Pazo Santa Cruz de Rivadulla

From: Galician Palace Gardens

ABOVE: The parish church and manor house of Santa Cruz de Rivadulla.

By Durant Imboden

Not far from the Pazo de Oca is the Pazo Santa Cruz de Rivadulla, sometimes referred to as "Granja de Ortigueira." The property dates back to the 1500s, and today's white stuccoed buildings were mostly constructed in the mid-1700s.

The English-style gardens, which were laid out in the 19th Century, are subtler and more natural than the French-style gardens of the Pazo de Oca. They're also less impressive to the non-botanist, although they do include a pretty waterfall and a wonderful grove of olive trees--some of which are nearly 300 years old. (Also, the Spanish Tourist Office points out that the gardens have 500 kinds of camellias, which may be of interest if you visit when the flowers are in bloom.)

My advice: If you have time for just one garden excursion from Santiago de Compostela, visit the Pazo de Oca; if you can spare an extra hour and another few euros, stop at Santa Cruz de Rivadulla on your way back to the city.

How to reach the Pazo Santa Cruz de Rivadulla:

The manor house and its gardens are on the N-525 road, 18 km or 11 miles southeast of Santiago de Compostela. From Oca, head north and look for kilometer 323. (You might want to have your hotel concierge mark the location on your road map.)

For more information, including ticket prices and visiting hours, visit the Pazo de Rivadulla Web site.

Next page: More Pazo Santa Cruz de Rivadulla 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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