Beyond powdery blonde Lourido beach, the Atlantic swirled around plunging cliffs, wind-lashed lighthouses and miles of green, eucalyptus-scented Galician countryside. Unbelievably for 2020, I was at a just-launched hotel: the hotly awaited Parador Costa da Morte, on Galiciaâs misty, eerily entrancing west coast, just outside the stonewalled fishing village of MuxÃa in north-west Spain.
Spainâs much-anticipated 98th parador had been in the works for almost two decades, and is part of a long-term recovery project to boost tourism (and the economy) on Galiciaâs Costa da Morte following the disastrous 2002 Prestige oil spill. After delaying its planned Easter 2020 launch because of the pandemic, this £22âmillion, sustainability-focused beauty finally threw open its doors in late June â and, despite all the odds, it fast became a favourite. While there are wonderful small country hotels and pilgrim hostels around, the parador takes the Costa da Morteâs accommodation scene to new levels of design and luxury.