Cambados is a beautiful seaside town in Galicia, in the province of Pontevedra. It is most famous for being the capital of the Albarino wine region and in 2017 was declared the white wine capital of Europe.
It has a population of about 13,000 but in the summer months, this can double as people seek the cooler coastal climate.
Every year Cambados celebrates the Albarino festival with wine tasting, food, parades and other events. The festival is held in the first week of August and in 2018 the festival attracted around 150,000 visitors.
Cambados was originally a fishing village and fishing remains an important part of the local economy. As well as the fishing fleet, every day you can see groups of mariscadoras collecting shellfish and other seafood delicacies. These are a stable part of the amazing Galician gourmet offerings.
Fans of Spanish TV might also know Cambados as the setting for the Netflix series Fariña. This was based on actual events in the area during the 1980´s.
If you are in Cambados you have to sample the local Albarino wine. There are plenty of places to buy by the bottle or case and you can even visit a winery to learn more about wine production. If you visit during the Albarino Festival then you are sure to have a good time.
Cambados is a beautiful little town to just stroll around. There are many beautiful old buildings and plazas scattered around the town. Starting from the town centre and the council building, you will find a statue of Galician writer Ramón Cabanillas.
From here, you can walk along the waterfront in either direction. If you stroll through the park and past the Parador you will walk slowly up towards the old quarter with many restaurants and wine shops along the way.
You can walk to see the Torre San Sadurniño , a watchtower that dates back to the times of Viking raids in the region. To get there, just follow the waterfront going south and it is a very nice 10 minute walk from the town centre.
The Casa Historica de Cambados, located near Plaza Fefiñáns, has an eclectic collection from one local family. Look for the old red sports car out the front.
In Plaza Fefiñáns there is a tourist train that will take you around the town which is great for children.
There are markets every Thursday and Saturday morning near the waterfront where a wide range of clothes and other items are for sale.
In spite of its small size, Cambados boasts one Michelin star restaurant, Yayo Daporta, but fantastic dining can be found in many of the restaurants in town.
My favourite restaurant for a long time was A De Luis but like many businesses, Covid lockdowns forced them to close their restaurant doors in Rue Real.
Thankfully, they have opened a more relaxed Cafetería A de Luis which can be found at Rúa Pontevedra, 17-1 and they are still serving fantastic food. Their menu del dia offers an excellent range and quality every day.
Speaking of menu del dia. The price range in Cambados is between 11 to 15 euros. This is a little higher than the Galician average but the quality is generally very good. Other good places to eat include Divinas Palabras and Vago Viños.
For a great coffee and cake, walk along the waterfront to Plus De Sucre, our go-to coffee place.
The Parador de Cambados is located right in the centre of town. It has very good rooms, a good restaurant and couldn’t be in a better position. There are a range of other smaller hotels and rentals available but try to stay near the centre if you can.
Cambados is easy to get to by road. It is around a 50 minute drive from Santiago De Compostela. 30 minutes from Pontevedra and 45 minutes from Vigo.
Vilagarcia is the nearest railway station travelling north from Pontevedra and Vigo or South from Santiago De Compostela. You can catch a connecting bus 3 times a day but be warned, the bus timetables can be a bit sketchy. A taxi is a 15 minute ride costing approximately 20 euros.
There is a bus from Santiago de Compostela 2 times a day.