Explore the beautiful coastline, medieval towns and the top wine regions of Galicia including Rias Baixas, Ribera Sacra and Ribeiro on this private, luxury tour

Located in the Celtic corner of Northwest Spain just north of Portugal, Galicia is a lush and verdant region characterized by its dramatic Atlantic coastal landscapes; steep, terraced vineyards with mighty rivers and peaceful estuaries; and ancient stone villages, shrouded in dreamy mist. Galicia’s ethereal landscapes resemble Ireland and Scotland, a reminder of Spain’s massive geographic diversity. The region is famous worldwide for the Camino de Santiago pilgrim’s way to Santiago de Compostela, where Saint James the Apostle is, according to legend, said to be buried. This pilgrim’s route dates back to the Middle Ages and extends from various points in Europe like France and the UK, and abounds with enchanting, medieval architecture along the way. The Cathedral of Santiago is the second most important religious shrine in Europe, after St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

The rolling, emerald hills of this seductive region are sprinkled with “Pazos” (historic, stone manor houses, many of which have wine estates), “horreos” (charming, granite structures used traditionally to store grain), castle fortresses and watchtowers, and perfectly preserved Cistercian monasteries. And of course, for wine lovers, Galicia is firmly on the map for its zippy Albariño wines. These delightful white wines hail from the Rias Baixas in the southern, coastal part of Galicia. Albariño is characterized by notes of peach and apricot (quite reminiscent of Viognier), and its high acidity, which pairs sublimely with the fresh, local seafood. On this tour, you will taste some of the best Albariño wines being made today! We will also introduce you to lesser-known but increasingly appreciated high-end Godello whites, and surprising red wines gems made with Mencía grapes.

Your private, chauffeured wine tour of Galicia begins in the enchanting town of Baiona. Ancient defensive walls encircle your castle hotel, perched right over the marina and peaceful bay. This wealthy, little maritime port is where Christopher Columbus’s Pinta caravel ship first arrived in 1493, bringing news of the “new world.” You can visit the perfect replica of the Pinta right in the pretty harbor. Today, Baiona is most famous for its sailing regatta, and it makes the ideal base for exploring the O Rosal wine valley. From Baiona, you will make your way for the Ribeiro wine region, known for its Jewish heritage as well as its 1000-year-old Cistercian monastery. Indeed it was the monks who first planted vines for wine here, and you will taste the region’s flagship Treixadura based white wines (often blended with Godello and Caíño Blanco) at the best properties.

Ribera Sacra, called “sacred river bank” by the Romans who cultivated vines here, is next. This is a gorgeous wine-producing area whose vines descend vertically down the hilly slopes towards the Sil and Miño rivers. Experience the intense beauty of the terraced vineyards on a private Catamaran cruise, with wine tasting on board, of course. You will be sleeping in a historic monastery in a scenic valley covered in oak and chestnut trees, stylishly converted with a spa. This Galician wine region is famous for red wines primarily, and you will taste some great examples of these fine wines at some of our favorite premium estates such as Adega Algueira. Your last few days then will be spent enjoying the perfectly preserved medieval city of Santiago de Compostela and more wine tasting in Rias Baixas. Throughout the trip, you will enjoy terrific, contrasting food experiences from fresh seafood with views of the crashing waves, to experimental Michelin starred meals in refined dining rooms, to traditional tapas in stone taverns. Get in touch with us for more information on this extraordinary wine tasting trip through this pristine and very green part of Northern Spain.


