Group accommodation in a natural setting, close to Galicia beaches

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Rustical´s Review                                          See prices

This is one of the most special places we have ever found for a holiday anywhere in rural Spain.

The series of rambling stone buildings once belonged to an 18th century Abbey, now exquisitely restored. The group of rooms, halls, garden apartments, workshops and kitchens are spread out over a wooded estate of semi-wild gardens. This page details the salient points of the accommodatioon and facilties and you can read more fully about the abbey as a whole and see more photography in our Off-The-Beaten-Track article:

It's no ordinary place. This self-contained ensemble of beautifully and gracefully restored abbey buildings offer a unique and natural environment for either a unique holiday stay, the realization of a group project, or a creative workshop for art, video, dance or contemplation. It is very close to the River Miño which marks the Spanish border with Portugal and views of of the green Portuguese hills. The river offers opportunities for swims and boating: from the lovely old town of Tui, for example, just 7 km away a boat down the river can pull in to villages on the Portuguese side for a bite and some refreshment (see Galicia map).

The venue may look like a period piece but it is very much alive, used and practical. It sleeps ten people in five en-suite bedrooms between the main two-bedroomed house (see AG12) and three garden apartments (AG13), with dining, living, dancing, reading and play areas for many more in a number of interrelated rooms and outbuildings: it's vast! While ideal for group activities, it is also simply wonderful for a holiday stay.

Deep, luxuriantly green gardens provide an appropriately pastoral Galicia setting.

As AG19, you rent the self-catering accommodation, the facilities and the grounds in their entirety, with the Factory available as an added optional extra for special events.

A caretaker is on hand and may come to offer you more firewood and even light the fire for you, or the owners may take a natural interest and ask if you need assistance, yet your privacy will be wholly respected and the integrity of any project you are pursuing will not be compromised.

It’s a magical place, unconventional in the sense that modernization has been eschewed in favour of restoring or maintaining its historical character. A lot of love and expense has made the abbey what it is. It’s not so much prettily styled as tasteful, organic and unaffected. Furniture is eclectic and appropriate. Rooms have chunky oak chairs and cushioned benches.

The gardens are semi-wild and go hand-in-glove with the stone buildings. Attention to details is everywhere, but the effects – the way moss has been left to grow around a fountain – are deliberate yet simple and uncontrived.

Interconnected by the gardens and outdoor spaces, the separate accommodation has independent entrances.

AG12 is where your party of family or friends would meet for meals together. The kitchen and dining room is extremely spacious, with plenty of room and seating space, the china is first class and the cooker has an oven for roasts. There is central heating here, as throughout the house, but a supplementary log fire in the kitchen corner fireplace is inviting in a way radiators can never be. But there's another, industrial, kitchen with a grand dining room.

Both AG12 and AG13 are furbished in the same authentic, rustic style. The two-bedroomed house is extremely spacious. Each apartment has a double bedroom, bathroom, small sitting room and kitchen/dining room. In addition to central heating, each has an open fireplace for log fires, TV and DVD.

Two of the apartments have a connecting (lockable) door and the third is set further back in the lush, mature gardens. They are also available for separate rental and can be viewed in detail as AG13.

The abbey when rented as whole is ideal for group events, offering a variety of rooms and lounges in independent dependencies, all on the periphery of the accommodation and surrounding the main house. Cosy dining rooms with fireplaces, reading and relaxing areas, music and painting conservatories make the property into a dynamic mini-village. Over the years it has enjoyed signal success as a venue for flamenco dancing, Italian courses, cookery and organic cultivation courses. Its unique character and generous spaces have won over a clientele that comes back regularly with new adherents to repeat the experience.

The only thing that hasn't been tried yet – it’s only a matter of time, surely – is for someone to use it as a movie venue or set.

The gardens are green and leafy, interconnected by old stone gateways.

Kastly, the "Factory", a large traditional house, constructed in warm chestnut, has been erected independently in amother part opf the gardens designed as a space for larger scale creative projects. It's wonderful, huge, full of character. Here group learning experiences, dance, yoga, art all take place in an inspiring environment. Please note that this large-scale facility is not included in the rental price for AG19. If required, it can be added to your booking at a supplement of 625 €.

