If you’re familiar with the Camino de Santiago—the renowned pilgrimage dating back to the 9th century—then you’re at least loosely familiar with Galicia, whose shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great is the pilgrimage's destination.There’s a lot more to do in and
around Galicia, though, with the Cíes Islands being the perfect getaway for anyone who feels Galicia itself isn’t remote enough.
“The Cíes are basically paradise, with the bluest water and the whitest sand I’ve ever seen,” says Alisa on Young Adventuress. “They’re also a natural preserve, so they remain mostly free of human influence. Cathedral Beach is a neat beach up in the north of Galicia where, when the tide goes out, the rocks on the beach appear like the spires of cathedrals sticking up in the air. Very cool stuff.”