Yachting World — November 2017

54 November 2017

CRUISING

T-shirts and sandals was no problem, but needing

jumpers and jackets at night caught us by surprise. The

weather in Galicia is not as hot as we expected, nor is the

water warm. Being on the north-west coast of Spain,

Galicia has an Atlantic maritime climate, more like Ireland

than the Mediterranean coast or Spanish interior.

Walking the streets of Portosin and exploring the small

town’s environs was a joy. Tapas bars served the crisp

white albarino wine of the region and we found the

freshest seafood. It was easy to slip into the local rhythm.

We rode our bicycles to the fi ne white sand beaches

fl anked by granite boulders and tiptoed gingerly into the

frigid waters. We visited Santiago de Compostela, a

magnet for tourists and pilgrims, especially in the

summer, but well worth a visit.

Every day more Irish boats sailed in to the marina, the

starting point of the rally. We wondered how 60 boats

could be accommodated in the four ports in the four rias

(estuaries) we were to visit,

but it worked as easily as a

child’s puzzle. The marinas

had everything arranged for

us and knew exactly where

every boat would be placed

on arrival. The marineiros

who handled the lines were

good natured and helpful,

but most only spoke Gallego (the language of the region, a

derivation of Spanish and Portuguese) and

communication was diffi cult.

We were soon on our way to the next ria, but as the

events were spaced three days apart, we had plenty of

time to meander, fi nding anchorages and interesting

villages to visit along the way. We stopped in Muros, an

ancient town north-west across the estuary from Portosin,

and experiencing a resurgence due to a new marina.

Narrow alleys lead up the hill to a church built like a ship

with more statues in it than we’ve ever seen. The festival of

Our Lady of Carmen takes place in July and we had heard

the fi reworks and music when back in Portosin.

Ideal cruising

In the rias, navigation was relatively easy except when

passing between the barrier islands and rocky outcrops,

which requires extreme caution. The region is blessed

with inlets and dotted with inviting harbours and villages.

As in Scotland, we could weigh anchor in one harbour,

stop in another for lunch, and continue on to a marina in a

third village for the night. It makes for ideal cruising and,

unsurprisingly, is a destination for charters as well as a

favourite for staging when crossing the Atlantic. We got

lazy about pulling up sails between some destinations,

but there were days when the wind was just too good to

pass up a more lengthy passage. Team Mapfre has its base

in Sanxenxo and could be seen putting its Volvo 65

through its paces.

In the Ria de Arousa, the largest of the rias, we made for

A Pobra do Caraminal, avoiding giant mussel rafts en

route and anchoring off the marina in sheltered waters.

Galicia is one of the world’s largest producers of mussels.

The rafts are everywhere, but it was easy to manoeuvre

among them with their anchor chains hanging straight

‘A region blessed

with inlets and

inviting villages’

The mermaid on

the rock in Salvora

keeps watch

patiently

Right: charming

Combarro in

Pontevedra

down from the rafts. There was an international gathering

of yachts in every harbour with Irish, British, French,

Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, and Spanish fl ags fl ying.

Festival day

Caraminal is a lovely old town, with a tree-lined

waterfront avenue, restaurants lining the harbour, and

meandering alleys leading up past walled estates to the

old church overlooking the harbour. A footpath runs the

entire length of the harbour parallel to the popular beach.

From there we took a tour of Granbazan vineyards, the

largest producer of the crisp albarino wines for which the

region is known. It was interesting to see the unique style

of parra – a pergola trellis system of vine growth for

maximum sun exposure and ventilation.

The next day, we toured the boatyard at Xufre on the Illa

de Arousa. It was the major festival day; the fi shing fl eet

was dressed for a parade of ships and the town was closed.

So we anchored off the beach just inside the Punta Caballo

(where the lighthouse is now a high-end restaurant) for a

quiet and peaceful night.

No visit to Galicia would be complete without a stop at

the very charming town of Combarro on the Ria de

Pontevedra. The new marina has a massive outer concrete

pontoon with 3m of water at MLW. This is in contrast to

the shallow depths shown on outdated charts, which had

caused us to approach with extreme caution.

We were glad to have such good access to this viliña

mariñeira or mariner’s little town. It drew us to stroll

down its historic streets with its traditional Galician ›

54 November 2017

but there were days when the wind was just too good to

pass up a more lengthy passage. Team Mapfre has its base

in Sanxenxo and could be seen putting its Volvo 65

through its paces.

In the Ria de Arousa, the largest of the rias, we made for

A Pobra do Caraminal, avoiding giant mussel rafts en

route and anchoring off the marina in sheltered waters.

Galicia is one of the world’s largest producers of mussels.

The rafts are everywhere, but it was easy to manoeuvre

among them with their anchor chains hanging straight

patiently

JAM WORLD IMAGES / Alamy Stock