It’s April 17th, 2022, and our family of four is having the wildest of discussions standing on the terrace of a 300-year-old rectory, which once housed Catholic priests and a notable assembly of ne’er-do-wells, and today is in a half-constructed revival of its former glory. The topic at hand? Should we open a retreat in Galicia – a place we’ve known only after a few days of vacation and countless stories from relatives who longed to return? Mind you, this is a harebrained scheme we’ve bounced around for years, the product of two entrepreneurial minds in need of a new escapade, yet I’m quite confident neither of us saw it happening in just this way.
But alas, we’re nothing if not spontaneous, and that day, in the hills of Malvas, where moss-covered stones stacked among the lush landscapes whisper tales of history, and the open doors of locals ignited a flame in our hearts, we made the decision to build a home – not just for our family of four, but for all who embrace the adventure of life. It was here, in this magical land where the meandering River Miño borders Spain and Portugal, where the idea of El Agustín was born, a place where we could share the wonders we’d discovered with kindred spirits and weave stories from every character who walks through its doors.
Friends and family told us we were crazy –– a sentiment we heartily embrace! But in the spirit of our namesake, Oliver’s grandfather and a gregarious Gallego, Agustín, we threw caution to the wind and made the impulse buy of our lives: a partially completed parcel of history in the most spectacular town you’ve never heard of: Malvas, Spain.
We threw caution to the wind and made the impulse buy of our lives: a partially completed parcel of history in the most spectacular town you’ve never heard of: Malvas, Spain.
At the time, even we had no idea of the wonder that surrounded our Agustín dream. Perhaps we were too captivated by the rolling hills, the ancient cathedral standing guard over nearby Tui, and the vibrant cultures, flavors and traditions that flourish on either side of the border. Over the coming months, we’d slowly unpack the vineyards, water mills, streams and hikes that continue to lead us on too many adventures to count. We’d drop our jaws at the never-ending views of turquoise seas, dramatic waterfalls, uninhabited islands, and mossy forests. We’d revel in the luxury of idleness and marvel at nature’s kaleidoscopic palette.
Every day, our need to spread this magic grows, and so begins this tale of Agustín, our place to share this wild land where dreams and reality intertwine, these stories of the inspiring minds we discover along the way, and a place where everyday wanders morph into extraordinary wonders.
