O Grove Peninsula

On our one full weekend day in the area we drove to the O Grove peninsula, checking out some coastal villages along the way. The first stop was Combarro, a town about 20 minutes from Pontevedra known for its hórreos (granary towers) along the water. We found a good street parking spot and followed a narrow alley down into the old town, only to discover the streets covered in beautiful floral carpets! Apparently one day a year there is a Corpus Christi festival and the town celebrates by laying down intricate designs all made out of flower petals, seeds and grains along the narrow streets of the old town. Absolutely a cool and unique experience.

   

We also got some photos of the famous hórreos.

Eric had scoped out a series of overlooks and sights ahead of time, so we continued following the PO-308 road, stopping at Mirador A Granxa, Mirador De Pragueira, and a small shrine, Ermida de Nosa Señora da Lanzada, with beautiful 180 degree views.

The street parking gods were on our side again as we found the perfect spot right outside the Mareto Wine Bar for lunch. We arrived at 2pm and were told we had to wait 30 minutes to order food. We did see other people eating so my guess is that the kitchen is small and the man in charge was spacing out the food orders? There were nice views from the patio but all tables were occupied, so we chose a shady spot nearer to the main restaurant. We eventually got our glasses of wine and food but it was a slow process. I opted for the scorpionfish pate and, well, I am not a fan. Waaaay too fishy and one note. Eric’s tortilla was huge, but there was no media portion available. And it was full of onions. At least the texture was good!

Our next stop was Illa De Toxa to visit the famous shell church (Ermida da Toxa). The walk from the large free parking lot was scenic but would probably be nicer during high tide.

Definitely a unique facade that also pairs with an amusing story of a sick donkey who was miraculously healed after rolling in the local mud. There’s even a statue dedicated to him.

We found the town of O Grove itself to be a bit dull. Perhaps it picks up once restaurants open? We found a few sculptures to photograph and then headed further west for more coastal views.

After O Grove we stopped at a series of beaches, small churches, and viewpoints – Faro de Punta Moreiras, Igrexa de San Vicente do Grove, Praia do Barreiriño and Praia de Aguieira. A full day of sight-seeing and worth the drive!

Rías Baixas

One of the benefits of staying in Pontevedra was the close proximity to the Rías Baixas wine region. While we didn’t get to visit a proper furancho, we did have a few wine experiences of note. During dinner at Icewolf, Eric had an albariño he particularly enjoyed and discovered the bodega was only a 15 minute drive from town. We decided to stop in to buy a few bottles; we found the gate open but no one around. I searched around the property (clearly a home / winery business combo) and after a few minutes Eric was surprised at the gate by a lady who walked up behind him. As they only have the one wine, we were able to communicate our desire for a 3-pack.

Later in the trip, we visited Martín Códax for a tasting (skipping the pricey winery tour). Eric got a flight of their three different styles of albariño. Tasting notes:

• Albarino – mouth coating, lush and rounded. White peach, nectarine. Medium finish , lots of dried apricot on finish. Lovely.
  With food: all fruit, no salinity, less finish.
• Lias – ‘lees’ – stonefruit still there, more cooked fruit, more complexity. A little saline , light bitterness. Medium length finish. 2023.
  With food: less fruit, more balanced. 9 months lees.
• Organistrum – French oak barrel, oak is definitely present! Oak and vanilla. Toast, Chestnut?! 2022. Bigger body, medium high acidity, higher than lias so a bigger, longer finish. Reminded us of andalucian gazpacho whiskey.
  With food: more vanilla, less oak. Enough body to pair with cheese.

I had a glass of the sparkling albariño (green apple, a little bread, light ash and rock candy with fine bubbles and a medium short finish). Our drinks came with a nice variety of snacks and panoramic views. Our server, Ezekiel was very knowledgeable and friendly.

We also attempted to do some wine tasting on a late afternoon mid-week in Cambados but all the places we had marked as options were closed?! So, we just walked around instead.