https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed To celebrate St. Patrick's Day today, The Local has been delving into Spain's northern region of Galicia to find out what it has in common with Ireland. https://www.thelocal.es/20211103/five-reasons-why-galicia-is-spains-version-of-ireland Wed, 03 Nov 2021 14:27:53 +0100 five-reasons-why-galicia-is-spains-version-of-ireland The surprising story of Couto Mixto, a landlocked microstate located in between Spain and Portugal. https://www.thelocal.es/20240430/the-forgotten-country-that-existed-between-spain-and-portugal Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:39:43 +0200 the-forgotten-country-that-existed-between-spain-and-portugal With more and more people doing the famous Camino de Santiago in winter, we take a look at this new trend as well as the pros and cons of doing the famous pilgrimage over the colder months of the year in Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20240109/is-doing-el-camino-during-winter-in-spain-worth-it Tue, 09 Jan 2024 11:26:00 +0100 is-doing-el-camino-during-winter-in-spain-worth-it Halloween may be known primarily as an American celebration, but could the Spanish region of Galicia be the place where the spooky festivity was born? https://www.thelocal.es/20221031/is-spains-galicia-the-true-birthplace-of-halloween Mon, 31 Oct 2022 13:26:09 +0100 is-spains-galicia-the-true-birthplace-of-halloween Pazos, Galician countryside manor houses which were once the homes of nobility and royalty, are now being bought up by foreigners from the US and Mexico, local press suggests. https://www.thelocal.es/20250728/foreigners-buy-up-stately-manor-houses-in-northern-spain Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:42:30 +0200 foreigners-buy-up-stately-manor-houses-in-northern-spain If you’ve ever been to Galicia in north-western Spain, the chances are you will have seen these odd stone or wooden structures on stilts in people’s gardens and wondered what they were for. https://www.thelocal.es/20240110/horreos-what-are-those-small-stone-houses-on-stilts-in-spains-galicia Wed, 10 Jan 2024 10:42:50 +0100 horreos-what-are-those-small-stone-houses-on-stilts-in-spains-galicia Discover how every year in late March the northern Spanish city of Vigo takes a step back in time to the 19th century to re-enact a battle that saw locals boot out invading French troops. https://www.thelocal.es/20230328/how-spains-vigo-celebrates-kicking-out-napoleon Tue, 28 Mar 2023 18:45:46 +0200 how-spains-vigo-celebrates-kicking-out-napoleon The city's mayor has warned that beachgoers who hog space on the beaches in the northern city could soon be hit with some pretty hefty fines. https://www.thelocal.es/20240829/spains-vigo-to-fine-beachgoers-who-set-up-camp-and-dominate-space Thu, 29 Aug 2024 17:05:31 +0200 spains-vigo-to-fine-beachgoers-who-set-up-camp-and-dominate-space A Spanish court on Friday sentenced a train driver and ex-safety director to 2.5 years in prison over a 2013 crash that was the nation's deadliest rail disaster in nearly eight decades. https://www.thelocal.es/20240726/spain-train-driver-jailed-2-5-years-over-deadly-2013-crash Fri, 26 Jul 2024 15:26:52 +0200 spain-train-driver-jailed-2-5-years-over-deadly-2013-crash The north-western Galician city of A Coruña has been transformed into a giant trash site after a month of strikes by workers from a local rubbish collection company. https://www.thelocal.es/20240723/health-emergency-in-spains-a-coruna-as-city-turned-into-rubbish-tip Tue, 23 Jul 2024 11:40:09 +0200 health-emergency-in-spains-a-coruna-as-city-turned-into-rubbish-tip The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage is also suffering the consequences of mass tourism in Spain, with uncivil behaviour and overcrowded hostels blighting the historic voyage of faith and self-discovery. https://www.thelocal.es/20240719/how-the-rise-of-the-tourgrims-is-spoiling-the-spirit-of-spains-camino Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:56:09 +0200 how-the-rise-of-the-tourgrims-is-spoiling-the-spirit-of-spains-camino Spain's opposition conservative party retained control of Galicia, its traditional stronghold, in a tight regional election on Sunday, a boost for its under-fire leader. https://www.thelocal.es/20240219/spains-conservatives-keep-control-of-regional-stronghold Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:37:06 +0100 spains-conservatives-keep-control-of-regional-stronghold A so-called 'white tide' of plastic pellets are washing up on the shores of Galicia and Asturias, polluting beaches and causing a political blame game between national and regional governments. https://www.thelocal.es/20240109/millions-of-plastic-pellets-are-spreading-across-spains-northern-coast Tue, 09 Jan 2024 12:10:13 +0100 millions-of-plastic-pellets-are-spreading-across-spains-northern-coast The fisherwomen at the heart of Europe's shellfish industry in northeast Spain have been reporting a worrying die-off that is hitting just when holiday season demand is soaring. https://www.thelocal.es/20231221/spains-galicia-struggles-with-mass-shellfish-die-off Thu, 21 Dec 2023 11:55:52 +0100 spains-galicia-struggles-with-mass-shellfish-die-off Vigo in the northwestern region of Galicia is almost ready to unveil a rather sci-fi solution to help connect the upper and lower parts of the city. https://www.thelocal.es/20231124/spains-vigo-to-unveil-futuristic-e15-million-lift-to-tackle-its-hills Fri, 24 Nov 2023 10:26:13 +0100 spains-vigo-to-unveil-futuristic-e15-million-lift-to-tackle-its-hills From a city with "no future" to a "visionary" example for Paris to follow. Pontevedra resident Brendan Boyle explains how his adopted city became a safe and enjoyable haven for children and adults, with virtually no traffic or pollution. https://www.thelocal.es/20221018/the-biggest-village-in-the-world-is-this-spains-most-liveable-city Tue, 18 Oct 2022 11:12:26 +0200 the-biggest-village-in-the-world-is-this-spains-most-liveable-city Thousands of 'Vikings' will land on the shores of a small village in Galicia on Sunday, as part of an annual festival that commemorates a Scandinavian invasion which took place a thousand years ago. https://www.thelocal.es/20190802/a-village-in-northern-spain-is-about-to-be-invaded-by-bloodthirsty-vikings Fri, 02 Aug 2019 13:55:52 +0200 a-village-in-northern-spain-is-about-to-be-invaded-by-bloodthirsty-vikings In 1992 the Galician village of Aceredo was deliberately flooded and submerged underwater, but every few years when the water levels are low, this eerie 'pueblo' reappears. https://www.thelocal.es/20211124/in-images-the-spanish-village-that-emerges-from-underwater-every-few-years Wed, 24 Nov 2021 15:42:54 +0100 in-images-the-spanish-village-that-emerges-from-underwater-every-few-years The wild beaches of Spain's northern coast offer dramatic coves, wild rock formations, long stretches of fine white sand, and best of all, hardly any people. https://www.thelocal.es/20191104/12-pictures-that-show-the-true-beauty-of-northern-spains-beaches Mon, 04 Nov 2019 11:51:40 +0100 12-pictures-that-show-the-true-beauty-of-northern-spains-beaches As Spain's vaccine campaign gains speed and the infection rate drops, there are indications that facemasks will very soon no longer be compulsory outdoors in several Spanish regions. https://www.thelocal.es/20210520/which-spanish-regions-are-likely-to-allow-people-to-remove-their-masks-outdoors Thu, 20 May 2021 18:31:22 +0200 which-spanish-regions-are-likely-to-allow-people-to-remove-their-masks-outdoors