Galicia Wine Tour Highlights:

  • Private luxury Food & wine tour of Galicia including Rias Baixas
  • Exclusive, personalized winery tours and tastings
  • Private Catamaran river cruise with wine tasting
  • Chauffeured Mercedes & friendly, professional driver
  • Visit picturesque fishing villages, epic vineyard-covered valleys, historic villages
  • Extraordinary seafood blowouts, Michelin starred destination restaurants and market-fresh local dining

Below is a suggested Itinerary for your private Galicia Wine Tour

  1. Santiago de Compostela- Baiona

    Bienvenidos! Arrive Santiago de Compostela- Sea Front Lunch

    Baiona port
    Baiona port
    • 4* Castle hotel, Baiona
    • Seafood lunch with wine pairings
    • Private Mercedes with Chauffeur

    Today our friendly, elegant chauffeur will pick you up at Santiago de Compostela airport (or Oporto airport). Let the adventure begin! You will head to the darling, coastal resort village of Baiona in Pontevedra province. Drop off your luggage at your spectacularly located Parador hotel and freshen up before heading to lunch just a few miles down the shoreline. Get ready for some seriously impressive ocean views from your table and a succulent, seafood feast. The specialty here is ultra-fresh shellfish, and you will begin with a platter of lobster, spider crab, and scallops, served with Albariño Filaboa. Move on to grilled monkfish, served with a vibrant red like Carmelo Rodero from Ribera del Duero, as this is such a delicious “meaty” fish. Finish with local, handmade cheese and quince, perfection!

    The rest of the afternoon is yours at leisure in Baiona to enjoy the picturesque walks along the fortress walls, the old town, the appealing beaches, the nautical shops and wine bars, and the pretty marina. Free evening to dine at your hotel or in the fishing port.

  2. Baiona - O Rosal - Vigo - Baiona

    O Rosal Wine Estates

    Quinta de Couselo
    Quinta de Couselo winery
    • 4* Castle hotel, Baiona
    • Full Breakfast, Michelin starred lunch with wine pairings
    • Private Mercedes with Chauffeur

    Today you will taste some of the best white wines of the trip and some of the best in Spain. Your journey takes you south of Baiona, past the mystical Monastery of Oia (where you will have a quick photo stop, right over the sea) and into lush, vine-covered hills. Quinta Couselo is the first wine estate this morning, one of our absolute favorites, a boutique gem. The vines on this estate were first cultivated by the Cistercian monks of the Monastery of Santa Maria de Oia in the 12th century. The wines here benefit greatly from a unique micro-climate, influenced by the Atlantic ocean and the canopy of hundred-year-old pine trees of the Serra do Argallo. Taste the full range of their outstanding wines (from this estate, as well as their sister estates Pazo Casanova in Ribeiro and Fraga do Corvo in Monterrei) on a private tour with an alfresco tasting on their deck overlooking the valley.

    Your next winery is Terras Gauda, a high-end Albariño estate known for its distinctive hand wrapped bottles. The operation here is on a much grander scale, offering a nice contrast. You will get some fresh air and visit the vines by 4X4, learning all about the terroir that contributes to making these wines so special. After a tour of the winery and cellars, finish with a private tasting in their professional tasting room with the best wines of their Terras Gauda and Abadia de San Campio lines. Our personal favorite: the black label (Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra) oak aged beauty, which is a blend of 70% Albariño, 20% Caiño y 10% Loureiro. Amazing wine!

    After a fantastic morning in the wine country, you will be ready for lunch, which we have planned for you in the town of Vigo. Chef Rafa Centeno is at the helm of Michelin starred Maruja Limon, across from the Royal Yacht Club of Vigo. The cuisine and setting are fun, creative, and fashionable. You’ll sit down to a relaxed chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings. You might like a digestive stroll around the marina afterward before heading back to Baiona for your last evening.

  3. Baiona - Cuñas- Ribadavia - Monasterio de Santo Estevo

    Ribeiro Wine Country

    Your beautiful hotel, set in a monastery
    Your beautiful hotel, set in a monastery
    • 4* Monastery Hotel, Ribera Sacra
    • Full Breakfast, Winery lunch with estate wines
    • Private Mercedes with Chauffeur

    Travel north-east today to the Ribeiro wine appellation, to the family-run Valdavia estate dating back to the 12th century when it belonged to San Clodio del Ribeiro D’Avia monastery. Visit the 900-year-old cellar on a private tour, and taste their contemporary Cuñas Davia range of fine wines (young white, barrel-fermented white and also an exciting red) in their bright and airy, stone tasting room with miniature tapas. Continue the wine tour at Bodegas Casal de Armán, situated in the photogenic Avia Valley. The estate encompasses an excellent winery, charming inn, and fine restaurant and offers unspoiled views over the bucolic countryside. As always on our tours, your visit will be private and tailored to your wine knowledge and interest and will culminate in a tasting of their best wines.

