Ribadumia. Pazo Quinteiro da Cruz. Camellias route

About this heritage

The pazo Quinteiro da Cruz (a traditional manor house) is located in the valley of Salnés, in the parish of Lois, in the municipality of Ribadumia. The estate has an extension of 7 hectares, half of which is dedicated to the Albariño cultivation.

The pazo dates from the 18th century and consists of an original house with a large interior courtyard, the winery where albariño wine is produced, which is marketed under the brand name "Quinteiro da Cruz", Denomination of Origin Rías Baixas , the shed portico with stone columns, inside which there is an old chimney, a wine press and farming instruments (listed in the European wine heritage and historical-artistic heritage of Galicia). In the enclosure there are two large capacity hórreos (stone raised granaries) and an 18th century cruceiro (traditional stone cross), a dovecote, a chapel whose baptismal font dates back to the 16th century and ornamental fountains.

But without a doubt the most outstanding element is its garden with more than 850 kinds of camellias and exotic species. It is an ornamental space of great botanical interest, worthy on several occasions of the Golden Camellia of H.M. the Queen.

This enclave also has importance in the most recent history of Galicia because the reform of the current Statute of Autonomy of Galicia was done there, like the closing of the First Congress of Galician Poetry and closed the European days of Inventory of European Wine Heritage PATRIVIT.

Among the cultural figures that have visited the gardens of Quinteiro da Cruz, writers such as Manuel Maria (who dedicated beautiful sonnets), Uxio Novoneira, Bernardino Graña, Filgueira Valverde, Camilo José Cela are worth mentioning, Alfredo Conde, Nélida Piñón, painters such as Laxeiro, Ruibal, Conde Corbal, Xurxo Alonso, Chaves, Miguel Piñeiro, scientists such as Santiago Grisolía and Gregorio Varela, the film director Garci and the sculptor Ramón Conde, among others.

To learn more

The camellias come from countries as far away from Galicia as China and Japan, and arrived at the end of the 18th century. At first they were part of the pazos and manor houses of the Galician nobility, but over time they were introduced into the gardens and estates throughout the country, until Galicia became an international reference in the cultivation and production of this plant.

The genus Camellia includes many ornamental plants including the tea plant. In Galicia, especially in the Rías Baixas, it is widely cultivated as an ornamental species thanks to its acidic soils and its climate which favour its cultivation and induce a long flowering period.

Thanks to the natural hybridization of these plants in the gardens, new varieties were created, reaching the current 8000.

The fact that they are mostly found in estates and manor houses that have large gardens makes it a delight to walk around them observing the different varieties. This is how the Route of the Camellia was born in Galicia. It is a route proposed by singular pazos, distributed between A Coruña and Pontevedra, where the most spectacular gardens are found. The best time to take this route is from February onwards, as this is when this colourful camellia flower begins to flower.

In Ribadumia you can find the Pazo Quinteiro, which belongs to the Camellia Route, where, apart from tasting a good Albariño wine of their own harvest, you can see more than 5000 camellias of 1500 different varieties blooming. Of which three stand out, the japonica, the reticulata and the higo. This last one was awarded with the Golden Camellia in the International Competition dedicated to this bush.

To know it better

The Pazo Quinteiro da Cruz is located in the parish of Lois, in the municipality of Ribadumia, Pontevedra. This stately home has its own winery where they make their own Rías Baixas Albariño wine.

The building dates from the 18th century and has a neoclassical style. The exterior of the manor house stands out for having an alpendre or porticoed roof, two hórreos (raised granaries) and an 18th century cruceiro (traditional stone cross). In addition, its garden - recently declared of International Excellence - has species such as camellias, a dovecote, a chapel and ornamental fountains. In fact, the pazo can be visited every day of the year. Through the tour of its facilities we can awaken all our senses and learn about the more than 500 different species of trees and shrubs and more than 5,000 camellia trees.

Ribadumia is a municipality in the province of Pontevedra, located in the heart of the Salnés valley. It borders the municipalities of Vilanova de Arousa, Cambados, Meaño and Meis. The name of the municipality comes from the river that crosses it, the Umia