Galicia's biggest city, Vigo, lies on the southernmost ria, close to Portugal. It's a lively and interesting – a boom town, with plenty of urban restoration projects and glitzy new buildings. Great for shopping, no doubt, but we were heading for Bayona, a traditional resort town on the Atlantic-facing coast south of the Ria de Vigo. It's where Cristopher Columbus arrived after discovering the New World.

An imposing castle (now a Parador hotel) on its own small peninsula broods over Bayona's new marina and shelters the town beach. Walking the ramparts is a must, if only to work up an appetite for yet another stupendous lunch. This time we chose Restaurant Tunel (in a street one back from the seafront called Ventura Misa) and weren't disappointed.

Arcade's mediaeval bridge saw a major battle in 1809

Our second villa, Pozo Vello, was set amongst small fields, vineyards and vegetable patches dotted among biggish detached houses. Apparently, many former emigrants (or their offspring) have returned to their homeland and built these big houses on much-divided family farms.

The newer houses look, frankly, rather ugly. Partly that's because many are built from local granite sawn into what look for all the world like giant breeze blocks, and partly because every house reflects its owner's individual designs. These sometimes lean towards the Dallas school of architecture. At least it's individual.

And there are still some beautiful older houses, as well as hundreds of horreos – stone-built grain stores, elevated on mushroom-topped stilts to beat the rats.

Bayona's castle (now a hotel) has views out to sea and over the sheltered harbour

Pozzo Vello proved ideal for a late addition to the party, my niece and her husband. Their two young children adored it – especially the safely-fenced pool, a shaded outdoor table under a living pergola, and the magnificent array of toys. Not to mention trees laden with cherries.

It was fun for the adults, too. "I don't think we've ever had anyone English in here before," said the owner of a pizzeria in Arcade, a mile or so away, when I asked if there were many foreign tourists.

Pozo Vello at Arcade - great for children

Perhaps that's not surprising. Arcade is a workaday town, by-passed by the motorway. It used to be more important when its long, narrow mediaeval bridge was the only way across the ria. It was fought over in a big battle in 1809, won by Spanish troops against the Napoleonic invaders.

The mixture of great beaches, countryside, gastronomy and culture makes Galicia an appealing destination. Having the secret pretty much to yourself makes it even better. And if it rains a bit more than elsewhere in Spain, that's no bad thing - you're likely to escape the extreme heat, drought and forest fires.

Will Galicia become a new mecca for villa holidays? Unlikely, because there simply aren't enough suitable properties. Few Brits own property in Galicia and there are few developments aimed at foreigners.

So unless you feel like buying your own piece of paradisein – in which case, try northern Portugal, where prices are lower – it looks like the answer lies in Vintage Travel's sumptuous brochure. As I discovered, you could hardly do better.

Looking north across the Minho estuary to Galica from Portugal