    Enjoy a wonderful lunch at their Sábrego restaurant, named after the characteristic decomposed granite found in the vineyard soils of Ribeiro. The dining room is a beauty, with hardwood floors, wooden beams, wine bottle chandeliers and cozy stone walls decorated with large golden mirrors and wine collections. A sumptuous lunch presented with flair awaits! Depending on the season, this could be slow-cooked wild boar with chestnuts, tender lamb shoulder, lobster rice, Lourenzá white beans with hake, and so many more delicious dishes- all paired with estate bottlings of course.

    After lunch, stroll around the nearby medieval hamlet of Ribadavia, whose Jewish quarter is one of the most important in Northern Spain. In the Middle Ages, the wine trade of Ribeiro was controlled by the local Jewish community, who are also credited with perfecting the terracing and irrigation systems in the vineyards. Today it is a preserved little hamlet famous for its medieval festival and its Jewish heritage. You can visit the Jewish bakery, grab a coffee or glass of wine, and get some atmospheric photos.

    Then in the early evening, carry on to your next very special hotel- a converted monastery set in a deep green valley in the Nogueira de Ramuín chestnut forest. Free evening to dine onsite, relax in their little spa, go for a mountain walk, etc.

  4. Monasterio de Santo Estevo - O Saviñao – Doade - Santo Estevo

    Galicia's Best Red Wines & Spectacular Views

    Vineyards at Adega Algueira
    Vineyards at Adega Algueira
    • 4* Monastery Hotel, Ribera Sacra
    • Full Breakfast, Traditional Wine estate lunch with estate wines
    • Private Mercedes with Chauffeur

    While Galicia is most famous internationally for its white wines, especially Albariño, it is also home to some seriously exciting red wines. Ribera Sacra is where you will find Galicia’s best reds, made primarily with the Mencía grape as well as other permitted varietals like Tempranillo (Spain’s noble red grape), Brancellao, Caiño Tinto, Merenzao, and Sousón. Generally speaking, the reds are lighter and more delicate than other Spanish red wine regions like Rioja or Ribera del Duero. However, there are some excellent full-bodied, oak-aged reds here too. And while not as famous as the reds here, many delicious white wines are also made in this region. Your day begins at the exceptional Abadía da Cova (Adegas Moure) winery, spectacularly perched overlooking the Miño River and their terraced vines. The views are breathtaking! You will start the visit with a relaxing walk in their vineyards, and sip their charming Rosado Caiño wine on the river-view deck. Check out their winery and distillery then before sitting down to a private tasting of 7 of their highly-rated red and white wines (92+ Wine Spectator points).

    After a terrific start, the day continues to get better with a scenic drive to one of our favorite wineries in Galicia- Adega Algueira. Their handsome stone manor houses a fine wine estate and restaurant and is surrounded by their immaculate, terraced vines and a garden. Fernando Algueira is the brilliant owner winemaker of this leading Ribera Sacra winery. His passion project began in 1979 when he started to recover abandoned historic vineyards and the ancient stone terraces on his property that spill down at an 85-degree angle to the Sil River. Winemaking is called heroic in this region for a reason! Fernando’s dedication, talent, and patience have resulted in frankly fantastic wines, which you will have the chance to taste today. His red wines are superb, made with Mencia, Caiño, and Souón grapes cultivated in slate and shale rich soils here, and the white wines are also a revelation. Anadelia, their oak-aged white made with Godello and Treixadura, is one of Spain’s best white wines.

