A Hidden Gem, Off the Beaten Path
For my birthday, we decided to take a short road trip to A Coruña and stay a few nights. The drive through Ourense and Lugo was beautiful, and we stopped by Praia das Catedrais (Beach of the Cathedrals) on our way. Praia das Catedrais is a breathtaking site on the coast of the province of Lugo in Galicia, Spain. Its official name is Praia de Augas Santas (Beach of the Holy Waters), but it is more commonly known as Cathedral Beach due to its unique rock formations made of stacked slate that resemble the flying buttresses and arches of Gothic cathedrals.
To walk beneath the stunning rock formations, you must visit during low tide, as the beach is submerged at high tide, and the rock formations are partially covered by water, making them appear more like a typical coastal cliffside. We arrived during high tide, but the beach and the views were still exquisite, and we highly recommend visiting as a stop along the way!
On our last day in A Coruña, Kyle looked up things to do and found that Trip Advisor recommended Pazo do Faramello near Santiago de Compostela, just a 20-minute drive away.
Pazo do Faramello
A pazo is a traditional Galician manor house, often with historical and architectural significance. These grand, stone-built estates were typically the residences of nobility or wealthy landowners and are an important part of Galicia's cultural heritage. There are an estimated 700-800 pazos in Galicia, scattered across the region’s four provinces—A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense, and Pontevedra.
What defines a pazo?
Pazo de Mariñán
Many pazos feature elements like expansive gardens, chapels, defensive towers, and ornate stonework. A true pazo often has an ancestral connection, with ownership passed down through noble or prominent Galician families. To be officially recognized as a pazo, the building might need to be registered or documented in regional heritage records, confirming its historical value and adherence to this criteria. Pazos are found throughout rural Galicia, particularly near vineyards or small towns. Today, some have been converted into hotels, event venues, or cultural centers, preserving their legacy while giving them a modern purpose.
We've always shared a love for exploring historical architecture and gardens, so the idea of visiting one of these historic estates in a rural area was very intriguing!
As we drove down the main street, we noticed pilgrims walking the Camino and wondered if we'd be able to spot the pazo nearby. We continued towards the woods and found a gravel parking lot with one other car, situated next to a beautiful forest with Japanese maples and the sound of a river rushing nearby. We pulled in and noticed a large gate and an old stone wall up the path.
We had booked a tour of Pazo do Faramello, and by the looks of it we expected to be the only ones there, and most likely they didn’t speak English. As we walked up to the large gate, a woman appeared and asked, "¿Estás aquí para el recorrido?" ("Are you here for the tour?"). We stumbled through our Spanish, thinking this would be a great opportunity to practice.
Once inside the gate, the entrance was lined with grapevines with small lanterns hanging below. To the left were two very old apple trees and hydrangeas, and a pool hidden beyond the trees, covered in green algae. The woman left us to explore the grounds while she went to get an audio guide in English for our now private tour. It was helpful in understanding the history, and we tried to ask as many questions in Spanish as we could. She was very patient, kind, and knowledgeable about the property.
It turns out she had a deep connection to the property. Her grandfather had been the groundskeeper, and her father continued in his footsteps, still working the grounds today!
Pazo do Faramello was built in 1710 by the Marquises of Piombino, an Italian noble family who brought their influence to Galicia. The Marquis discovered the area during his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and decided to build his paper factory there. The factory, the first of its kind in Galicia, produced high-quality paper for books and documents, contributing to the area's economic development.
The estate covers about 98 acres (398,000 m²). The stone-built main house is in Baroque style, with ornate facades and arched windows overlooking the canyon of the Angueira (Tinto) River, surrounded by delicate rock formations. In its early years, Pazo do Faramello served as both an industrial and social center. Before our visit, I hadn’t considered how paper was made in those times.
In the 18th century, they used rags—old linens, cotton, or hemp. These rags were sorted, cleaned, and cut into smaller pieces, then soaked in water to soften the fibers. A stamper, a piece of equipment that crushed and ground the rags into a pulp, was used to break down the fibers. The longer the fibers were beaten, the finer the pulp and smoother the paper. After forming the sheets with a fine mesh screen, the wet sheets were transferred to felt or cloth. The layers of paper and felt were pressed together, then carefully separated and hung to dry. This entire process took up to two weeks for a batch of 100 sheets, compared to the few hours it takes today!
As the paper industry modernized in the late 19th and 20th centuries, Pazo do Faramello closed, unable to compete with newer, larger factories. The foundation of the factory remains, but the roof was collapsed, the debris buried, and a French garden planted on top. You can still see where the paper process once took place, along with the bridge to the old Camino.
In the early 1800s, parts of the factory and the palace were used as a defensive stronghold against the French during the Peninsular War. The house is still in the family of the Marquises, now in the 10th generation. Because of their role in using the estate as a defense, the Marquis was honored with a tomb in the Cathedral in Santiago.
With the recent rain, the grounds were covered in a thick carpet of bright green moss. On the terrace in front of the palace, Japanese plum trees stood with lanterns hanging above the tables, all covered in moss. The scenery felt straight out of a fairy tale. I can only imagine how mysterious it must look when thick fog fills the area!
I could have spent hours in the garden, reading under a tree with a glass of wine. It was so tranquil, with birdsong and the sound of the river in the distance. I was inspired to add similar elements to our own space.
Inside the house, it felt like stepping back in time. One of the doors even had a massive key! You can't take photos inside, so it’s definitely a must-see. Everything is preserved in its original condition, with only a few modern updates for today’s use.
You can no longer walk along the river as he once did on his pilgrimage, as a massive storm in the 1980s caused destruction to the forest and paths, so a new route for the camino was created. They hope to restore the original route someday.
This was definitely a highlight of our trip, and we were so grateful to have discovered it! We ended the tour with a delicious glass of Albariño wine made from grapes grown on the property, paired with dark chocolate and blueberries. We even bought a bottle of wine and a bar of chocolate to take with us.
To find out more or to reserve a tour visit https://www.pazofaramello.com/
