camelias

It has the task of regulating the Route of the Camellia Gardens of Galicia

Organizing and regulating the locations of the Galicia Camellia Route, as well as the associated tourist products, is the objective of the Camelia Galicia Committee, which today met for the first time in the Pazo de Rubiáns. Galicia is home to 8,000 varieties of camellia. It is a flower that came to our Community in the 18th century from countries such as China or Japan. It began to be cultivated in the gardens of pazos and stately homes, and little by little it became the protagonist of public parks and farms. Galicia is the main camellia cultivation point in Europe.

Its association with the architecture of pazos and public gardens, its early flowering and the rarity of many of the varieties have made the camellia a prime tourist resource. That is the reason why the Xunta de Galicia established in May 2020 the management of the Camellia Gardens Route and created the Camelia Galicia Committee.

The Committee is made up of 15 people and is chaired by the First Vice-president of the Xunta, as Minister of Tourism. Among the members are, in addition to the president of the Galicia Tourism Cluster, Cesáreo Pardal, representatives of administrations, such as the councils of Pontevedra and A Coruña and of international entities, such as the Gardens of Excellence of the International Camelia Society.

At present, the Camellia route regulated by this Committee is made up of the Soutomaior Castle, the Rubiáns Pazo, the Oca Pazo, the Lourizán Pazo, the Mariñán Pazo, the Alameda de Santiago, the Santa Cruz Pazo, the Pazo Museo de Rosalía de Castro, the Pazo Quinteiro da Cruz, the Parque do Castro de Vigo and the Pazo Museo Quiñones de León. Today’s meeting received the request to enter the Pazo de Pegullal route, from Salceda de Caselas.