    Fernando himself will talk you through his wines on a private, ample, professional tasting following a vineyard tour. Then you can sit back and savor them with a traditional Galician lunch at their bright, sunlit restaurant with relaxing green views of the garden’s lush trees. Try mouthwatering local dishes like giant mussels from Rias Baixas. Octopus served “á feira” style (with Spanish paprika, sea salt, and olive oil), wild mushroom croquettes, lacón ham, and “Volandeiras” (queen scallops cooked in Godello wine, garlic, and parsley)- all served with estate wines, naturally. You will have a happy tummy and a smile on your face as your chauffeur takes you on a panoramic drive back to the hotel this afternoon. The rest of the afternoon and evening is at leisure for a hike, spa time, or chillaxing.

  5. Monasterio de Santo Estevo - Embarcadero de Os Chancís - Santiago de Compostela

    River Cruise with Wine Tasting along the Sil Canyon Gorge & Santiago

    Santiago
    Santiago's famous cathedral
    • 4* Relais & Châteaux, Santiago de Compostela
    • Full Breakfast, Gourmet Michelin * Dinner with wine pairings
    • Private Mercedes with Chauffeur

    You can’t leave the Ribera Sacra without experiencing the stunning views of the terraced vineyards from the river itself, and today we have an exceptional morning planned. You will travel to the Embarcadero de Os Chancís and board a private Catamaran, to sail through the Cañón del Sil. This dramatic gorge (river canyon) close to where the Sil and Miño rivers meet, offers lovely, life-affirming landscapes. The vineyard-covered hills on either side of the widening and meandering river reach up to 1500 feet in some parts! This is one of Galicia’s most magical locations. Recline, take in the views as they drift past, and enjoy your onboard wine tasting of great Ribera Sacra wines, lifting the spirits even more.

    At the Embarcadero bar Os Chancís you can relish the views one last time over a coffee or snack before continuing to Santiago de Compostela, your next base. It is a two-hour drive, so after the wine tasting this morning, you might like to shut your eyes for a siesta. Your chauffeur will take you to the hotel for check-in, and then you will have a few free hours to have lunch on your own, with our recommendations (and reservation, if you like). In the late afternoon, then your local private guide, specialized in art and architecture, will meet you in the hotel to take you on an engrossing walking tour through this spellbinding, medieval town. You will hear legends and anecdotes about saints and sinners, Romans and Celts, pirates and Templar knights, and more on this fascinating walk. Named after the Apostle Saint James (Santiago), this is one of the most important towns of Christendom in the world, and you will see exquisite squares and religious architecture as a testament.

    After free time to freshen up, dinner tonight will be organized for you at Michelin starred A Tafona. One of Spain’s most famous female chefs, Lucia Freitas, cooks colorful and inspired market-led dishes in an enchanting stone townhouse. Savor her tasting menu with Spanish wine pairings. This is a food highlight of the trip!

  6. Santiago - Vilanova de Arousa - Vilariño - Cambados- Santiago

    O Salnés, Rias Baixas-Albariño Wine Country

    Pazo Baion winery
    Pazo Baion winery
    • 4* Relais & Châteaux, Santiago de Compostela
    • Full Breakfast, Bib Gourmand lunch with wine pairings
    • Private Mercedes with Chauffeur

    We have saved the best for last- some of the loveliest wineries, viewpoints, and wines of the trip. You will drive south to the Rias Baixas, specifically to Val do Salnés, considered to be the birthplace of Albariño! Rías Baixas means “Lower Rias,” and is a reference to four river estuaries in southwest Galicia – the Ría de Arousa, Ría de Muros y Noia, the Ría de Vigo, and the Ría de Pontevedra. This region is a dreamy coastal paradise for seafood lovers (the mix of freshwater and saltwater means the area is teaming with a broad range of shellfish and fish), and of course, for the wonderful white, Albariño based wines which nearly taste of the salty sea air. Your first stop today is at one of the most eye-catching wine estates in the north of Spain- Pazo Baión (owned by the Condes de Albarei group).

