Albarino Wine Tour of the Rias Baixas Galicia Spain a Land of Seafood and Fine White Wines

On this deluxe food & wine tour of Spain you will explore Galicia´s Rias Baixas (pronounced REE-as BUY-zhas) an exceptionally indented coastline, with creeks and hidden coves at every turn, a scattering of inlets lying close inshore, and an alternating pattern of cliffs and beaches. In this Forgotten Celtic region of Northwestern Spain nature alone is not at play however. There is much to be enjoyed including its famous Albariño wines accompanied by rich local cuisine most notably Seafood.

On this tour you will discover the Galicia, Northwestern Spain with all senses... starting off in Santiago de Compostela the Capital of the region and also the end of the important Pilgrimage Way of St. James. Here you will walk the streets of the old quarter and visit the Cathedral which marks the heart of this historic centre. Then you will follow down the Atlantic coast in the area called the Rias Baixas (Low Estuaries or Bays), here you will get a chance to stroll along the ports of small fishing villages and enjoy exclusive visits to various wineries making the highly acclaimed Albarino white wines of the D.O. Rias Baixas.



In between winery & cultural sites you will stop to dine in a mix of different types of restaurants while touring, we have selected them to show you the variety of the Galician Cuisine... from Michelin Star Restaurants like Toni Vicente in Santiago to small fishermen´s taverns right on the docks offering an abundance of fresh seafood (Spider Crab, Bay Prawns, Lobster, etc...) caught just that morning and served in handmade wicker baskets right on the table for everyone to dig in and enjoy this delectable finger-food. While on the coast you will get the chance to learn in-depth about the gastronomy by cooking side-by-side with a Galician woman who owns/runs a small Rural Country Manor & Restaurant and knows just about all the traditional coastal cooking secrets of Galicia!



After following down the Rias Baixas coast your inland journey begins alongside the Mino River visiting a few more Albarino wineries, before winding down our unforgettable wine jounery of the Rias Baixas

For your comfort during the trip we have selected a couple of stays in Paradores (Santiago and Baiona), these accommodations are placed within historic building like Monasteries, Castles, etc... Ranging from 4* to 5* GL (Grand luxury). Then as well you will have a few more rural stays in Galician Pazos, which are Noble Manor Houses with all the amenities of a Parador but on a smaller more personal scale.

Come Savor Seafood and Albarino wines of Galicia, Atlantic Spain!

DAY 1: MON
SANTIAGO
- Arrival to SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA the end of the Pilgrims` way
- Your private driver/guide will meet & greet you at the Airport or train station depending which way you arrive.
- Transfer to hotel
- Check into hotel anytime after 2:00pm
- On this evening we meet in the hotel lobby (meeting time: 7:30pm)
- GALICIA tour orientation meeting with your private driver/guide
- Enjoy a "Galician Welcome Dinner" in the beautiful Parador
- Overnight in Santiago
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DAY 2: TUE
SANTIAGO - WALKING DAY TOUR IN THE HISTORIC QUARTER OF THE ANCIENT PILGRIMAGE CITY
- Breakfast
- Morning visit of the Ethnographic museum of the Galician people, plaza de Abastos market, cathedral & old quarter
- Lunch on your own
- Rest of the day at leisure to explore the city
- Dinner in Michelin Star Restaurant restaurant with fine cuisine in the old quarter
- Overnight in Santiago
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DAY 3: WED
SANTIAGO - NOIA - BAROÑA - CORRUBEDO - CATOIRA - CAMBADOS
- Breakfast
- Follow down the UPPER RIAS BAIXAS coastline passing by many small fishing
- Visit the CELTIC HILL-FORT OF BAROÑA
- Visit the ancient DOLMEN OF AXEITOS
- Lunch in a restaurant in the village of CORRUBEDO with excellent views of the coast and delicious fresh seafood & Albariño white wines
- Visit the DUNES OF CORRUBEDO, a nature beach park with large sand dunes, wild flora & fauna
- Entering into the RIAS BAIXAS OF O SALNES, visit the remains of the 17th century defense towers in CATORIA
- Visit BODEGA PAZO DE SEÑORANS (Or similar winery), an Albariño winery located in the O SALNES sub-zone of the DENOMINATION OF ORIGIN RIAS BAIXAS
- Then we will visit another selected winery of the region.
- After this visit CAMBADOS village, the heart of Albariño wine country
- Walk around the Plaza de Fefiñanes and quaint streets of this noble village
- After this make our way to a quaint Galicia Pazo (Manor House) surrounded by vineyard and they have their own winery
- Check in Pazo and some free time
- Dinner on your own tonight, your driver/guide can take you to Cambados´s old quarter where you could choose from one of them many restaurants for dinner.
- Overnight in Cambados
B, L


