Luxury Villas in Galicia

Find Your Extraordinary

Galicia Villa Holiday

Galicia is a region in Northern Spain steeped in history, with a proud local community, its own language and exceptional food scene. Spain’s wild Atlantic coast is awash with stunning natural scenery, including sharp cliffs, hidden coves, lagoons and dramatic rock formations.

Inland Galicia is known for its lush greenery. This temperate corner of Spain has a cooler climate than the rest of the country and a humid atmosphere, so expect a landscape of rolling hills and patchwork farmland that doesn’t look too dissimilar to ol’ Blighty.

Our selection in Galicia feature family-friendly options and villas with pools, giving you somewhere beautiful and relaxing to return to after a day of adventures.

Why stay with us?

Discover the Oliver’s Travels way, where style and character define every handpicked villa in Galicia. Our destination experts curate unique homes in beautiful locations that are perfect for families and guaranteed to ‘wow’.

Once you book a holiday, the service doesn’t stop there. Our Concierge Service means you’ll be in good hands to arrange in-house chefs, fridge stocking, housekeeping, and so much more, to make your stay truly extraordinary.

Why visit Galicia

Make sure to sample some of the local fare. It’s hearty and warming and has a big focus on local seafood and root vegetables.
The beaches are full of natural wonders. Check out Praia das Cathedrais ‘Cathedral beach’ named for its fascinating and lofty rock arches.
The region has a stunning history with beautifully preserved structures dating back to the Roman age. Go and discover the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Roman Bridge of Ourense and the Tower of Hercules.

This unspoilt corner of Spain is home to Cap de Finisterre, which was once believed to be the ‘end of the Earth’, and is one of mainland Europe’s westernmost points.

One of Spain’s best-kept secrets is the annual seafood festival ‘Festa do Marisco’ held in O Grove every October. Taking place in the great covered market down on the waterfront, you can peruse a huge variety of locally sourced produce and see it prepared by locals right in front of you. This is an absolute must for foodies.

There are things to see and do year-round in Galicia, but remember that this climate isn’t too far off that of the UK, so summer is your best bet to get the most out of the region.

Things to do

Galicia’s beaches are not to be missed. Comprising over 1,500km of coastline, there is a huge variety of beaches and coastal feature to discover. Playa Carnota is a breathtaking stretch of sand backed by beautiful dunes and with mountains off in the distance.

The Cíes islands off the coast of Vigo are like a little slice of the Caribbean in Europe! A total haven for nature lovers, the impossibly blue water and white sand is well worth the day trip and ferry ride from Vigo.

Playa de Rodas beach, Galicia Praia de Rodas – Cíes Islands

Food and drink

Galician cuisine is criminally underrated. Home to a bounty of the freshest seafood and acres of productive fields, you definitely hit up local markets to get a flavour for the local fare. Make sure to pick up some polba à feira – a market-style octopus dish served with potatoes and lashings of paprika that is typically cooked up in great copper cauldrons.

You’ll find fried padron peppers and queixo de tetilla – a creamy, dome-shaped cheese – on starter menus all over the region, and Caldo Gallego (or Galician stew) made with root vegetables, cabbage, chorizo and a salty cut of pork in delicious broth is an unmissable menu staple.

Not only that, but Galicia plays host to 16 Michelin Star restaurants offering innovative cuisine that is unique to the area and places a real focus on local produce. This secures the region’s status as a global gastronomic capital.

Galicia is home to a surprising selection of top-quality wines, such as Abariño, a refreshing white wine with distinct stone fruit notes, Mencia, a rich and floral red, and Ribeiro which Don Quixote famously gave the moniker of ‘Mother of wines’. What’s more, you absolutely must try a Licor café – a super sweet and dangerously moreish coffee liqueur made from orujo pomace brandy, sugar and coffee.

Don’t leave the region without sampling a slice of tarta de Santiago, a delicious almond cake made with sweet wine and lemon zest and dusted with icing sugar around an elaborate stencil of the cross of St. James.

Top tips

Try angulas – or baby eels – if you’re not squeamish! They’re salty and have a slight crunch and are quickly becoming something of a luxury.
Head to the town of Ourense and experience the natural thermal springs at As Burgas, a public outdoor bathing spot where the water can reach of temperatures of 60c.

What Oliver loves

Delightfully green in comparison to the Spain you’d probably first think of, Galicia feels like a real home from home with sleepy villages, rugged coastline and curious Celtic elements strewn around the countryside, giving it an almost Irish feel.

Oliver's Hidden Gem

Something uniquely Galician that you must go in search of are forranchos. This is where family homes open their doors to tourists and strangers to come and enjoy a whole host of homemade small plates for a very compelling price.

Towns and villages near Galicia

Galicia is dotted with buzzy towns and sleepy villages. From A Coruña with its busy port to Pontevedra with its beautifully preserved old town and gothic basilica and Vigo with its hilltop castle ruins, there’s a little something of everything for all to relish in.

Fancy extending your trip even further around this region? We have holiday homes to rent all over northern Spain, including San Sebastian in the heart of the Basque Country, or take a look at our offering in neighbouring Portugal to carry on your Atlantic adventure.

Galicia travel: Getting there and around

Galicia is found in the northwest corner of Spain and is well connected to the rest of the country by modern train routes and roads. You can get trains from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela in 3 hours.

You can also enter the region by sea via the port cities of A Coruña and Vigo.

Alternatively fly into Santiago de Compostela, the largest city and capital of the region.

By car

To get the most out of Galicia, it will be easiest to have access to a car. Parking is generally cheap and easy to find out in the rural areas. In towns, parking is heavily regulated. Make sure you are aware that:

•    Blue zones indicate that you have to use a parking meter.
•    Green areas are often more expensive than blue areas as they are reserved primarily for local residents.
•    Red zones are not free and are often placed in tourist areas.

By train

The Spanish national rail company Renfe operates short-distance services throughout the region as well as long-distance journeys that connect Galicia with the rest of Spain and to Portugal. Take a look at their handy Discounts page which may serve very useful if you’re travelling in a group or with older or younger members of your group.

By ferry

While you can’t access Galicia directly from the UK by ferry, a recommended option is to take the Brittany Ferries service from Portsmouth to Santander and embark on a coastal drive from Santander (Cantabria) through Asturias and into Galicia. The drive can take up to 4.5 hours but is well worth it for added scenery en route.

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