The Beverly Hills of Galicia

Every autumn, once the summer crowds have gone home, a certain set of Galicians heads for the same corner of the Pontevedra coast. They go to Sanxenxo, the Rías Baixas resort that Spanish media have taken to calling the "Galician Beverly Hills". It is a resort town with a lively summer nightlife, but it is also a place with fine beaches, working fishing ports, medieval chapels and old manor houses, and that mix is what makes it worth a closer look, for a holiday or as a place to own a home.

The sun-and-beach capital of the Rías Baixas

Sanxenxo is the tourist capital of the Rías Baixas, and it holds a Spanish record: more Blue Flag beaches than any other municipality in the country. The Blue Flag is awarded for water quality, services, safety and environmental management. In 2026 Sanxenxo has up to 18 Blue Flag beaches and three Blue Flag marinas, and this year the little cove of Pampaido was added for the first time.

The town is busiest in summer, when its nightlife and the wave of visitors give it an energy few other Galician towns can match. Come in autumn, and you find the same coastline at a calmer pace, which is exactly why the region's well-off families choose it.

Silgar: the most famous urban beach in Galicia

Playa de Silgar is the heart of Sanxenxo and widely considered the most sought-after town beach in Galicia. It runs for around 750 metres of fine white sand, and the waters are calm and clean, sheltered from the Atlantic winds by the Pontevedra ría itself. That makes it well suited to swimming and to families.

Its landmark is the Madama de Silgar, a stone sculpture by Alfonso Vilar Lamelas that sits on a rock in the sea, drawing on Celtic mythology and the seafaring tradition of the coast.

More beaches within reach

The coast offers more variety than a single beach:

• Panadeira. A small, central cove with gentle water, popular with young children.
• A Lanzada. Shared with neighbouring O Grove and part of the Natura 2000 network, this is one of the best-known beaches in Spain.
• Foxos and Major. Open to the Atlantic swell, these are favourites for surfing and bodyboarding, for anyone who wants wilder surroundings.

History beyond the beach

Sanxenxo's story goes back much further than its holiday trade. The Castro is a fortified pre-Roman settlement that helps explain Iron Age trade along this coast. Beside the sea lies a Galician-Roman necropolis dating from around the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, excavated right at the edge of the beach.

A few kilometres away stands the Ermita de A Lanzada, a late-Romanesque chapel built using the remains and stones of an earlier church. In the old town, the Church of San Ginés is an important example of late Gothic seafaring architecture in Galicia. One local curiosity: watchmen on the rocky headland once lit large bonfires to warn other towers along the ría of danger, passing the alarm along the coast.

The pazos facing the ría

For anyone interested in Galicia's historic estates, the pazos of Sanxenxo are a highlight. These are former noble residences, and many form some of the finest Baroque civil architecture in the region. Most are privately owned and can only be admired from outside, but two are especially well known:

• Pazo de Quintáns (Noalla). A rare publicly owned pazo, recently restored as a cultural space. It has a Baroque sun gallery, a stone wall, a large traditional granary (hórreo) and a private chapel.
• Pazo de Miraflores. The "literary pazo", once the summer home of the novelist Emilia Pardo Bazán, whose gardens and rooms inspired some of her work. It is surrounded by vineyards.

Where to eat

Seafood is king here. At the Real Club Náutico, La Taberna del Náutico specialises in Galician cooking, with an emphasis on fresh fish and shellfish from the ría. Sabino works from traditional Galician cuisine too, with dishes such as scallops au gratin and grilled razor clams alongside more modern touches, and is also known for rice dishes and fresh fish.

Living and investing near Sanxenxo

Sanxenxo's appeal as a second home is easy to see: reliable beaches, marinas, restaurants, heritage and a well-developed holiday infrastructure, all within the Rías Baixas, in a part of Spain that remains good value next to the Mediterranean. The same qualities make the wider area attractive to those who want a home they can use year-round and let in the summer, subject to local licensing rules.

Galicia Estates currently lists new-build homes in the surrounding area of Pontevedra province:

• Modern Semi-Detached Villas with Private Gardens, A Caeira, Poio. Four-bedroom new-build villas in Poio, next to Pontevedra city and roughly 20 km from Sanxenxo, from €638,000 + 10% VAT. Each has a private garden of more than 250 m², a roof solarium, energy rating A and Porcelanosa finishes.
• Afaro Vigo. A new residential development in Vigo, Galicia's largest city and the region's main airport gateway, from €680,000 + VAT.

Browse every current listing at galiciaestates.com/properties.

Planning a visit

Sanxenxo is at its most atmospheric outside the peak weeks of July and August, when the beaches are quieter and the restaurants are full of locals. Allow time to combine the beach with the historic sites and a pazo or two, and take independent legal advice before buying, particularly on tax and holiday-rental licensing.

This article draws on information published by El Periódico (Escápate Cerca). Details such as Blue Flag numbers can change from year to year, so check current figures before relying on them.