Why you should visit Combarro in the off-season

Do you want to know what the Galician village of Combarro looks like on a gray, rainy day during the off-season? The answer is: authentic.

Why do I recommend visiting Combarro at times of the year other than July and August?

Just take a look at the photos and tell me what "you don't miss" in them.

A word to the wise is enough. 😉

But there are other reasons:

You can find parking easily.
You can eat at whichever restaurant you'd like (and take your time).
You have the chance to talk to the locals without them being overwhelmed by the stress of a crowded store or a 10-meter line outside the bar.
Galicia wouldn't be Galicia without a little fog and drizzle, don't you think?

So, are you coming to visit Combarro at the end of September?

What to See in Combarro

Combarro is a small fishing village that you can explore on foot in less than an hour.

But if you really take the time to appreciate every detail, you could spend hours there without getting tired:

Balconies overflowing with flowers.
Endless stone walls.
Hórreos overlooking the sea.
Crosses on (almost) every corner…

In addition, you'll find several informational signs throughout the town written in Galician, Spanish, English…

I recommend that you take a look at them. In the absence of a real-life guide, they're the perfect tool for getting a little insight into the history of Combarro.

For example? Here are some of the interesting facts I learned:

Hórreos

These structures, typical of Galicia, were generally used to store grain.

However, the hórreos in Combarro are special.

Why's that?

Because instead of being located next to country houses, they served as fish-drying racks for the village fishermen.

That is why most of them (though not all) are located right on the waterfront, giving Combarro’s seaside skyline its unique character.

Cruceiros

A cruceiro is a religious sculpture consisting of a granite column topped by a cross and, sometimes, figures such as Christ, the Virgin Mary, or both.

They are usually located in squares or at crossroads, and in Combarro you’ll find as many as seven of them, almost all with the Virgin facing the sea and Christ facing the land (one of them, the one on Padrón Beach, faces exactly the opposite direction).

Beach and Coastline

One of the most spectacular views of Combarro is the one you get of its hórreos from the beach.

You can visit them during peak season (I imagine taking a dip at Padrón Beach must be a treat for the senses) or enjoy them while strolling along the shore during the off-season.

This is where I saw for the first time the traps that have been used to catch octopuses for centuries:

Octopus traps stacked on an old boat on Combarro Beach

Interesting, aren't they?

Where to Eat

By the time we got to Combarro, it was already 3 p.m., and we were starting to get hungry.

We thought it would be hard to get a table at a place with such great reviews as O Bocoi, but we only had to wait five minutes to be seated in the dining room overlooking the Pontevedra estuary.

The food was fantastic (clams in sauce and octopus a feira).

But you know what?

The dolphins leaping in the sea outside the window put the finishing touch on the evening.

I'm sure the food is also amazing at many other restaurants in Combarro. But I can recommend O Bocoi with full confidence. 😉

Where to park

If you visit Combarro in your own car during the off-season, you can find free on-street parking on the main street that runs through the town or in the harbor area.

I've marked the areas where I saw (plenty of) available parking on the map at the bottom of the page.

Are you visiting during peak season? Well then… good luck! 🙂

Where to Stay Near Combarro

There are quite a few hotel options in Combarro and the surrounding area.

But I can't tell you about any of them from personal experience because the day we visited the town, we were on a road trip from Pontevedra to Cangas del Morrazo.

Are you interested in those places to stay? Here's a brief description:

Accommodations in Pontevedra

We spent the previous night in Teresa's penthouse in downtown Pontevedra (through Airbnb).

This is a very small but fully functional apartment just a short walk from downtown Pontevedra. I recommend it only for two people who plan to spend very little time inside the apartment (due to its size).

However, if you just want a place to sleep, take a shower, and have a cup of coffee before leaving the house, this is the place for you. 🙂

Hórreos across from Combarro Beach, Galicia

Accommodations in Cangas del Morrazo

We decided to spend three days in Cangas on a “workation” (that is, working and vacationing at the same time—easier said than done, believe me 😉).

To that end, we chose the La Garita Country House.

It's a gorgeous, super comfy B&B with free parking on the eastern edge of Cangas, right where the beach ends.

From there to the port where you catch the ferries to Vigo or the Cíes Islands, it takes 35–40 minutes to walk along the promenade, but you save yourself the trouble of driving and looking for parking in downtown Cangas (a nightmare even in the off-season).

The best part about the house is that it has just a few rooms (so it's super quiet) and a spacious living room overlooking the estuary, where we took the opportunity to get some remote work done.