Pazo de Oca

From: Galician Palace Gardens

ABOVE: Vases flank a path in the Pazo de Oca's gardens. INSET BELOW: The chapel (1712-1752) and manor house (1746).

By Durant Imboden

Michelin's Green Guide: Spain gives two stars (out of a possible three) to the Pazo de Oca, a ranking that means the palace and its "amazing garden" are worth a detour.

We think you'll enjoy touring the gardens, which have earned the nickname of "Galicia's Versailles." The extensive gardens include stone fountains, an artificial lake with islands shaped like boats, topiary animals, exotic trees, Baroque follies, and more.

The palace itself is a lovely backdrop, and its chapel is worth a peek. (You can book the chapel for weddings, but inquire early, because the chapel and manor house are popular with Galician couples.)

How to reach the Pazo de Oca:

From Santiago de Compostela, head southeast (toward Lalín) on the N-525 road, which runs parallel to the AP-53 motorway. The Pazo de Oca is about 25 km or 16 km from Santiago, and the settlement of Oca is shown on Turgalicia's free Galicia tourist map.

For more information, click here.

Next page: More Pazo de Oca photos

Galician Palace Gardens:

Introduction

Pazo de Oca

Pazo Santa Cruz de Rivadulla

Also see:

Santiago de Compostela

The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago (book review)

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo. Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials.

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