Last year, I had the good fortune of exploring Northern Spain, including the beautiful territory of Galicia. I was onboard the luxury train Tren Al Andalus and the journey took me from Zaragoza to A Coruña, right along the St. James or Santiago de Compostela Route.
After that wonderful luxury trip, our Galician guide, Manuel, took my travel buddy and I around the Santiago countryside. As you probably know, my lifelong dream is to walk the Camino de Santiago and so, I asked Manuel to show us a couple of hotels that I could possibly stay in should the time come. He said he had one hotel in mind: the Casa Brandariz.
Casa Brandariz is actually a traditional Galician farmhouse built in 1523. Located in Dombodán Brandariz (Arzúa), it sits on the border that separates La Coruña and Pontevedra. Although it is about 8 kilometers off the main Camino de Santiago route, many pilgrims take the extra time to make a detour before going to the final stage of their walk.
I immediately felt at home upon entering the cozy inn. Restored meticulously using local materials, the house has two distinct areas: the ground floor where one can find the communal spaces such as the dining room, lounge and kitchen, and the second floor where one can find the bedrooms.
The dining room is huge and can fit maybe about 30-40 pilgrims at a time. Apparently, this is where they serve the best Capon (castrated male rooster) in town. The food here is so outstanding that the hotel has won several local gastronomy awards, namely, the Premio Alvaro Cunquiero, Premio Tenedor de Oro, and Gastronomico de Galicia.
// The famous Capon Corral. Photo courtesy of Casa Brandariz
The rooms on the second floor are said to be superb. In fact, the hotel has been getting rave reviews from satisfied guests and it’s easy to see why.
//The proprietress who gave us a very warm welcome.
Someday, when I DO WALK the Camino, I will make it a point to spend a night here. Even if it means spending a little more.
For more information about Casa Brandariz, visit their website here.
Note: This is NOT a paid post.