Quinta de San Amaro

Savour fresh Atlantic seafood matched with the best Galician wines; gaze over a green valley alive with Albariño vineyards. Or sip a glass by the pool – this is all about life’s pleasures. The century-old stone buildings cluster beside their namesake chapel in an untouristy, vine-ringed village, ten minutes from sandy Rías Baixas beaches by fast motorway. Nacho and Julio, from Madrid, have added two smart bedroom blocks, three rooms above the restaurant, a salon with open fire, a library with local artists’ works, a vine-shaded patio. Rabbits scamper between fruit trees, a renovated horreo (grain store) teeters on high stilts, a hammock swings gently on the terrace. Nacho is passionate about good taste and finer details: the chocolate on the pillow, the colourful wall behind each bed, the beautifully restored furniture – La Colonial has a four-poster. But for many the star attraction is the restaurant, which has a reputation (and many awards) for top-notch Galician market cooking. In summer, Madrid’s residents decamp here for beaches and wine tours; Nacho will point you to the quietest and best. Enjoy.