Parador de Baiona

Sleeping inside Monterreal

The Parador occupies the Monterreal fortress, on the peninsula that closes the Bay of Baiona to the west, about 20 km from Vigo. The grounds cover 180,000 m² and are surrounded by about three kilometres of crenellated wall, with three towers: the Clock Tower at the entrance, the Tenaza to the east, above the harbour, and the Príncipe to the west, above the bay, which served as a lighthouse. The State bought it in 1963 to make a parador, and the present building, between castle and Galician pazo, dates from 1963 to 1966. A Galician wine cellar was installed in the old stables. The grounds are protected as a Site of Cultural Interest.

One hundred and twenty-two rooms and a pool over the sea

According to the Michelin Guide, it has 122 rooms. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00. There is 24-hour reception, concierge, room service, left luggage, air conditioning and free wifi in the common areas.

Outside, the garden with the outdoor pool, which opens only in season, and the bay and the Cíes in view. It also has a sauna, jacuzzi, tennis court and bicycles for guests.

Children of any age are welcome; those up to two years old do not pay if they use a cot or an existing bed, and extra beds and cots are requested when booking. Paradores does not publish a fixed rate: the price changes with the date and the room.

Parking is not a problem

Unlike the parador in historic old towns, here there is free outdoor parking inside the grounds, with no booking, as well as a paid garage and an electric car charging point.

Two restaurants in the fortress

Torre del Príncipe is the formal dining room. Enxebre A Pinta is the informal one, for sharing octopus, empanada and local shellfish; outside summer it opens only at weekends.

The Cíes from here

At Easter, at weekends in June and daily from July to 15 September, boats to the Cíes leave from Baiona harbour, on foot from the Parador: see the boat to the Cíes Islands. The rest of the year, the port with the most departures is Vigo. At the foot of the wall starts the Monte Boi walk, almost two kilometres between the sea and the stone; the grounds are open to the public from 8:00 to 21:00, according to Turismo Rías Baixas.