A corner of peace on the banks of the Miño
Wild nature, a secret paradise and a place where monks and hermits historically retired to indulge in an ascetic life away from the madding crowd, welcome to Ribeira Sacra.
This Galician wine region is located between the provinces of Ourense and Lugo, at the confluence of the largest rivers in Galicia (the Sil and the Miño) and despite its overwhelming beauty, it is not a touristy place that makes it an even more attractive area for those who flee from the great masses.
HOW TO GET
We reach the area of Lugo and more specifically to the town of Chantada (Road A6 and A52), where the village of A Veiga is very close and here it awaits us our accommodation, Casa Morriña, on the banks of the River Miño.
Chantada is the heart of Galicia as it is right in the geographical center of the community, a landscape in which mountains and riverbanks are mixed, through which the Winter Way of Saint James passes.
Off mode activated
We are speechless when we arrive at this rehabilitated stone house in an enclave where peace and tranquility reign while the water of the river breaks with a special subtlety against the porch of this farmhouse.
It smells like fresh coffee. We go through a spacious living room with a fireplace and a sofa bed to reach the porch, at the foot of the Miño and with heart-stopping views of a steep mountain, where awaits us a delicious breakfast of fresh fruit, toast and squeezed orange juice.
The house has two exterior rooms with their own bathroom as well as a large gallery overlooking the river on the top floor. We fall in love with the decoration of the entire house and, especially, that of its kitchen-dining room and bathroom with access to a small patio and the porch that we have just discovered, but we already know that we would love to stay and live here for a lifetime.
Casa Morriña (Chantada, Lugo) is one of those getaways that make you understand the meaning of travel
TO DO
Although it is a quiet area, There are many plans in your environment that Borja Fernández, owner of Casa Morriña, recommends us. who is working on a future project to revalue the area with a more careful and experimental tourism.
“We would like travelers who come to discover the Ribeira Sacra to let themselves be carried away by the traditions of the environment while integrating themselves into this culture for a few days. We want to give visibility to many unique spaces with unique experiences. I think there are not many places like this in Spain”, comments Borja Fernández.
"We want to give visibility to many unique spaces with unique experiences"
Our first stop is the Airas Moniz cheese factory, which works with milk from Jersey breed cows. (a breed that requires environments rich in humidity) in a grazing regimen that roam happily at ease through the green fields of Outeiro.
A maximum commitment to sustainability and to recovering work systems that have disappeared in which they prioritize quality over quantity. Behind this project is Ricardo Gomez , the most prominent rancher in the area, along with his wife Ana Vazquez and his neighbor and friend Jesus Mazaira.
we tried Savel, a raw milk blue cheese that has been ranked among the best in Spain with several awards and recognitions Delicatessen for demanding palates! Now we understand why many Michelin star chefs such as Pepe Solla or Ricard Camarena turn to this traditional cheese factory to prepare their delicious dishes.
The great cheese tower (all by Airas Moniz)
We continue along a lost road, between forests, birds and chestnut trees that leads us to Or Saviñao, where a catamaran awaits us to enter the zig-zag that marks the Miño River as it passes through Ribeira Sacra. Ribeira Sacra is synonymous with landscape and the best perspective is sailing from the river.
We booked the ticket online at Sacra Activa, that offer a great variety of possibilities to cross the river Miño in a different way. can be discovered Maiorga Island , approach the vineyards of Farm Millara even to the people of brush it Or until the submerged village of Portotide.
Sacra Activa offers much more than a simple boat ride because they explain the history of the area, they take us to hidden places where we can see roe deer crossing the river and we even discover a spectacular meander formed by the River Miño as it passes through the area of A Cova, called O Cabo do Mundo, a place that we do not hesitate to photograph and to which we will return later.
O Cabo do Mundo, a meander that draws the Miño, with a viewpoint from which to marvel at the cultivation of vines on terraces
We chose the restaurant A Fagulla, the great reference of cuisine in Chantada, with three generations dedicated to the "good eating" of its visitors. As an appetizer they put us a fine grilled dough with tomato concassé, gotera cheese and pesto.
We continue with smoked salmon with apple, almond and aromatic herbs. And second, grilled pork ribs glazed with barbecue sauce, accompanied by potatoes and salad. You always have to leave a hole for dessert and more if it is rice with smoked milk and raw almond ice cream. Many trips conquer us for the tribute to our palate, this is one of them!
Ribeira Sacra is popularly known for its “heroic viticulture”, due to the complexity of its steep and almost vertical terrain that makes its winegrowers and winemakers defy vertigo from its terraces.
It can well be called a high-risk harvest given the particular orography of its land, a classification that only 5% of European vineyards have and that makes the wines of the DO. Ribeira Sacra have an added value that makes them even more special.
The creation of this denomination of wine origin in 1977 was the starting signal for a revolution that demonstrates the great potential of these lands.
Wine tourism: the place is Galicia, the time is now
we got to Abadía da Cova, the first winery of the D.O. Ribeira Sacra Adegas Moure located in O Cabo do Mundo, a mystical place, populated by legends in which we are taught to distinguish between different types of elaborations and native varieties while we explore with all our senses a winery with more than a hundred years of history.
they prepare us a tasting, with twenty different grape varieties, that we savor in one of the most spectacular viewpoints to the delight of our eyes.
Tip for lovers of good wine: you can make a stop at the Enonatur winery, where you can create your own wine experience, make your own natural, quality wine with a unique touch by the hand of Roberto Regal, one of the most prestigious winemakers in Galicia.
We return to Casa Morriña because if there is one thing that is clear to us, it is that we have come to enjoy this great country house. We prepare a dinner on the porch accompanied by romantic lighting while, curiously, a swan that seems almost domesticated struts up to show us its untouched beauty.
The small dock that the porch has is safe to bathe, even in the light of the moon for the most daring, because there is no current since the house is between two dams.
Sunrise in Ribeira Sacra
during the day too you can rent various boats such as kayaks, pedal boats, paddle surf or even fish. We enjoy with the five senses of the wine D.O. Ribeira Sacra that we have bought while a starry sky is reflected sparkling in the calm waters of the Miño.
The charming kitchen of Casa Morriña
This is one of those getaways that makes you understand the whole meaning of travel. Now we understand the name of this house because** 'homesickness' (feeling of nostalgia)** is a Galician term that has come to belong to the whole world. That is what we are going to feel when we remember this great trip.
Some say that Galicia is a gray place, that may be why its many corners have not visited it, like this one, which makes you want to continue traveling to discover places that will always remain in the retina of good memories.
you will miss her