Route through the most beautiful gardens in Galicia, where the camellia is the queen

Many of the most emblematic parks and gardens in Galicia present a unique explosion of color these days.

This is due to

which, unlike other botanical species, occurs in winter, which has made it one of the region's greatest attractions during this time, especially in the province of Pontevedra.

Camellias arrived in Galicia at the end of the 18th century, coming from China and Japan.

Its good adaptation to the land and its beauty made the Galician nobility install plantations of this flower in the gardens of their country houses and stately homes.

Later, they filled other private and public venues.

Currently, the Galician Community treasures up to 80 different species and nearly 30,000 varieties of camellias, of any size and colour.

From north to south,

, we propose a trip to enjoy some of the

most spectacular

Pazos

The route begins in the beautiful

, in the Pontevedra town of A Estrada.

Considered the Galician Versailles, it is one of the oldest country houses in Galicia.

Of medieval origin and rebuilt in the 18th century with an imposing

with battlements and several coats of arms, it has one of the most beautiful gardens in the area, with hedges, balustrades and bridges over the two large ponds.

There grows a

of intense red color, which is around 170 years old and 11 meters high, the oldest and largest specimen in Spain.

There are also hundreds of other species of different sizes and colors.

10 euros (if you want to enter the palace, 20 euros).

More information: Tel: 986 58 74 35 and pazodeoca@fundacionmedinaceli.org.

Pazo de Oca

Another botanical and architectural jewel is located 6 km away: the

, in Vedra (La Coruña), an old farm considered a Site of Cultural Interest, next to the Ulla river.

In its gardens there is a great botanical diversity, with centuries-old olive trees, boxwoods, magnolias and, of course, up to 200 different varieties of camellias, some of them planted before 1850.

: 5 euros.

More information and reservations here.

Wineries

On the way to the south, about 45 km away, the route stops on the outskirts of the town of Vilagarcía de Arousa (Pontevedra), at the historic

a stately home whose origin dates back to 1411, rebuilt in the 18th century.

In the enclave there is a 15th-century winery, with the largest vineyards in the region, and a historic French-style garden (recognized as the International Camellia Garden of Excellence) with more than 4,000 specimens of camellias, including jewels. of the place: a group from the 19th century, the result of a donation from the Duke of Caminha (Portugal).

More than 800 varieties of this flower coexist in this beautiful botanical garden with magnolias, calocedars, cryptomerias, eucalyptus, camphor trees, ash trees, araucarias, oaks or cork oaks.

(includes entrance to the palace and other facilities, to the winery and a tasting): 18 euros.

More information and reservations here.

Pazo de Rubianes.

Nearby, less than 10 km away, the

(Ribadumia), in the heart of the O Salnés region, is actually a beautiful winery surrounded by vineyards that produces white Albariño wines.

In the middle, a spectacular French-inspired garden designed at the end of the 19th century, where some 5,000 specimens of camellias of more than 1,500 varieties flourish, which has earned it the distinction of Garden of International Excellence.

: 8 euros (10 euros with a wine tasting).

More information and reservations here.

Four minutes by car is the Garden

of international excellence in camelia del

, an old Galician farmhouse from the 18th century surrounded by one of the most important private gardens in Spain.

There are two hectares of park designed in 1970 in a typically English style, with one of the most varied botanical collections in Galicia, which houses species from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, the United States, Asia... Among them, there are more of 300 specimens of camellia.

The garden is completed with the pazo (private house), the dovecote, the oak grove, the pond and the Australian jungle.

Although it is a private manor and family home, it can be visited during the months of February and March by appointment.

: from 13 euros.

More information and reservations here.

palaces and castles

Pazo de Lourizan.

About 20 minutes further south, on the outskirts of the city of Pontevedra, in Agrovello, is the

an enormous 19th-century modernist palace with huge windows and exuberant decoration that was owned by the Spanish politician Montero Ríos (1832 -1914).

Today it is the Headquarters for Agricultural and Forestry Research Studies and, apart from the building (which cannot be visited as it is currently under construction), its large botanical garden with species from all over the world stands out.

Among its camellia plantations, some of the japonica species dating from the 19th century stand out, with more than 600 specimens.

.

More information on the phone: 986 805 000.

We continue the route another 20 km further south to reach the spectacular

, in O Rial, 20 km from Vigo.

This medieval fortress with a military structure from the 12th century, to which a double walled enclosure was added in the 15th century, was owned by the Marquis de la Vega de Armijo (in the 19th century), who transformed part of the building into a neo-Gothic palace .

The castle's park and gardens date from this period, replacing the cornfields.

Currently, the site belongs to the Pontevedra Provincial Council, and its gardens are home to 800-year-old chestnut trees and a large collection of camellias, with more than half a thousand specimens (some from the 19th century), as well as sequoias, swamp cypresses and other botanical gems, which is why it is considered an International Camellia Garden of Excellence.

: 5 euros (7.50 euros if it is guided).

More information and reservations here.

Sotomayor Castle.

The end of this Camellia Route is in Vigo, specifically in the

, in the center of the Galician city.

There, surrounding the Pazo Quiñones de León, a stately building from 1670 that today houses the Municipal Museum of Vigo, there are gardens dating from the end of the 19th century, in French and English styles.

In them, a great variety of camellias, among them the specimen of

known as the "methuselah of the camellias" due to its antiquity.

Admission to the museum and gardens is

.

More information here.

Where to sleep

Relais & Châteaux A Quinta da Auga

(Paseo de Amaia, 23 B. Santiago de Compostela; telephone: 981 534 636).

Boutique hotel a few minutes from the historic center of Santiago.

Located in a rehabilitated manor house, which was an old paper factory, it is surrounded by a lush forest of centuries-old oaks on the banks of the River Sar and by beautiful gardens.

The establishment proposes a

through some of the most representative country houses in the area.

Includes two nights of accommodation, buffet breakfast, a De-stress massage and free access to the Spa circuit and a dinner with a tasting menu.

More information and reservations here.

Accommodation price + breakfast: 197 euros/night.

Relais & Châteaux A Quinta da Auga.

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

Know more

See links of interest

• Last News

• Goya Nominees

• Castilla Leon election results

• Work calendar 2022

• How to update Android Auto

• The reading

• Cadiz - Celta Vigo

• Villarreal - Real Madrid

• Rayo Vallecano - Osasuna

• Atletico Madrid - Getafe