We have landed in a gem of a hotel, in a gem of a town, for our last three nights in Spain. A Guarda is the southernmost town on the Atlantic coast in Galicia; the Miño River to its south constitutes the border with Portugal. This is the last stop on the trip, and we are tired, and grateful to be in such a charming place. The tourist season is well over, several stores and restaurants are closed for vacation, but tourism doesn't seem to be that important and there is still plenty of local action to be seen on the streets and plazas. The colorful buildings that rise up the hill are very cheerful.
Our hotel is the San Benito (hotelsanbenito.es/), established in a former 17th-century Benedictine convent and preserving the historical atmosphere while providing all the modern comforts. Located at the base of the town, right off the harbor, it has a spectacular location. Have a look at the web site to see more detail.
For photos of A Guarda in stormy weather, see
A Guarda sits on the north side of the mouth of the Miño, and its peninsula is dominated by a steep 1,100-foot-high hill that gives views all around for miles, and especially up the river and out to sea. Clearly an important strategic site, the hill was occupied by Celts from about 100 b.c. to 100 a.d.; there also are some Iron Age petroglyphs present. With its mild climate and a natural harbor to the north of the hill, this is an inviting environment. The Romans conquered the Celts and occupied A Guarda until the decline of the Empire. Over time, the town also was occupied by Vandals and Moors (like the rest of Spain), and by Portuguese and French pirates. Whew.
The small mountain is named for Santa Tecla (Saint Thecla, in English), a follower of the apostle Paul who, first, defied her parents to stay single and a virgin, and later assaulted a nobleman who was trying to abduct her; sentenced to death, she was saved miraculously by the female animals who were supposed to kill her (go Thecla!).
A hermitage was dedicated to her at the top of the mountain in the 12thC (hence the name). A few medieval streets still constitute a small pedestrian zone above the port. The castle of Santa Cruz was built on a hillside on the north side of town as a protective fortress during the war between Spain and Portugal (17thC). It is in ruins now but is open to the public as a park.
Farming and fishing have always been mainstays of the economy, according to local history. Tourism is big today, with beautiful beaches on both sides of town, and wine country all around (alboriño grapes, primarily). With many restaurants serving delicious seafood, and larger cities like Tui only 20 minutes away, A Guarda is an interesting and welcoming place to visit. (But they could use some PR; it was hard to pull together all these facts!)
Photos are at https://plus.google.com/u/0/
We will fly from Vigo to Paris tomorrow afternoon, then home to Torrey on Friday. This may well be my last post of the trip; I hope you have all enjoyed them!
