[email protected] | +34 678 942 319 Self-driven Albarino Wine Tour of the Rias Baixas of Galicia, a Land of Seafood and Fine White Wines ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 0 User Reviews 8 Days / 7 Santiago de Price from: Nights Compostela 2315.00 euros Self drive journey down the magnificent Atlantic shore of Galicia´s Rias Baixas, Albariño Wine Country. Fine wines & seafood in quaint fishing villages on the Celtic coast... Highlights • Car Rental and English-Speaking Food & Wine Guide. • Try a Big variety of Restaurants with Galician wines • Enjoy a Selected Wine tastings in the D.O. Rias Baixas General Overview Country: Spain Type: Self Drive Tour Region: Galicia Theme: Food, Wine Tours and Cultural Adventures City: Santiago de Compostela Group Size: 2- 6 People Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights Price from: 2315 € Introduction 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. The imprint of different cultures, from the era of the Celts right down to the Modern Ages is also clearly identifiable as part of Galician culture. From Celtic Castros (Hill-forts) to the Dolmens left here by the region´s first inhabitants, the ability to work stone with the enviable expertise and craft of the master mason never seems to have been a secret in these parts. There is much to be enjoyed including it´s famous Albariño wines accompanied by rich local cuisine. Day by day itinerary DAY 1: SANTIAGO • Arrival to Santiago de compostela the end of the Pilgrims` way • Pick up your car rental at the rental office booth in the airport (See transportation section) • Drive to hotel, you can check in anytime after 2:00pm • Enjoy a "Galician Dinner" in the historic monastery-hotel. • Overnight in Santiago D DAY 2: SANTIAGO • Breakfast • Meet your Private English-Speaking Official local guide in Santiago de Compostela at the front entrance of your hotel • Morning or afternoon walking through the old quarter stopping at various monuments to see from the outside and of course the cathedral (inside). • The tour will end where at the Plaza de Abastos market area. • Meet our English-Speaking Food & Wine Specialist Guide at the entrance of the Cafe of Hotel Pazo de Altamira which is right beside the market (See Location Map) • Take a stroll thru the *market (*Closed on a Sunday, will walk more thru the streets on that day). • We offer you a guided tour of some of Santiago´s finest tapas bars with commented tastings and explanation of the different tapas savored. • 02:30PM-03:00PM APPROX: Tour will end at the last tapas stop. • Dinner in Michelin Star Restaurant restaurant with fine cuisine in the old quarter • Overnight in Santiago B, L, D DAY 3: SANTIAGO - BAROÑA - CORRUBEDO - CATOIRA - CAMBADOS • Breakfast • Meet your English-Speaking guide who will accompany you during the next few days. • Follow down the Upper Rias Baixas coastline passing by many small fishing villages • Visit the Celtic Hill-fort of Castro de 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 • We will pass by and see from a distance the Dunes of Corrubedo, a nature beach park with large sand dunes, wild flora & fauna • Entering into the Rias Baixas of O Salnes, we see from the bridge when passing the remains of the 17th century defense towers in Catoira • Visit Bodega Pazo Baion, an Albariño winery located in the O Salnes sub-zone of the Denomination of Origin Rias Baixas • Then we visit Cambados village, the heart of Albariño wine country • Walk around the Plaza de Fefiñanes and quaint streets of this noble village. • Dinner on your own • Overnight in Cambados B, L DAY 4: CAMBADOS - COMBARRO - BUEU - DONON - NATURE WALK AROUND MAN´s CAPE - HIO - VIGO • Breakfast • In the morning your English-Speaking guide and you will leave Cambados to visit the quaint fishing village of Combarro • Walk along the port promenade with Horreos (Stone Granaries) which hang over the bay • Continuing on we follow along the coastline arriving at the point of the Peninsula of O Morrazo. • In the small village of Bueu we will visit its market, famous for its fresh seafood and fish • After, 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 Islands 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 Vigo • Free time for dinner • Overnight in Vigo B, L DAY 5: VIGO- CANGAS - MOAÑA - VIGO • 10:00AM: Meet your foodie guide at your hotel in the city centre (Galician Coastal Cooking Class and Boat Ride on Vigo Bay). • We will start our Gastro-Day of Peninsula of O Morrazo on the other side of Vigo Bay. • Enjoy a short small ferry ride over Vigo Bay (20 mins.) to the small fishing village of Cangas. • Arriving in Cangas we will walk along the seaside promenade to the *market and take a look what has been caught that morning ( on Sundays or holidays when the market is closed it will be substituted with a short walk around the port of Vigo or Cangas). • After visiting the market we will take a walk around the old part of Cangas and a little walk along the promenade. • Then you will be picked up and transferred to Moaña to the local cooking school where you will enjoy a private fun cooking class with a local Galician Chef that has worked in various local restaurants. • The classwill start with a demonstration of the dishes you will prepare then main course/dish hands-on. It will be based on products of the area... fish, seafood, etc A 1st starter course (could be 1 or 2 dishes), 2nd main course then 3rd dessert dish. • You will eat lunch or dinner based on what you have prepared with your chef and guide accompanied by Albariño white or Mencia red wines. From the dinning area enjoy views of Vigo bay and Moaña in the background. A special foodie experience and a great introduction to the gastronomy of the Rias Baixas, Galicia. • Then we are transferred to the port of Cangas where we will return by ferry boat back to Vigo. • Ending back where the tour started at the Ferry terminal of Vigo. • Free time to rest in Vigo • Then we will take a short stroll thru the streets to the Michelin-starred restaurant Maruja Limon by Chef Rafa Centeno and his team where we will have a table reserved for us . • Walk back to our hotel just around the corner. • Overnight in Vigo B, L, D DAY 6: VIGO - BAIONA - O ROSAL - LA GUARDIA - TUI - AS NEVES • Breakfast • In the morning we follow up the Lower Rias until arriving in Baiona. • We will have a walk around the Parador and we can take a peak inside the Parador too, a fortress protected from the open sea by a lovely bay. • 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 Guarda. 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 will make our way to the ancient boarder village of Tui • Visit the Fortified Cathedral of Tui and it´s old quarter • Drive back to our hotel in As Neves • Some free time to relax before our special tasting and dinner. • The hotel we are staying at is owned by the winery Señorio de Rubios which is right beside the hotel and we will take a brief visit this evening and a tasting of their award winning wines. • Dinner at the restaurant of the hotel offer a creative cuisine. • Overnight in As Neves B, L, D DAY 7: AS NEVES - BAIXO MINO RIVER WINE COUNTRY - AS NEVES • Breakfast • 09:00-09:30AM: In the morning meet our food & wine Guide in the lobby of your hotel • Today we move away from the coast to explore the river miño valley which separate Galicia with Northern Portugal • Baixo Miño River Wine Country of Galicia, Rias baixas and Portugal, Vinho Verde • We start with a drive to the quaint village of Arbo, land of the lamprey eel and Condado de Tea blended white wines with 70% Albariño and other local grapes.