An old stone ruin was converted into a modern property in 2016. The main house sleeps 8 in 4 bedrooms, each with its own shower room and there is a studio separate from the house that sleeps 4 whose rental is not including here. They can be booked together or separately. The price here is for the main house only. See listing 4437697 for the studio.
The house is located in the midst of vineyards, reached by a narrow dirt road and has no neighbours. The main house has 4 bedrooms, each with its own shower room, a large outdoor patio with outdoor kitchen, dining and sitting areas, a 15m heated pool and two outdoor showers. The outdoor patio has a stone counter with a large gas plancha, a charcoal BBQ and a sink. The surroundings are totally quiet and green and without any traffic. There is no need to get in the car: you can walk to 2 beaches, there are coastal walks along the Cabo do Home and two restaurants in Donon within 500m. Aldan within a 10 minutes drive.
The interior walls are in exposed stone, the shower rooms in Portuguese marble and the doors and joinery in local chestnut wood. All appliances are top quality (Miele and Neff). Two of the bedrooms have a double bed (1.6m wide), and two can be arranged as double or twins. All have their own shower room: three are ensuite, the fourth just outside the bedroom.
The lower level has: outdoor patio, living areas, kitchen and there bedrooms without any step. The upper floor has the largest bedroom with office area and shower/wc, with one step up to upper outdoor terrace next to the pool.
Studio: this separate property No. 4437697 can be rented at the same time if you need room for 2-3 people more. It has a double bed and a 90cm wide sofa bed as well as kitchennette. The rent is not included in this rental. The studio is separated from the house by a footpath and there is no overlooking, as they is a stone wall 1.8m tall between them. The pool is only acessible to the users of the main house. Both have fairly large gardens.
The house is on the Ria de Vigo, near the Cabo do Home and Barra beach and close to the pretty port of Aldan. 2.5 km long Barra beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Galicia, is 15 mins walk away, accessed by foot through an unspoilt nature reserve with vineyards and sand dunes, without any construction. It is nudist at the end closest to the house but it's not crowded due to the access by foot only and there is no problem wearing a swimming costume.
The area of Aldan has a unique microclimate, the most temperate in Spain. Galicia is beautifully green and unspoilt but it has a reputation for variable weather. This area has little rain in summer and is significantly warmer. The patio of the house is protected and stores the heat from the sun, so it's a wonderful place to be at night and in spring and autumn.
Access:
The house is quite isolated, the nearest neighbours are about 300m away in the village of Donon (two restaurants and a bar). We think this is the best thing about the house, but it may not suit everyone. There are a few people hiking or mountain biking nearby during the day but otherwise there are very few people and almost no cars. The access is down a 400m long dirt track which is fairly steep at the top. We see this as a big advantage as it looks very private and deters cars from coming down.
There is very good wifi but no television. Phone reception is poor, you need to go into the garden. The exterior of the house is not completely child proof, there is no handrail on exterior stair. You should look at the photos to make sure that you are comfortable with having your children there. The pool has an automatic cover for child safety. There is no bath tub but there's the pool and the sea!
Airports:
Vigo 30 mins serving Luton (Iberia 15 Jul-30 Sep), Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao Paris (Iberia) and Lisbon.
Santiago 1h20 mins several destinations including Easyjet, Ryanair and Vueling to Gatwick or Stansted, everyday in summer
La Coruna 1h45m, everyday from Heathrow on Vueling.
Porto 1h45 mins serving wide selection of airports
Info on Shopping for food:
The nearest medium size supermarket is Froiz, a good quality chain (10 mins). From the house it’s past the Porto de Aldan, going uphill on the right. Easy to park.
Local Markets, great for fish, sea food and locally grown vegetables sold by old ladies on the street:
Cangas (12 mins): on the sea front, use the large car park at the end of Avenida de Galicia (access from Ave. Vigo). Morning only, biggest days are Tuesdays and Friday. Monday is not so good for fish. Open every day except Sunday.
Bueu (15 mins): smaller and easier to park than Cangas, open mornings and afternoons also after 5pm. biggest days are Monday and Thursday (Monday not so good for fish). Open every day except Sunday.
There are two large Carrefour Hypermarkets South and North of Pontevedra (convenient if you arrive from Santiago), both just off the highway. The North one is easier to get in and out of. There are two others in Vigo: the closest is at Rúa da Travesia de Vigo, 202, 36207 Vigo.
Marcadona Hypermarket at Av. de Madrid, 108, 36214 Vigo has a good reputation for fresh fruits and vegetables and is easy to access from the highway.
