Galicia, the place with crystal-clear waters

Aldán a private paradise

We hadn't been to a beach paradise since we moved to Europe and I was dying to visit the famous crystal-clear beaches of Galicia (Galicia) in Spain. We knew the journey would be short, on average just over an hour from Braga in northern Portugal, but I don't know why we always put it off. Perhaps it was time to get things right and let the taste of surprise and anxiety improve things.

I honestly didn't want to visit yet another super trendy place in the region, I really wanted a beach all to myself! Time was running out and maybe this would be the last hot and sunny weekend, I mean not even that hot, 17 degrees!!! Even so, it was sunny and I was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

So we decided on Aldán in the Cangas de Morrazo council, beautiful!

The municipality of Cangas de Morrazo is in the south of the province of Pontevedra and hides one of the many natural treasures that Galicia possesses, including paradisiacal beaches with crystal-clear waters and white sands, treasures of humanity and even an Enchanted Forest in Aldán.

Apartamentos Ria de Aldán

We stayed at Apartamentos Ria de Aldán and it couldn't have been better, the history of the place is sensational and has everything to do with family. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by Manuel, who told us that Apartamentos de Ria de Aldán comes from a family. The house belonged to Manuel's grandmother, who with all her care and love transformed the place into this incredible development. The energy is really good and you can feel all the love in the atmosphere, everything done with such care.

There are a total of 6 apartments, complete, very well equipped and, by the way, beautifully decorated.

With a wonderful common area of 1,000 square meters, a swimming pool, a hammock to relax in, a vegetable garden, an extensive lawn and even an authentic example of a traditional granary, you can immerse yourself in the bucolic atmosphere of the region, which blends historic villages with the crystal-clear sea.

Our room

We stayed in the apartment named Lagos. It's a real home that every family needs. Our apartment, for example, had: two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom and a kitchen.

We had total privacy as a couple and our little one slept more than comfortably in a huge double bed just for him. We really enjoyed our family weekend.

Well, if during the day we rushed around to do our activities, in the evening we took the opportunity to have a nice family meal and watch a movie together.

As soon as we arrived, we went to a supermarket and chose our dinners and breakfasts. I love this freedom, everything we needed was there.

Ahhh and if your clothes get dirty, relax, there's a washing machine, I'm amazed! Ahhhhh, don't you want to wash up after dinner? There's a dishwasher too lol.

It was the rest we needed, we stayed two nights and I wish we could have stayed longer!

Outdoor area

As I said, the Apartamentos de la Ría de Aldán go far beyond the apartments themselves; the common area is huge.

I was delighted with the eco-garden and showed Emmanuel how many of the fruits he eats are born.

It was a program for the whole afternoon, with lots of talking and learning, lol I laughed my head off when we talked about the apple tree and he rightly told us that apples don't have feet, right? Watch the full video!

I love this connection with the land and being able to show that there is much more than a screen in front of us is necessary.

Igor and I enjoyed the pool, one or two dives, but the little one didn't dare this time, he just dived in up to his waist and said it was fine. The water was freezing.

We sat on the lawn for a while too, telling him everything he wanted to know about the fruit.

The cool thing is that the Ria de Aldán Apartments, in addition to all this structure, also have accessibility for those with reduced mobility, private parking, free wi-fi, among other things. I can't wait to get back there with my friends and have a barbecue, nhammm. Yes, there's also a barbecue area!!!!

What to do in Aldán

The region is full of activities, beautiful from every angle and great for all tastes.

There's everything from extreme activities to moderate ones, or maybe there's even something a little hectic. There's also something for those who like forests, trails and even history, but everyone is sure to enjoy the beautiful scenery, which you'll find wherever you go.

Diving

I'll start by talking about the activity I fell in love with the most, the famous scuba diving. We did it with Buceo Rias BaixasIt's right where we're staying, so we don't even have to leave the house to get to the meeting point.

Seriously, I changed my clothes, went upstairs and immediately met up for my first diving lessons, I was VERY nervous, I had never dived before in my life. I, who love water, had never ventured into this magical world of diving, so off we went.

As soon as we arrived, we were given lessons on how to breathe, learned the signals used underwater and other things necessary for the dive to take place. Then we got dressed, with very strong clothes to withstand the water, which is a bit cold, and in fact I didn't feel cold at all in these clothes. Then we went diving!!!

Let's go to the sea!

In our case, the sea was literally full of fish and off we went! While one of us played with Emmanuel, the other went diving.

First you put on the cylinder, then, once in the water, you put on the duck feet and then the first exercises. Are we going to breathe? It takes no time at all and the next thing you know you're down there, immersed in a whole new world! A silence where your breath is the only sound you hear, leaves that dance and hidden animals that, when you look beyond the ordinary, are seen with unparalleled beauty.

Our trained eyes guide us to see like this too and when we least expect it, a beautiful seahorse is tangled in the leaves, oops there are two! Here's another little animal and there are several quiet fish.

The seabed is so magical that it's hard to put into words. It's such a unique sensation that I swear I don't want to go back to the seabed for a long time.

I was so well received by the staff at Buceo Rías Baixas, that any fear I had left me instantly! Even the ear discomfort that started to happen went away after a few mimes with the instructions given in the middle of the sea.

If there's one thing in life I'll never forget, it's this dive - it was my first time.

Beaches

Another unmissable thing to do in Aldán, even in the cold, is to visit the beaches! The scenery of deserted, paradisiacal beaches, with lots of nature and crystal-clear waters, is sensational.

As soon as you arrive at any of the countless beaches there, your reaction will surely be the same: WOW!

