Essential to live the Rías Baixas Wine Route
Discover the wine tourism experiences that you can enjoy on a tour of the Rías Baixas Wine Route
Looking for wine tourism experiences of differentiated quality in Galicia? If the answer is yes, the ideal option is the Rías Baixas Wine Route. We tell you what are the essentials to enjoy a wide territory where varied and interesting proposals are offered. Whether as a family, as a couple or alone, in this itinerary you will find plans for all needs and with the maximum guarantees of quality and attention in the provision of services of the Product Club of the Wine Routes of Spain.
With a territory marked by the Atlantic influence, the Rías Baixas Wine Route has all the factors to enjoy different wine tourism experiences in its five subzones: wineries -from family-owned to more industrial-, exceptional natural and historical spaces, museum centers, accommodation and restaurants of the highest quality and leisure and free time activities. With the Rías Baixas Denomination of Origin wines as the common thread, you can admire the landscapes drawn by the characteristic vineyards at the foot of the sea in Val do Salnés; vineyards between rivers in Condado do Tea, O Rosal and Ribeira do Ulla or surrounding fortifications with history, as in the Soutomaior subzone.
For those who prefer to create their own itinerary, on the web www.rutadelvinoriasbaixas.com they have all the necessary tools. For those who prefer suggestions, the following lines propose some activities for a complete getaway along the Rías Baixas Wine Route.
First day on the Rías Baixas Wine Route
The proposed route runs along this Wine Route from north to south. Thus, the first day invites you to visit Ribeira do Ulla. Located 15 kilometers from Santiago de Compostela, this sub-area offers impressive views at the foot of the river surrounded by lush forests and baroque pazos in the municipality of Vedra. In this same municipality, a first tasting of the D.O. Rías Baixas elaborated a step away from the Galician capital.
After this introduction, we continue the tour heading south. With a landscape favored by the mild climate and the maritime and fluvial influence, the province of Pontevedra invites the traveler to discover an immense wine heritage on this wine tourism itinerary. Its wineries, accommodations and the impeccable pairing between its wines and Galician gastronomy make up the perfect attraction for a getaway.
What to visit in O Salnés
The next stop will be the most emblematic sub-area of the Rías Baixas Wine Route: Val do Salnés. Here are the iconic trellises at the foot of the estuary. Views that can be combined with a tour of different wineries and historical spaces.
In this case, and given that the highest concentration of resources is in this area, we would dedicate an afternoon and a morning for this stage. Thus, we can choose between making tours of more familiar or industrial wineries, more historical or modern, multidisciplinary or dedicated exclusively to the production of wines protected by the D.O. Rías Baixas of the highest quality.
In this first part of the day in Val do Salnés, we suggest a visit to one of the emblematic places. The historic center of Cambados, with an essential stop at Praza de Fefiñáns and the Torre de San Sadurniño. The sunset overlooking the sea from a terrace with views or at the foot of the estuary offers exceptional panoramic views, which are well worth enjoying with a toast.
Accommodation and restaurants in Rías Baixas
Both in this municipality and in those around it, the Wine Route offers the possibility of visiting different types of wineries. Through its wines you can discover the true essence of the Rías Baixas. These tastings will be combined with tours through vineyards, impressive stately homes and even with cooking workshops and à la carte show cooking through which to experience the creation of typical dishes of the area first-hand.
These experiences can also be paired with the perfect rest in one of the accommodations available in Val do Salnés and located in municipalities such as Caldas de Reis, O Grove, Meaño, Meis, Ribadumia or Sanxenxo. Here you can choose from charming rural houses to hotels with spa and the most exclusive. All of them endorsed by differentiated tourist quality stamps.
And to enjoy the perfect pairing of Galician cuisine and these Atlantic wines, what better way to do it than in one of the associated restaurants in this same sub-area. They offer everything from the most traditional dishes to the latest trends in cooking. A candlelight dinner in which to taste the extraordinary quality of Galician seafood and fish with a glass of a D.O. Rías Baixas, will be the ideal finishing touch for this first day.
Panoramic views on the Rías Baixas Wine Route
The second day on the Rías Baixas Viño Route will take us through the Val do Salnés and Soutomaior sub-areas. In this case, in addition to the wines themselves, the natural, cultural and scenic wealth will be the main axis of the route. And to enjoy exceptional panoramic views, what better way than to go to the Siradella viewpoint in O Grove where we can see this peninsula from a bird’s eye view. From there we can also move to the Pedras Negras promenade where a pleasant journey is offered between small coves and rocks at the foot of the sea, with the Atlantic Islands as an unbeatable background.
Delving into the natural heritage, the Rías Baixas Wine Route offers the possibility of visiting two Gardens of International Excellence in Val do Salnés, whose main protagonist is the camellia. This activity can be perfectly combined with tours through vineyards and wine tastings in old cellars. Taking advantage of the properties of this flower and the Albariño variety, you can also buy gastronomic or beauty products based on these two fruits of nature.
On the trail of Pedro Madruga
After eating in the Val do Salnés sub-area, you will continue the journey towards the south of the province of Pontevedra, to reach the Soutomaior sub-area in less than an hour by car. Although it is the smallest in size, it has great charm. Here, the essential visit are the Soutomaior Castle and its vineyards. This historic fortress, whose origin dates back to the Middle Ages, survived the 15th century Irmandi uprisings and was also the residence of fascinating figures such as Pedro Madruga, a Galician nobleman whom many have coined the identity of Christopher Columbus.
Its history and legacy, as well as the influence that this figure had on the territory can be discovered in the vast museum space that houses the interior of the castle itself. It has an interactive exhibition that allows the development of all kinds of cultural activities. You can request both guided tours and, at specific times, dramatized visits. The afternoon at Soutomaior Castle cannot end without first admiring its impressive Garden of International Excellence, with French-inspired botanical spaces.
What to see in the south of Pontevedra
The last day on the Rías Baixas Wine Route will discover the charms of the Condado do Tea and O Rosal sub-areas, in the south of the province of Pontevedra. In both cases, the Miño River will always be present as a natural border with neighboring Portugal.
This third day will begin by approaching the innermost sub-area of all. Already aware of the main characteristics of whites, in Condado do Tea we propose a trip to other nuances with a tour of wineries that will offer you commented tastings of reds and other elaborations, such as sparkling wines. We will not leave aside, of course, the single varietals of the Albariño variety, the maximum representation of the wines of the Route territory.
You can start the morning by discovering the winemaking tradition in Rías Baixas, in general, and in this sub-area in particular, at the hands of the Museum of Wine Science. Located in the Salvaterra de Miño fortress, this center offers a wide interactive space, complemented by views of the river.
After tasting the wines in one of the wineries in this sub-area, in the municipalities of Arbo, As Neves or Salvaterra de Miño, we recommend that you taste the culinary specialties typical of this sub-area, such as requeixo or lamprey, both ideal to harmonize with Rías Baixas wines. In case you want more details about the prehistoric fish, we recommend a visit to the Arbo Wine and Lamprey Interpretation Center.
The afternoon of the last day will conclude in the O Rosal subzone, an hour’s drive from Condado. Here we will say goodbye to the Rías Baixas Wine Route with the impressive views from the top of the vineyards of the associated wineries enjoying excellent panoramic views of Baixo Miño and Portugal. You can also admire the waterfalls on the Muíños do Folón e do Picón hiking route.
And to leave a sweet taste in your mouth, we recommend that you do not leave this sub-area without two things: tasting the Rías Baixas wines made in this sub-area and the traditional mirabelles, unique and native fruits of this place.
