A route around Sanxenxo: beaches, pazos, gastronomy, nature, art... And when leaving, homesickness

Located at one of the westernmost ends of the left bank of the Pontevedra estuary, Sanxenxo is, in many ways, to Galicia what Santander is to Cantabria or San Sebastián to the Basque Country: a coastal city, with a wonderful gastronomic offer and some magnificent beaches that, in summer, attract tourism avid for sun and sand.

But any time seems like a good time to visit this Galician corner and spend at least one weekend here.

The route can start at the Sanxenxo marina and its well-known yacht club.

Walking along the promenade that borders Silgar beach —the busiest in the town— you can make a first stop at the Tritón restaurant, whose oysters and scallops are well-deserved, to then resume your walk until you reach Punta do Vicaño, a high promontory from whose viewpoint there are stupendous views of the Pontevedra estuary and the beaches of Silgar and Baltar, the latter already in the neighboring town of Portonovo.

View of the marina in the town of Sanxenxo, in the Rías Bajas.

Joaquin Ossorio-Castillo (Alamy)

In Portonovo we browse through its fishing port —the most important in the area— and then eat at Taberna A Curva, a popular venue with a very appetizing and informal menu and a no less interesting winery;

Not surprisingly, its owner, Miguel Anxo Besada, is one of the great connoisseurs of Galician wines and recognized as Best Sommelier 2020 at the International Wine Challenge.

Anxo reveals that some Galician white wines are made from eight or 10 different grapes of the more than 70 native varieties that exist in the community, some of them practically unknown.

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From the paths of water, stone and prayer to Galician surrealism

In the afternoon you can walk the Chanca river route —in the heart of the O Salnés region—, a path that, bordering a stream, ascends until you reach the Cistercian monastery of Santa María de Armenteira.

Along the route, between vineyards and humid Atlantic forests, you can see more than 20 mills, some of them displaying the exceptional skill of ancient stonemasons.

Portico of the Cistercian monastery of Santa María de Armenteira (Pontevedra).Joaquin Ossorio-Castillo (Alamy)

Before sunset we approach the sanctuary of San Benito de Lores, a robust church perched on a hillock.

In front of the temple esplanade, a viewpoint offers the best views over the Meaño valley, with the distant estuary in the background.

On the way back to Sanxenso, you can make a stop at the Pazo del Virrey or Padriñán (1710), a large and neglected manor house on one of whose walls, and only accessible through a dark and disturbing dirt road surrounded by weeds. there is, without a sign of any kind, the Tavern of Toñito;

a unique place with a clandestine air, with the appearance of an old and crowded flea market store or the chaotic warehouse of a Galician Diogenes.

Surrounded by all kinds of unimaginable objects and dusty belongings —gramophones, snake skins, old weapons, wall clocks, old irons, images of saints…— is Antonio Acuña (

) cleaning mushrooms he has just picked.

Direct descendant of the founders of the pazo, he is a character of Renaissance knowledge, as well as a great cook and

remarkable

Toñito will feed you whatever he has, from lobsters to anything else, including rare wildebeest, kangaroo, bison meat... Always with a high level of cooking.

That is well known to those who know him;

among which are well-known politicians, singers, athletes, aristocrats... Pure Galician surrealism.

A suggestion for dinner: Taberna Villalustre, a local classic.

We settled in the Quinta de San Amaro, a small charming hotel in the middle of an area surrounded by Albariño vineyards.

Nacho Crespo, its owner, recommends visiting, near Ribadumia, the studio of the Galician sculptor Manolo Paz, known above all for his enormous menhirs.

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Between famous cemeteries, centuries-old pazos and endless beaches

On the second day of a stay in the area, you can take the classic excursions to the island of Ons or to the Cíes, an hour by boat from Sanxenxo.

Although this time our plans are different.

We visited the Santa Mariña de Dozo cemetery in Cambados, one of the most impressive in Galicia, declared a historical-artistic monument and included in the European network of singular cemeteries.

Next to the cemetery are the ruins of the old Gothic church of Santa Mariña, displaying its fine ribbed arches in the open air.

A woman in the Santa Mariña de Dozo cemetery, in Cambados (Pontevedra).

Chavi Nandez (Alamy)

Once in Cambados, the beautiful Plaza de Fefiñanes receives its name from the majestic Pazo de Fefiñanes that forms part of it.

The pazo, built in the 16th century by Juan Sarmiento Valladares, advisor to Felipe II, is in the shape of the letter L, with the keep at one end with two spectacular semicircular balconies embedded in one of its edges.

The large gates of the building display the striking heraldic shields of the family lineages.

From the upper terrace of the tower there is a magnificent view of all of Cambados.

If you wish, you can visit both the interior rooms of the pazo —which contain important porcelains, tapestries, wallpapers, paintings…— as well as the vineyards, wineries and distillery that the complex houses.

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After the walk through the old town of Cambados, it is time to eat at the Yayo Daporta restaurant, one of the most renowned in the area.

In the afternoon it's time to visit the hermitage of A Lanzada (from the 12th century), with fantastic views of the ocean and the island of Ons.

A Lanzada is one of the longest beaches in Galicia, ideal for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Once again in Sanxenxo we visit the Eidos Winery located at the mouth of the estuary and framed within the Rías Baixas designation of origin.

We had dinner at the Casa Aurora A Curva restaurant.

Dozens of granaries, thousands of camellias and two cooks

We begin the last day of our trip contemplating, near Combarro, the work of shellfish women who strive to collect shellfish at low tide.

In Combarro we walk through its delicious old quarter enjoying its incomparable set of granaries —the largest in Galicia—, as well as the many

that the population also treasures.

Arrocería Tintanegra is a pleasant bar and restaurant where you can have a snack or a Galician beer.

Combarro fishing village with the typical Galician granaries.

RUDOLF ERNST (Getty)

On the way to the Pazo de Rubianes we take a short walk along the San Vicente do Mar (O Grove) footbridge that borders the outer end of the Arousa estuary and offers some of the most beautiful spots on the Galician coast.

Very close to Villagarcía de Arousa, the Pazo de Rubianes sinks its remote origins into the two 12th century watchtowers on which, in 1411, García de Caamaño built the palace.

Stairs of the Pazo de Rubianes, built in 1411 and renovated in the 18th century.

Fuco Reyes (GALICIAN TOURISM)

At the beginning of the 18th century, Jacobo Ozores made the last and definitive reform of the building, which gave it a French-style air.

Its environment is a huge garden with large ponds, huge and old specimens of trees, including one of the first eucalyptus planted in Europe.

The botanical wealth of the pazo is enormous, since according to the catalog of singular trees of Galicia, 10% of them are found here.

However, its greatest plant treasure is its incomparable floral richness, represented by more than 4,500 camellias of hundreds of different species.

In the pazo shop you can buy all kinds of soaps and oils derived from this well-known flower.

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And as the finishing touch to our Galician getaway, a stop to eat at Muiño de Rudiño, a restaurant, located in an old mill in Ribaumia, where there is no menu and the Italian chef and sommelier Teo Iannotta surprises customers with a single menu. improvised with the products of the day in the market.

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