Galicia & Green Spain: cooler than the south coast, but not a fire-free zone

Galicia, Asturias and northwestern Spain are known as "Green Spain": milder, greener and cooler than the famous south coast. For those wanting to escape the extreme heat of Andalusia, it's an attractive alternative — pilgrims on the Camino, hikers and lovers of the raw Atlantic coast know where to find it.

But green also means: plenty of vegetation that becomes flammable in a dry summer. In our atlas, the region shows a total risk of around 49%, with forest fires and heat as shared primary risks.

Green is not the same as safe

It seems contradictory, but the northwest has recently experienced severe fires. In 2022 there were record-breaking fires in Zamora and the Sierra de la Culebra (more than 60,000 hectares). And in 2025, this was the hardest-hit area in all of Europe: Galicia, Asturias and Castile and León burned massively, with a total of around 380,000 hectares burned in Spain.

Parts of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago were threatened by fire in 2025 — something hikers rarely account for beforehand.

The peak months here come slightly later than around the Mediterranean: August through October, when vegetation is driest after summer.

Where you're safe

• Coastal cities — A Coruña, Vigo, Gijón — remain relatively safe and cool. Atlantic influence keeps temperatures low and the risk of urban fire negligible.
• The risk lies in forested inland areas and mountain villages. If you're hiking there during peak season, check the fire map and local warnings.
• The Camino runs partly through risk areas in the late season; follow official updates on route changes.

Practical tips

• May to July is the mildest and safest period: green, cool and outside the fire peak.
• Traveling in August/September? Account for the later fire peak and enable emergency alerts (ES-Alert).
• Book a base on the coast and make day trips inland from there.

In short

Green Spain is a wonderfully cool alternative to the south coast, but not a fire-free zone — the severe seasons of 2022 and 2025 prove it. Choose the coast as your base, stay alert in the late season, and check the current fire risk for your route or destination in the atlas shortly before you travel.