Volcanoes, nature, sport, gastronomy, tradition, architecture… It would be difficult to find another destination offering as much as Tenerife, whose privileged situation also makes it a perfect island to visit at any time of the year.

Urban beaches, idyllic little coves, rolling hills, mountainous landscape, lunar landscape, sunsets, forests, mountains, fairy-tale paths and friendly locals. The Canaries have it all!

The Ria de Muros e Noia is one of the Galicia region’s least built-up coastal areas, and also one of the most beautiful. Fishing boats landing delicious, shellfish, white sandy beaches with good surfing, all framed by green hills with a riot of vegetation –it’s definitely worth a visit. Here is a route you might consider.

Mt. Louro and the Xarfas Lagoon
Starting from the northern extreme of the estuary, between the Costa da Morte and Muros, you can stand atop Louro mountain, a 241-metre high granite block, and feast on the views of the Ria de Muros e Noia and the Lagoa de Xarfas with its fabulous Area Maior beach. The surrounding –hills, dunes, beach and the lagoon—boast a wealth of flora and fauna. There’s even an observatory for watching migratory birds.

Muros
Heading south we come to the town of Muros, founded in the 10^th C. , and now featuring modest fishermen’s houses next to lordly mansions from bygone times. A stroll the town in the late afternoon can be timed to coincide with the arrival of the boats in the evening after a day’s fishing. The fish is put up for sale immediately on the dock, which is also an interesting spectacle to watch. And it means your shellfish dinner will be fresh and delicious. You won’t be disappointed by any of the restaurants under the arches near the water’s edge.

Just three kilometres away on the road to Noia is the Muíño de Mareas do Pozo do Cachón, a flour mill powered by the tides, built in the last quarter of the 19^th C. There is also an interesting museum.

Noia
Noia is the biggest town in the estuary, and is only 36 km distant from Santiago. According to tradition, it was named for Noah, who is believed to have settled there after the Biblical flood. The city’s coat of arms shows an ark and a dove bearing an olive branch.

The old quarter features two churches built in the local version of the Gothic style: San Martiño (15^th-16^th C.) and Santa María a Nova (14^th C.), the latter with a fascinating collection of about 500 tombstones. The 16^th C. convent of San Francisco may also be visited, and the town is replete with stately mansions, such as the Casa da Xouba, the Pazo Dacosta (or Casa de Rivas), and the Pazo Forno do Rato. In the Obre district the pazos (mansions) of Pena de Ouro and Bergondo are worth a visit.

Some five kilometres from de Noia, across the Tambre, we come to the Ponte Nafonso, a bridge built during the 12^th C. reign of King Alfonso IX of Leon and Galicia. It consists of a score of pointed arches lying on granite ashlars. The setting against the sea and mountains makes the sight of the bridge all the more spectacular

Castro de Baroña
On the south side of the estuary, next to the fishing village of Porto do Son, is the Castro de Baroña, an Iron Age Celtic settlement, with a score of round or oval stone cottages, once thatched, on a small peninsula. The archaeological remains and the wonderful landscape make it a worthwhile visit.

Corrubedo Dunes Nature Park
Between the Ria de Muros and Noia and that of Arousa, to the south, lies this lovely park with beaches, dunes, fresh- and salt-water lagoons, wetlands, and even megalithic remains. One of the main attractions is the “moving dune”, a restless pile of sand about a kilometre long , 200-300 meters wide, and 20 metres tall.

Some Further Recommendations
Though the quickest way to explore the Muros and Noia estuary is by the AC-550 coast road, we recommend side trips into the surrounding hills to get the best views.

For lodging there are numerous country inns and guest houses on both sides of the water, most of them in old and typical buildings. A particularly unusual place to stay is the hotel Pesquería del Tambre, in the Tambre river valley on the site of and old hydroelectric dam transformed into a nature hotel by the architect Antonio Palacios.

Check out our flights to Santiago de Compostela and head west to the sea!

Text: Isabel y Luis Comunicación

Pictures: Turismo de Galicia

As far as taste goes, Lanzarote tastes really good. It offers enclaves secluded from mass tourism where you can eat marvellous dishes that would wow any modern urbanite in search of authenticity, quality and good taste. Here are five eateries you simply cannot pass up.

Sol

This restaurant, with a terrace sitting right on the beach sand, is located in the priceless Caleta de Famara, a surfing spot with an island ambience, the architecture and spirit of which will immediately take you back to the white villages of Cádiz. Here you will enjoy home cooking in the finest sense, a breath of fresh air for anyone who is tired of the modishness prevailing in practically all corners of the big capitals. Sol is the place to book a table overlooking the sea and savour grilled fresh fish, accompanied by some traditional Lanzarote dish. If you’re looking for creative Canary Island cuisine and somewhat more sophistication, a few yards away is El Risco – an upcoming Michelin star?

Lost Paradise

If you hankering after the magical, alternative touch, be sure to contact Bruno, the life and soul of Lost Paradise, a small company based in Lanzarote which organises customised activities. He will take you sailing off the beautiful beaches of El Papagayo and invite you to join him fishing. Later, he will light his barbecue, prepare some amazing salad, open a bottle of wine or some beers and cook whatever he has caught earlier on. An unforgettable experience, in which you will savour produce that melts in the mouth and then take a nap on the high seas.

El Fondeadero

The first sign that gets you thinking El Fondeadero de Teguise must be the place to be is that it is frequented by locals – mainly workmen from the area. And, when you see their spectacular charcoaled fish, prawn in earthenware dishes and numerous tapas crafted with food from the sea, you will be in no doubt that you’ve hit the jackpot. You settle down at a table in this aesthetically plain yet pretty, happy and sunlit restaurant and go through the menu, which will surprise you for its really affordable prices. Avenida Los Corales 22 (Teguise)

El Caletón

Pressing on with freshly caught fish and a restaurant – like the previous one – frequented by locals, El Caletón is hidden in a corner of El Golfo island and affords beautiful views of the sea. Its secret lies in providing top quality raw material, extremely fresh fish and seafood accompanied by traditional starters, salads and other offerings, good local wines and a service brimming with hospitality and proximity. Their large sea-facing patio means that guests with children can while away the afternoon glass in hand, with the lapping waves in the background, while the kids bask in the splendid temperatures that Lanzarote is blessed with all year around, among other things. Avenida Marítima 66 (El Golfo)

Jameos del Agua

While this is the mainstream offering in our list, it is by no means less alluring. Jameos del Agua is the island’s number one tourist attraction, with the permission of the magnificent Timanfaya National Park. This is a spatial construction worked over a series of natural grottoes by the Lanzarote artist, César Manrique, located inside a volcanic tunnel produced by the eruption of La Corona Volcano. It features a priceless café set in a beautiful yet disturbing lunar landscape, the ideal spot for taking a breather to enjoy the silence and the views.

Staying the Night

Spice

The more broad-minded can book a room in the only hotel in Europe dedicated to swingers. What are the requirements? Those making a booking must be a mixed, male-female, couple who can afford the €300 per night fee for the room and who are not fazed by anything. Because, if you ask the staff what people actually get up to once they cross the threshold of Spice, they answer categorically – Anything goes! What do you mean by anything? “Anything, anywhere, as long as it is consensual”.

Now that we’ve left you open-mouthed with these magnificent offerings, all that’s left it to book your Vueling and experience them.

Text and photos by Laura Conde of Gastronomistas.com