DAY 4: THU
CAMBADOS - COMBARRO - PONTEVEDRA - BUEU - DONON - NATURE WALK AROUND MAN´s CAPE - HIO - ALDAN
- Breakfast
- In the morning we leave to visit the quaint fishing village of COMBARRO
- Walk along the port promenade with Horreos (Stone Granaries) which hang over the bay
- Then next in PONTEVEDRA city´s we visit the Archeology & Art Museum, also the old quarter
- Continuing on we followalong the coastline arriving at the point of the Peninsula of O Morrazo.
- In the small village of BUEU we will have a seafood lunch in a local restaurant.
- After lunch we will walk around what is know as Cabo Home (Man´s Cape) in DONON here we see a few lighthouses (including an Ancient Celtic Lighthouse at the top of Monte Facho) all with excellent view of the Cies Island in front.
- From here we walk in the direction of the Beach of Melide whereas we reach an other lighthouse of this Cape, which faces to the RIA OF VIGO offering spectacular view over the Ria.
- In the small village of Hio we visit the Wayside Cross of Hio the most famous in Galicia and built from on solid block of granite. Beside the cross is the Romanesque Church of San Andres (St. Andrews) we take a peek inside before leaving.
- Then we make our way to a charming Country Manor in the costal village of Aldan
- Some time to relax before a dinner in the beautiful garden of this country
- After dinner we will enjoy some traditional Galician Bagpipe Music
- Overnight in Aldan
B, L, D


DAY 5: FRI
ALDAN - CANGAS - VIGO - PLAYA AMERICA - BAIONA
- Breakfast
- Some free time in the morning to enjoy your surroundings, talk a walk around the village or whatever you please.
- 11:00AM: Galician Coastal Cooking Class in a Traditional Country Manor in the Fishing village of Aldan-Cangas (Duration: 03h30 approx.)
- Today you will cook side-by-side with a Galician women who owns/runs a small Rural Country Manor & Restaurant and knows just about all the traditional coastal cooking secrets of Galicia!
- You will be shown how to make a 3-course menu based in Fish and Seafood in the fully-equipped kitchen of this country manor.
- Lunch will be based on what you have prepared accompanied by fine Albarino wines.
- After lunch we drive around the other side of the Peninsula today stopping at the small fishing village of CANGAS where you will enjoy a catamaran ride (20mins.) to cross over the RIA OF VIGO with views of the Rande Bridge and VIGO City on other side of this beautiful Ria
- Then a tour of VIGO city and some free time for shopping.
- In the late afternoon we drive to BAIONA village stopping to visit the America beach where Europe first got word of the discover of America
- In the harbor we will also see the replica of the Caraval Pinta which brought the word of the discover of America
- Then off to the Castle of Monterreal which is now is a fabulous Parador where we will be staying tonight.
- Free time before dinner
- Dinner will be in a restaurant of the new up-and-coming young chef of Galicia
- Overnight in Baiona
B, CL, D


DAY 6: SAT
BAIONA - TUI - O ROSAL - LA GUARDIA - BAIONA
- Breakfast
- In the morning we make our way to the ancient boarder village of Tui
- Visit the FORTIFIED CATHEDRAL OF TUI and it´s old quarter
- Then we will make a visit to BODEGAS TERRAS GAUDA (Or similar winery), an Albariño winery located in the O ROSAL sub-zone of the D.O. Rias Baixas
- Lunch in a seafood restaurant at the port of the fishing village of A Guada. Enjoy a Seafood feast with Lobster, crab etc... and Albariño wines
- After we will make our way to the top of the St. Tecla hill with PANORAMIC VIEWS of the RIVER MIÑO meeting the Atlantic sea, and views of the mountains of Northern Portugal.
- Here we will also see the MONTE SANTA TECLA CELTIC HILL-FORT with reconstructed huts and the museum with artifacts
- Then we follow up the LOWER RIAS BAIXAS until arriving back in Baiona
- Free time before dinner
- Dinner on your own
- Overnight in Baiona
B, L


DAY 7: SUN
BAIONA - SALVATERRA DO MINO - ARBO
- Breakfast
- Today we drive by highway to the CONDADO DE TEA, another sub-zone of the D.O. Rias Baixas
- We will follow along the Mino river stopping to see the Castle of Salvaterra and where they also celebrate the wine festival of this sub-zone every year.
- We will pass through small village like As Neves famous for its Goat Cheese and Honey.
- Then we will arrive at ARBO "Villa da Lamprea" (village of Lamprey Eel)
- Lunch in a quaint Manor House overlooking the Miño River
- Visit Sean O`Rourke´s family Artisan wine cellar inside the old ABADIA (ABBEY) DE CABEIRAS that does not sell on a commercial level and conserve the traditional method of producing Albariño & Condado wines in the valley.
- We will also visit the Miños da Rocha, recently resorted old flower-mills
- After this we will walk around the village and get the local flavor of this true Galician village
- Tonight we will stay in a Noble Galician Manor which also has a winery that we will visit. Views from the Manor are spectacular being surrounded by vines and the Mino River below.
- Dinner will be in the Manor house with traditional local cuisine
- Overnight in Arbo
B, L, D


DAY 8: MON
ARBO - LAVACOLLA, SANTIAGO´s INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - TRAIN STATION & CITY CENTRE
- Breakfast
- Morning (9:30am) departing hotel
- Transfer to Lavacolla, Santiago´s International Airport, NOTE: When arranging your fight departure if you are flying out of Santiago it must be no earlier than 12:00pm due to the traveling time from Vilalba
- Those who are continuing on by other means of transportation will be dropped off in the Renfe Train Station in Santiago city.
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END OF TOUR SERVICES