Are you going to miss Ourense?
Perhaps it is the great cover of Galicia. It is not the end of the Camino de Santiago, it does not have the cosmopolitan air of A Coruña or the relationship with the arts that Vigo has. Nor does it house any monument declared a World Heritage Site, such as Lugo with its wall.
And yet Ourense has a historic center full of charming little squares , a Cathedral that leaves you speechless because of how unexpected it is and it is the capital of one of the main thermal destinations in Europe , with dozens of springs throughout the province, including some that have been used for more than 2,000 years and that are in the heart of the old city.
Ourense maintains a close relationship with traditional cuisine but, at the same time, has known renew its offer without losing sight of the roots . That, together with its location next to the Rías Baixas highway, which places it a stone's throw from Vigo, Pontevedra or Santiago and as the Galician city that can be reached in less time from Madrid, makes it a perfect candidate. for a getaway.
As Burgas, Ourense
Where else are you going to find four of the five Galician wine appellations in a single province? Where are you going to be able to enjoy the Galician mountains higher, of the Northwest's only ski resort , the incredible viewpoints of the Ribeira Sacra or some of the oldest monasteries in Galicia plus, eat this well?
Maybe you didn't know it, but Ourense is the gastronomic getaway What were you thinking of? And so you don't get lost, here is a proposed itinerary, three or four very intense days that will leave you wanting more.
The streets of Los Vinos in Ourense
DAY 1
If you have time, the ideal is to arrive the day before. This way you can make the most of the three days of this route and, on the way, taste the wines of the D.O. Monterrey , the meats of autochthonous breeds that are raised in the eastern mountains –perhaps in the restaurant Regueiro da Cova , in Verín- and staying at Or Trancallo , an old farmhouse recently restored in the heart of Terras do Bolo region.
or jump to Chaves, in neighboring Portugal , just 20 km from the motorway, and try its cuisine, its famous Pastéis de Chaves, stuffed with meat , or tour its medieval town center at the foot of the castle.
Once in Ourense, it is best to park and go into the unhurried old town , because here time goes differently. Don't measure it in minutes: measure it in taverns, as it should be.
the source of the Praza do Ferro It is the zero kilometer of this route to know the environment of Tapas and taverns in Ourense , to immerse yourself in The wines , which is how those three or four streets are known in the city where you know when you enter, but never when you leave. From here you can start with the Cold Fountain , one of the classics, and continue with a octopus toast in the shipyard , just around the corner.
Octopus toast in the Atarazana
If you want to investigate tapas more deeply, Ears it's your place. And then, from there, to where you want: O Comellon, Or eat it, O'Eironciño, The Arch of Vella or, already in the Square of the Gentle -You can't leave Ourense without going through the Plaza de Los Suaves, that's how it is- the Sixth Fair or the glabistro.
Leave room, in any case, because it is worth retracing your steps, perhaps with a refreshment stop along the way, to Praza do Ferro . A little more than 50 meters away you will have one of the places that you cannot miss if you want to see the most contemporary side of this wine thing in the city: Sybaris 2.0.
Iberian Secret Bao with “Bulldog” Tonkatsu Sauce at Glabistro
Jacobo in front of the room and Luis in the kitchen mark the personality of this eclectic house, part store of selected products, part wine bar, part casual restaurant . ask for one Galician artisan cheese board , or a duck ham from Ánades Galicia , raised in the mountains of Vilardevos, and a glass of one of the more than 400 references they have. The idea is a simple snack, but you may end up staying for dinner. Don't dismiss it.
If in the end you decide to end up somewhere else, one of the most charming corners of the city is the little square of A Madalena , an old medieval cemetery - there are still some tombstones stacked against a wall - which today houses a couple of terraces one of those that invite you to let time pass. Here is the umami , a recent establishment that bases its offer on grills and cocktails. I can't think of a better plan to end an intense day.
DAY 2
A Brunch at Cafe Pacifico is always a good plan. A seasonal cream, natural juice, homemade granola, pancakes, eggs Benedict, some sweet of the day... don't forget to book . And if there is no room left, try their midday tasting menu.
As the day is going to be long, his thing is to go to As Burgas. The Romans They already used them for their healing properties and today these springs in the center from which the water comes out at 68º They serve to fill two swimming pools that are a real luxury. Access is free and the complex, with the 18th century fountain on one side and some Roman ruins on the other, is one of those that is hard to forget.
