09

09.EXPERIENCE THE REGION OF O SALNÉS

OF SEA AND WINE

OF SEA AND WINE

We recommend you a custom-made tour to enjoy unforgettable days in As Rías Baixas.

The most important museums, the natural and cultural attractions of the main towns and the cuisine that should not be missed.

  • Day 1:
    • SANXENXO, O GROVE AND CAMBADOS

      • It is located in a privileged spot perfect to control marine traffic, with anchorage areas and near the tin mines. In the 2nd century BC, it was an important trading centre as well as a settlement dedicated to shellfish harvesting and fish salting. In addition, a late Roman necropolis and a building that may have been a place of Christian worship were also found.

    • You can choose 1 beach…
    • You can choose 1 winery where you can taste the wines under the Designation of Origin Rías Baixas from the region of O Salnés:
      • The Festival of the Onion is held in September, coinciding with the feast of Saint Rosalía in the town of Sanxenxo. Local farmers sell their products in the stands set up near the port. Onion contests are also held. Prizes go to the largest onion, the longest string or the most original figure made with onions.

      • This interpretation centre, located in an old 18th-century farmhouse, shows the Galician traditional culture. A tour of its different rooms allows you to know how people used to live and how the family was structured in rural areas.

      • This museum is located in two restored fish salting factories (salgadeiras) and highlights the processes used to keep the sardine in brine. There, it is worth visiting the outdoor pools and an exhibition area that shows the importance of the fishing, shellfish harvesting, salting and canning activities.

      • It is a good example of the biological and ecological riches of the Galician seas. There, you can also learn more about the relationship between the sea and the human being. It also serves to raise awareness on the need of preserving the marine heritage.

      • Located at the top of A Siradella Hill, this interpretation centre offers a breathtaking panoramic view. It provides information on the protected natural space Intertidal Complex Umia-O Grove, A Lanzada, O Carreirón Park and the Bodeira Lagoon.

      • It is a protected space with a high ecological value. These are shallow areas that constitute wetlands, which are a perfect habitat for a great diversity of migratory birds.

      • It is a protected space with a high ecological value. These are shallow areas that constitute wetlands, which are a perfect habitat for a great diversity of migratory birds.

      • A seaside building that shows the importance of the fishing activity in the town of Cambados, a deep-rooted economic activity. It is the best way to get to know the fishermen’s life.
        Temporarily closed

  • Day 2:
    • CAMBADOS AND A ILLA DE AROUSA

      • It was the first museum dedicated to wine in Galicia, and is located in an old rectory. Its ethnographic collection serves as a common thread to discover the winegrowing culture in As Rías Baixas, the characteristics of the land, the varieties grown, the winemaking process and its bonds with the traditional culture.

      • A small seaside house that was the birthplace of this famous Galician poet, known as “poeta da raza” (poet of the race). There, one can find testimonies; objects and a wide range of elements that exerted a great influence on him and that allow us to learn more about the most important Galician poet, member of the Galician nationalist organization Irmandades da Fala.
        Temporarily closed

      • This town is known as the cradle of Albariño white wine. It boasts stately and manor houses and granite monuments. In the past, the villages of Fefiñáns, of noble character, Santo Tomé, a fishing neighbourhood, and the district of Cambados, with beaches, cobblestone streets and the Ruins of Santa Mariña de Dozo church, merged to create the town of Cambados.

      • Gonzalo Valladares, Lord of Fefiñáns, built this mill in the cove of Cambados in 1662 by using the ebb and flow of the tides. Now, it is a museum that keeps and displays the cultural and popular legacy of As Rías Baixas.
        By appointment only (+34 986 520 786)

      • It is a 16th-century manor house built by the advisor to King Philip II of Spain, Juan Sarmiento Valladares. The great circular balconies in the outer corners of the building and the Renaissance-style decoration above the windows stand out. It hosts a renowned winery of Albariño wine, the first one to market the wine under the Designation of Origin Rías Baixas.

      • This cemetery of Cambados, one of the most beautiful and eye-catching of Galicia, is located in monte de A Pastora. It was declared a Historical Artistic Monument and included in the Association of Significant Cemeteries of Europe’s catalogue.

    • You can choose 1 winery where you can taste the wines under the Designation of Origin Rías Baixas from the region of O Salnés:
      • Lugar de Covas de Lobos, 104, Vilariño, 36633 Cambados
        +34 986 54 25 70

      • Refoxos, s/n, Corvillón, 36630 Cambados
        +34 986 520 886

      • Burgáns, 91, Vilariño, 36633 Cambados
        +34 986 526 040

      • Sartaxes, 8, Castrelo, 36639 Cambados
        +34 669 086 569

      • A festival declared of International Tourist Interest held every year in August. There, it is possible to buy some bottles of Albariño white wine or taste it at any of the stands of the local wineries. During the festival, there is also a contest that awards the winery with the best wine under the Designation of Origin Rías Baixas of the previous year. During this event, a large number of cultural activities are also held.