It's a mixture of colors that gives you instant pleasure and makes you want to stay there for hours and spend the day, even if you're dressed up, gazing at the sea.

The beaches are almost one after the other. We had the chance to see them on the boat trip we took with the Buceo Rías Baixas and we also explored the area by car. Access is narrow but easy and the sidewalk is good.

We saw the mussel farms and the thousands of colors that the Aldán Sea can have.

By car, we were able to explore more and more of each place, entering the alleys and finding closed trails.

We went to beaches that we could call our own, where we were alone. Except for the presence of one small boat or another.

We loved every beach we visited.

Aldán Enchanted Forest

This is a must for anyone with children, they will go crazy with a castle just the right size for them. Here the imagination takes flight and the children can play at being kings in the mini castle immersed in lush nature.

OK, but what is this enchanted forest? It's actually an orchard that invites you on a sensory journey through its infinite landscapes of native vegetation, old watermills and the soundtrack of the waters of the Orxas River. The scenery is like something out of a fairy tale.

A large part of this typical Galician Atlantic forest belonged to the Counts of Canalejas, under the name of Casa Torre de Aldán.

Find out more in the full video

The castle even has its own bridge over the Orxas. Today the moss is at home on the old stones, which gives the place its charm.

Cruceiro de Hio

When I say that the region is amazing, you can't imagine how much! All kinds of tourism are present, even religious or architectural. The Cruceiro de Hío is one such example. Sculpted in 1872 by Ignacio Cerviño, it is perhaps the most important Cruceiro of those preserved throughout Galicia!

The Cruceiro stands out for its latent theatrical air of the Baroque period. Another strong point is its details carved in stone, it's a beautiful work full of details.

Of course, the church can't be left out of this scenario either. San Andrés de Hío is a very interesting church because of its antiquity. If you look carefully, it has many styles throughout its history.

Monte Facho

If you're crazy about history and ancient peoples, this is a tour you can't miss!

With Roman and pre-Roman ruins and Celtic mysticism, run to Monte Facho and be enchanted, but go with your eyes open because surprises await you there.

Climbing up the short path that leads to the summit, you'll discover the remains of a Galician-Roman fort and the most important pagan sanctuary on the Iberian Peninsula still under excavation.

The word facho refers to the bonfires that are lit as a beacon to indicate the proximity of the coast. Between the 10th and 17th centuries, the Galician coast was subjected to successive attacks by the Normans, Almanzors and Berbers. It is believed that it was the Berber sacking of 1617 that prompted the construction, probably with stones from the castro and Roman altars.

In the absence of effective defenses, the attackers used to settle on the islands near the coast. Out of sheer necessity, the populations moved from their traditional settlements on the coast to higher ground in an attempt to avoid attacks.

Cabo Home Lighthouse and Punta Robaleira

Another excursion that you can't miss on your trip to Aldán or Cangas is the perfect place to enjoy an unparalleled sunset! The coastline has an indentation that makes you want to stay there and contemplate the sea invading the rocks, literally watching time go by while the sun hides on the horizon, just behind the famous Cíes Islands.

The landscape is magnificent, like the whole region, but on this occasion I felt a happiness that I can't explain.

We walk for a few kilometers watching the trees. The landscape changes with every meter, from cliffs to forests and beaches.

Along the way, we played together as a family. Emmanuel wanted to see his first lighthouse up close, imagining that it would be the famous lighthouse from Dog Patrol (a cartoon he loves so much). The child's imagination is so incredible that there were dogs at the foot of the lighthouse when we arrived and he told us that they were the characters Marshall and Chase from the cartoon.

Cabo Home Lighthouse

The Cabo Home Lighthouse is the westernmost part of the peninsula. It was built in 1853 and is 18 meters high. The lighthouse has the important mission of indicating the entrance to the Vigo estuary between the Cíes Islands and the Casta de La Vela.

It's a powerful lighthouse and its light reaches 12km, but there's also a siren in case fog encroaches on the coast, so navigators will always be warned.

As soon as we saw the largest lighthouse, we headed for the next one, just around the corner; the Punta Robaleira Lighthouse.

Punta Robaleira Lighthouse

For me, this lighthouse is prettier but smaller, and it's also a great place to enjoy the sunset.

It consists of a cylindrical stone with a small terrace. Its red color is in total contrast with the landscape, an added charm.

The lighthouse was built in 1918 and its light also covers 12 km. If you look closely, there is a cross next to the lighthouse, which is there in memory of the sailor Pepe Ruiz. Due to an engine breakdown, his boat was dragged onto the rocks without anyone being able to help him.

Gastronomy

I had the pleasure of sampling a lot of the local cuisine. Even though we had dinner at "home" every day, we had lunch and even breakfast outside.

Lots of seafood and delicious things were part of our diet, Emmanuel had fried fish and we tried everything from mussels to octopus and everything else that comes from the sea.

Manuel gave us the tip we liked best. Right on the Aldán pier, you'll find a container with wonderful tapas!

We ate lots of fresh, divine mussels and enjoyed the fried fish, where even the bones were tasty.

As for breakfast, on one of the days we tried local delicacies. We bought a toastie with cheese and jamón that was simply WONDERFUL, can you think of more?

Of course the octopus couldn't be left out, we had a very good one, like a lagareiro, but better! I don't know how to explain it, lol.

What we thought of our visit to Galicia

Well, I don't need to explain much, do I? I simply loved getting to know this little corner of the earth! I was delighted with all the things you can do there.

The place is so rich in landscape, nature, history, everything! As soon as the sun comes out again in spring, I'll definitely be back! Ahhhhh and of course, I'm going to dive more and more so that I can see the two ships that are shipwrecked there.

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