    The regal Pazo Baión property is extensive and encompasses the historic winery, a 15th-century castle (pazo), and a noble dovecote (a sign of prestige). Admire the manicured gardens, orange trees, camellias, hydrangeas, banana trees, wisteria-covered patios, a palm tree grove, and 30 hectares of tidy vineyards including precious, old vine albariño. This is one of the most distinctive and majestic wine estates in Galicia, and you will spend an unforgettable morning here. After touring the impeccable grounds and new state of the art winery, you will have an idyllic tasting set up for you on a gentle hill overlooking the castle, under centuries-old trees with panoramic views of the whole estate. Don’t forget the camera! You will get to try 6 of their best wines in this extraordinary alfresco tasting.

    Switch gears and head to ultra-modern Martin Codax next, the most famous Albariño sold outside of Spain. The story behind the name and branding of this winery (founded in the 1980s) is great. Martin Codax was the most renowned Gallego troubadour, a medieval lyrical poet. His poems, written in ancient Galician/Portuguese, were an ode to love (like all troubadours), as well as Galicia’s Atlantic coastline and the sea. This winery chose this as the theme and inspiration for the bottle labels and branding, including their flagship Albariño bottle, which features an excerpt from one of these medieval poems in the original script. Your visit kicks off with a welcome aperitif overlooking the water and nearby Cambados. On a private tour, you will have a quick look at the winery and their small interactive wine museum, before the main highlight- a professional tasting of their best wines, paired with Galician cheese. Facing the alluring coast, in a trendy, nautical themed tasting area with your sommelier, you will remember this tasting forever.

    It will be hard to leave the comfy tasting area with those views, but lunch awaits! In the quaint hamlet of nearby Cambados, your last meal of the trip is next at one of our favorite wine country spots in Galicia- Taberna do Trasno. In a private corner of this Bib Gourmand awarded restaurant you will indulge in a convivial and very lazy lunch, this is the life! The cuisine is Basque and Gallego fusion and market-fresh, with many daily specials. They have a fantastic wood-fired grill, and the Galician beef here is top class. You will have a three-course lunch with stellar wine pairings, all served in an exclusive and private area overlooking the enchanting cobblestoned street. Before heading back to Santiago, you will have some free time to take in a digestive walk around Cambados (there are great little wine shops here). Then there is one last stop, right in the heart of historic Cambados- Palacio Fefinanes. This is a short but worthwhile visit to see their tiny, ancient cellars, beautiful palace, and to sit under their historic wine barriques while sipping this super high-end Albariño. Tonight you have a free evening at leisure to enjoy Santiago on your own, so beautiful lit up at night.

  7. Santiago de Compostela / Porto Airport

    Depart Santiago de Compostela (or Porto)

    Adios y Buen Viaje
    Adios y Buen Viaje
    • None
    • Meals included- Full Breakfast
    • Transport- Private Mercedes with Chauffeur

    Your wine tasting adventure in Galicia concludes today, and your driver will take you to your next port of call- Santiago de Compostela or Porto airports (or your next town/hotel). We hope you had a great time on this trip!

More information

If you would like us to customize an exclusive, luxury tour for you, get in touch with us and let us know your travel plans. We offer luxury food and wine tours for private groups of minimum 2 guests. All of our private, chauffeured tours are available year round upon request.

Contact us for your personalized quote!
Cellar Tours Private Luxury Food & Wine Tours

Cellar Tours

Cellar Tours is a Luxury Travel Specialist, operating since 2003 and offering exclusive Mercedes chauffeured Gourmet Vacations in Chile, France, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa, and Spain. We specialize in luxurious custom designed vacations, events and incentives related to food and wine. We are proud members of Slow Food, UNAV (Travel Agency Association in Spain), and the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals).

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