AG19 includes the main house with two bedrooms, the three apartments, a professional kitchen, annexes providing additional dining rooms, piano room, painting room, galleries (conservatories) and lounges.

As for exploring the area, which is right by the Portuguese border (on the the other side of the river below Caldelas village), there is enough to keep you contented for weeks. Besides which, this is the geographical region of green Galicia where you are most likely to have good weather.

At Tui, the delightfully small,  historic cathedral town, just 7 km away, you it's possible to hire a boat down the river and drop in at a Portuguese village for a bite to eat and drink.  It also has spa baths. Unfortunately,the  council built new baths instead of restoring the old Roman ones, which are remain there still but are somewhat abandoned. If you feel like a longish (two-hour) walk there’s a lovely path all the way to Tui from the Abbey. 

Just 3 minutes away is Caldelas village with restaurants and a narrow-gauge railway. Trains follow the river on a lovely ride. Another station at Guillarei is a stop for trains from Madrid.

Some 25 minutes away is La Guardia, one of the ports that make Galicia such a tremendous fish and seafood supplier for Spain. If you are of a mind to be there for 4 o’clock in the morning, you can witness the fish auction. At more civilized hours, the beaches and restaurants serving the day’s catch are recommended. Signposted on the way to La Guardia is O Rosal, where you can see mills (the oldest of the nineteen date back to the 12th century) built in a cascade down the hillside to follow the heavy stream water.

Portugal’s beaches are just as close. Try the white sand of Moledo de Miño’s romantic beach… You can go on boat trips or go fishing. And if you don’t want to go that far, then dips in the river in the Miño in Caldelas are possible. In summer, there’s an excellent open air restaurant & bar here.

Galicia is very keen on its fairs, whether for flowers, witchery (!) or food – but especially food. It’s a very natural and social way to enjoy barbecued sardines, Spanish omelette or scallops, with a glass or two of decent Galician white wine.

Facilities (main house)
Central heating; open fireplace in kitchen; TV & DVD in both bedrooms; wifi (certain areas of the house only); CD player; separate utility room with washing machine; private verandah; gardens; garden furniture; all linen provided.

Distribution (main house)
On two floors
Ground floor: covered porch to reception/sitting room; large kitchen with open fireplace and door out to gardens.
First floor: small sitting room; 2 bedrooms, 1 double-bedded, 1twin-bedded, both en suite (shower over full bathtub).

Facilities (apartments)
Central heating; open fireplace; TV & DVD; shared separate utility room with washing machine; shared gardens; all linen provided.

Distribution (apartments)
Three independent, ground floor apartments: small sitting room; kitchen/diner; one double-bedded room; bathroom/wc (shower over tub).
Apartment “El Claustro”: lockable interconnecting door with Apartment “El Pozo”.
Apartment “El Pozo”: lockable interconnecting door with "El Claustro"; furnished porch terrace; the bathtub has a jacuzzi facility.
Apartment “Camelio”: furnished porch terrace; private garden area.

Additional facilities
Spacious rooms in similar rustic style for meetings, activities, workshops or courses. Please tell us your requirements so that we can make the appropriate arrangements.

Notes:
-The washing machine is housed in an exterior utility room.
-The "Factory" (see description above and photos) is available as an add-on facility for the duration of your stay at a rate of 625 euros (per short break or full week).

Location & Distances
The abbey is set discretely in its own grounds, 3 mins walk from the village of Caldelas (bars, restaurant, mini-supermarket, narrow-gauge railway).

Caldelas narrow gauge railway station (trains to/from Vigo)	3 mins walk
Guillarey (trains to/from Madrid)	2 km
River Miño (excellent summer restaurant and bar)	10 mins walk
Tui (historic town)	7 km
Valenca do Miño (Portugal)	8 km
Spanish and Portuguese beaches	40 mins
Vigo Airport	30 mins
Santiago de Compostela Airport	1 hr
A Coruña (La Coruna) Airport	1 hr 30 mins
Oporto Airport (Portugal)	55 mins

NOTES ON AVAILABILITY FOR THIS PROPERTY:

There is a minimum booking of 3 days.