Address
Restaurant & Hotel Pepe Vieira
Camiño da Serpe s/n
Pontevedra
36992
Spain
Perched atop of the snaking Camiño de Serpe, you’ll find Pepe Vieira hotel and restaurant surrounded by thick redwood forest overlooking the Ría de Pontevedra.
Planes
Vigo Airport is closest to the hotel, just a 40-minute drive away, while Santiago-Rosalía de Castro is an hour to the north. Each has direct flights from all over Spain and Europe, and the hotel can arrange transfers starting from €80 one-way. International travellers should fly into Porto Airport across the Portuguese border. From here, the hotel is 90 minutes by car.
Trains
Pontevedra train station is around 20 minutes away by car, with direct trains to Vigo, A Coruña and Santiago de Compostela. There’s a high-speed service, too, which will get you to Madrid in just under four hours. The hotel can arrange transfers to and from the station for €35.
Automobiles
Since the hotel is reasonably remote, driving is recommended. Wheels offer guests flexibility and freedom to explore the region at their own pace, though there are taxis on hand for your Galician wine-tasting trips. There’s free, on-site parking for guests, and four electric-charging stations for greener rides.
Worth getting out of bed for
Think of Pepe Vieira’s multi-course offerings as ample fuel to start exploring Galicia’s green heartlands. Start nearby at the quaint fishing village of Combarro, where excellent seafood, traditional hórreos (charming Galician corn cribs) and colourful coastal houses make for a picturesque afternoon amble. O Grove is another such village, where you can spend your days horizontal on the soft white sands of A Lanzada beach. Out to sea you’ll notice dark wooden platforms bobbing on the water, these bateeiros are the lifeblood of the population here, who rely on mussel and oyster fishing for their income. Join them for an afternoon to see exactly how they do it, just ask the hotel to arrange. Then there’s the islands; Illa de A Toxa is closest, and is known for its medicinal mineral water and mud, which boast therapeutic properties for the skin. Next, Illa de Arousa is home to the Carreirón nature reserve where you’ll find rare grey herons alongside frogs, rabbits, lizards and a rainbow of plants. Take a hike through one of its trails, stopping for a picnic on As Margaritas along the way, a secluded cove with crystal-clear waters. Last, but certainly not least, islas Cíes are as serene as they come, with white-sand dunes, rocky green hills, and a trio of top-tier beaches, Praia das Rodas, Praia de Nosa Señora and Praia das Figueres(word of warning: you may want to leave your bathing suit at home for the last one…) In neighbouring Pontevedra, check-out the Ruínas de San Domingos, the remains of a 14th-century convent, before playing house at Pazo de Lourizán, a romantic 19th-century manor, and admiring the terracotta, scallop-shaped façade of the church of the Pilgrim Virgin. Leave an hour for a stroll around the old town, or two if you plan on stopping for lunch; Plaza de la Leña is one of the prettiest spots to do so, a mediaeval square flanked by tapas bars. Up north, take a walking tour of Santiago de Compostela, where the story of a past spent at the crossroads of power is best told through its architecture. For those with more contemporary tastes, the City of Galician Culture complex on the outskirts was built by Peter Eisenman as a tribute to fellow architect John Hejduk showcasing a modernist flow of concave and convex structures that organically rise and fall. And, known for its vineyards and country houses, Galicia has its fair share of rural romps to enjoy, too. At Forjas del Salnés in Rías Baixas, ancient vines and native Galician grapes are nurtured by the expertise of Rodrigo Méndez, just ask the hotel to arrange a tasting session.
Local restaurants
Another Pepe Vieira project, Ultramar in Pontevedra is a more casual spot that shares its impressive building with the town’s museum. Dine under rustic, barrel-vault ceilings on a menu inspired by the region’s strong South American influence with dishes like Galician beef T-bone steak or an open mushroom omelette with blue cheese. And, while vegetarian choices are limited, the few dishes it does have do not disappoint. Order the juicy, honey-glazed tomatoes to start, the cheese-slathered salsify for mains and the hefty NYC cheesecake, topped with fresh berries and mint, for dessert. Fish-lovers, meanwhile, should make a beeline to Combarro’s Taberna Leucoiña where gambas a la plancha, razor clams, octopus sushi and volandeiras mussels are served in the shadow of charming Galician hórreos overlooking the bay.
Local cafés
The Village Bakery in Arousa does an unbeatable brunch of tomato and chia bread, yoghurt with fresh fruit, homemade chocolate cake and damn fine coffee.
Local bars
It’ll come as no surprise that wine is a big deal in this part of the world, and you’ll find excellent vineyards and small bodegas throughout Galicia’s green lands. Two of our favourite grape escapes are A Curva, which sits pretty on the Portonovo waterfront, where you can join one of Miguel Anxo Besada’s fun and informative blind-tasting sessions, and Lagüiña lieux-dit, a traditional Galician ‘furancho’ which started as a way for wine producers to sell any excess direct to locals, and makes for a fine way to spend an evening, with grapes from the barrel and simple, homemade food.