      • Festival declared of Tourist Interest in Galicia, held in July, where one can taste the scallop in different dishes. Activities and shows are also organised during the festival.

      • This interpretation centre is located in the old cannery of Goday, the first canning plant in Galicia dating from the 19th century. It shows the production process of a cannery and its history. Nearby is Muelle de Pau, an old fish salting factory, which also belonged to the Goday family.

  • Day 3:
    • A ILLA DE AROUSA, VILANOVA DE AROUSA AND VILAGARCÍA DE AROUSA

      • It was built in 1852 but stop working at the beginning of the 20th century. Nowadays, it serves as a restaurant offering beautiful views over the coastal inlet Ría de Arousa.

      • Natural area belonging to the Intertidal Complex Umia-O Grove. This wetland is a special protection area for birds. The coast boasts coves, fine-sand beaches, lagoons and marshlands with a rich wildlife.

      • This trail runs through the O Carreirón Park and the large Salinas Beach. Along the way, it is possible to observe the so-called pilros (dunlins), small migratory water birds.

      • It is the highest point in A Illa de Arousa (63 metres above sea level) and offers a panoramic view of the entire island and the towns of Vilagarcía de Arousa, Vilanova de Arousa, Cambados, Meaño, Sanxenxo and O Grove. On the top, there is a sculpture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, built in 1962.

      • Food event held in August, with market stalls placed by the port of O Xufre where one can enjoy clams, shrimps, cockles, octopus…

      • This museum is located in the Casa do Cuadrante, a traditional building that was owned by the maternal grandparents of the Galician writer Valle-Inclán where he was supposedly born. It displays book collections, original manuscripts and other documents related to the author.

      • This 15th-century manor house was restored at the beginning of the 20th century by a Galician emigrant who had returned from Argentina. It was turned into a milk factory in the 1970s, and now is a winery where you can taste the wines under the Designation of Origin Rías Baixas from the region of O Salnés.

      • Festival declared of Tourist Interest in Galicia held in August, where one can taste the main products of the coastal inlet Ría de Arousa: the mussel and the cockle.

      • In 1873, O Carril, parish of the town of Vilagarcía de Arousa, became the station of the first railway line in Galicia, from the parish of Cornes to O Carril. Today, the former station houses the railway museum.

      • An 18th-century manor house built on the grounds of a medieval fortress. Today, it has an agroforestry exploitation with the largest vineyard in the region of O Salnés, and an interesting garden with remarkable magnolia and camellia trees.

      • Festival declared of Tourist Interest in Galicia, held in August at the port of O Carril, where one can enjoy the clams bred in the coastal inlet Ría de Arousa. This delicacy can be perfectly paired with a glass of Albariño white wine.

  • Day 4:
    • MEIS, RIBADUMIA AND MEAÑO

      • Monastic complex located in a natural landscape. It was founded between 1149 and 1162, and abandoned in 1837. Later, in 1989, the monastery became the residence of a small community of nuns. It is an important historic building and also serves as an inn.

      • This 14th-century manor house boasts a façade with ashlars, a hórreo, a bread oven, a cellar, a dovecote, a cruceiro and a chapel devoted to Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. At present, it has a 10-hectare Albariño vineyard, which produces a high-quality wine.

      • This 18th-century farmhouse has one of the most important private botanical gardens in Spain designed by the landscape architect Brenda Colvin. It is part of the Route of the Camellia and of the Les Belles Maisons, an exclusive collection of private houses for special events.

      • Festival held in July aimed at promoting the agricultural and rural tradition of the town. There are market stalls of artisanal and agricultural products. Traditional games and an exhibition of farm animals are also organised.

      • A fortified settlement from the Iron Age located on the grounds of a sea wall and overlooking a valley by the Umia River. In the 3rd century BC, the walls and the houses, consisting of several constructions, became more complex.

      • This manor house, built in 1790, is a good example of the Galician neoclassical architecture. Two stone hórreos (Galician raised granary houses) from the 18th and 19th centuries and two cruceiros (stone crosses) stand out. Its large gardens – surrounded by vineyards of Albariño wine and a small wood – boast exotic species and more than 1,500 camellia varieties.

      • This 7-kilometre trail runs along the banks of the Armenteira River and passes by the mills of Barrantes and Serén and the Aldea Labrega (peasant village) in Meis to reach the monastery of Santa María da Armenteira. Along the route, it is possible to enjoy the rivers, natural spots and the typical local architecture.

      • This interpretation centre, located in the manor house Pazo de Lis, acknowledges the work of the Galician rural women in different spheres, such as family organization, household economy, social relationships, and women tasks such as bread-making, linen processing or sewing.

    • You can choose 1 winery where you can taste the wines under the Designation of Origin Rías Baixas from the region of O Salnés:
      • Cabeiro, San Martiño de Meis, s/n, 36637 Meis
        +34 986 680 868