Letter From the Editor, August 2016

This month’s Hideaway Report describes a two-week 550-mile journey through northwest Spain, from Vigo on the Atlantic coast of Galicia to the great cathedral cities of Santiago de Compostela, Burgos and León, as well as the famous La Rioja and Ribera del Duero wine regions. My trip rectified a serious omission, as it was the first time that I have looked at the province of Galicia in detail.

Along the way I discovered two exceptional properties: A Quinta da Auga near Santiago and Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine, located 120 miles north of Madrid. The former is an idyllic family-owned country hotel, housed by an 18th-century former paper mill. I will long remember flinging open the shutters of our suite to be greeted by a chorus of birdsong and the sound of rushing waters. The latter occupies a 1,730-acre estate and has been created within a spectacular 12th-century Cistercian monastery.

The big change in Spain over recent years, however, has been the huge improvement in the quality and variety of the food. Galicia and La Rioja are now gastronomic destinations comparable to, say, Tuscany or Alsace. The seafood is as good as that to be found anywhere in Europe. Casa Solla in Pontevedra is a destination restaurant, as is El Portal in Ezcaray. And the wineries are consistently welcoming to American travelers.

This issue also covers developments in the Caribbean. Belle Mont Farm in St. Kitts is a highly imaginative new resort that offers an alternative to more conventional properties in the West Indies. And the new Amanera in the Dominican Republic has predictably dramatic architecture and a magnificent seaside golf course, designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones and recently renovated by his son.