal, (Northern Spain). It is 34 km from the historic city of Santiago de Compostela and lies adjacent to the coastal region of Porto do Son, popular with Spanish holiday makers.
Noia started life as a fishing village, but now has a population in excess of 16 000 with many of its inhabitants working in Santiago.
During the spring and summer months Noia becomes a thriving holiday town, primarily catering for Spaniards wishing to escape the heat of the Costa’s. In August alone, some eight million Spaniards travel north from cities like Madrid and Barcelona to the more temperate climate of Galicia with its green scenery and spectacular beaches - many visit Noia.
Holiday makers to Noia
Over recent years foreign visitors have started to frequent Galicia on an increasing basis, exploring its scenic countryside and visiting cities like Santiago de Compostela. Pontevedra, Lugo and Galicia’s other towns and villages.
What makes Noia worthy of note is not just its location, but its history and appearance.
Noia has existed for well over a thousand years and was, for 700 years, the seat of the Archbishop. It has two churches dating back to the thirteenth and twelfth centuries and many other ancient buildings in its original medieval quarter.
An unfortunate feature of Noia, but one typical of this region, is the constant presence of decrepit old buildings adjacent to well maintained ones. This is the result of the land registration laws, or a lack of them, in Galicia. If you can ignore this failing, then Noia is an attractive town with many tapas bars, plenty of shops and the feel and atmosphere of a genuine Northern Spanish town.
Noia still has a thriving market and the locals speak their own language known as Gallego.
Celts
In cultural terms the Galicians are Celts, so do not expect flamenco dancing and spanish guitar playing. Instead ypu will find that the traditional instrument is the bagpipes and the dancing is very much in the "folk" style. If you are from Scotland or Ireland you will feel at home here.
Further regional quirks see the most popular crop vegetable as the potato, although it is usually poached in a seasoned liqueur and has a pale orange hue to it when served.
Beaches etc
Noia’s nearest beach is called "la playa de Testal". It is only a five minute car journey away and several other beaches can be reached within 30 minutes.
A short drive out of town and into the country will see you quickly gaining altitude, Galicia is hilly and sometimes mountainous, but this adds to the views and scenery. You will also notice the smell, Galicia is a forested region with pine and eucalyptus, the latter grown as a crop. Wildlife also abounds and large eagles (buzzards) are common place in the skies.
Although Noia is worth a visit on its own merit, it is also ideally located for visiting other seaside towns like Muros, Porto Sin and Boiro and of course anyone holidaying in this region of Spain is bound to want to see Santiago de Compostela.
In summary if you want a Spanish holiday, but one away from the tour operators, crowded beaches and commercialism of the south, then Galicia and Noia may offer a welcome alternative. If you do travel to this part of Spain, remember it does have seasons, so visit between May and September and be prepared to try and speak a bit of Spanish!