Toast for brunch at Café Pacífico
Just 100 meters away you have the market , the paradise of those who seek the best traditional product. Sausages, eels, salted meats, local vegetables... If you want to take something with you, Amalia Queixos It is an address that you should keep in mind.
And from here, slowly, by Plaza Bispo Cesáreo, by Eugenio Montes or by Paseo , discovering at every step a small jewel of that architecture that more than 100 years ago combined Art Nouveau with the Galician architectural language, until arriving at one of the most recent additions to the gastronomic panorama of the city.
Ceiba , on Calle San Miguel, has only been open for 2 months, but it is already one of those names that never stops ringing. Fresh air from the hand of a couple formed next to Pepe Solla in his restaurant in Pontevedra and who is committed to bringing his baggage and his personal way of understanding the local pantry to the city.
Amalia Queixos
As not everything is going to be gastronomy, the afternoon can be dedicated to seeing an exhibition in the Marcos Valcarce Cultural Center or, perhaps, to explore something in the surroundings. If you want a quick getaway, a good option is the ruins of the Roman site of Santomé and the neighbor Cachamuina reservoir . If you're going to spend a little more time on it, San Pedro de Rocas, the monastery carved into the rock 1,500 years ago , and that it is just over 15 minutes from downtown, will leave you speechless.
San Pedro de Rocas
And, at night, book in Nova, the city's Michelin-starred restaurant and the pioneer in bringing new air to the center. Contemporary Ourense cuisine in its strictest sense. Julio and Dani know what they are doing and they have been demonstrating it for years, so let yourself be carried away by any of their menus.
DAY 3
Suppose it is Sunday. That, in Ourense, means octopus . But, even if you've been to Galicia before, don't think you know what we're talking about. In Ourense the octopus is a very serious thing . There are dozens of places that prepare it really well, but on Sundays itinerant pulpeiras arrive and set up their stalls at strategic points in each neighborhood.
Julio and Dani know what they are doing
Normally they have an agreement with a bar, so they sell you the portion and continue cooking. You can buy it to take away or sit at the bar with your ration, order the drink there and enjoy the most authentic of the local lifestyle. With the things we have copied from other countries in the name of street food , and we have this wonder here, next to home.
If you want a change of third and you feel like snacking on something in a more current key, you always have the charioteer option , a place in a new neighborhood, one step away from the Barbaña River , with a cuisine perfect for sharing and proposals such as smoked cod nigiri-fritters, grilled octopus with aioli and roasted potato or the option of trying the Selecta ham, made by a local cooperative from pigs fed on chestnuts.
Do you prefer, after the octopus, to continue in the key of product? So let's go for a little quality Galician beef , or maybe a good fish in Pazo de Canedo , a charming house 5 minutes from downtown. One of its great advantages is that from here we have the Outariz hot springs , another of the city's thermal complexes.
The Outariz hot springs will conquer you
In this case we are talking about a complex in the style of the Japanese onsen, where hot and cold baths are combined on the banks of the Miño River . As unexpected as appetizing. If you can get everything to fit so that it gets dark while you're in the water, at 38º , and you see how the stars appear and the fog begins to rise from the river, you will understand how special the place is.
we end up in the Miguel Gonzalez restaurant, one of the key names in the city's cuisine , that in a nineteenth-century house in the village of A Morteira , on the outskirts, offers really interesting menus. If you're lucky and the weather permits, dining as night falls at its viewpoint over the River Lonia is quite an experience. But if it rains, it's cold or you've entertained yourself in the hot springs dining room with fireplace and views of the glazed kitchen is not a bad plan either.
And the only thing left to think about is leaving. maybe stopping at Allariz, 15 minutes from the city, one of the most charming towns in the province or visiting the castle of Monterrei to enjoy its impressive views of the valley.
The castle is also a Parador . If you were looking for an excuse to extend the visit one more day, you are in the perfect place. Plus, Verin , which is just a stone's throw away, has a small, very pleasant old quarter and some locals – sign up, for example, the Souto das Candeas - in which to explore the best of the cuisine and products of the area, because there is always Ourense for one more day. I'll leave it there, you decide if you let yourself get involved.
Miguel Gonzalez Restaurant