Pulpería A Solaina, Mugardos
The small fishing village of Mugardos, a 10-minute ferry ride across the estuary from Ferrol, has an outsized culinary reputation built almost entirely on one dish: pulpo á mugardesa, a local variation of Galician octopus that is boiled, sliced and served with a sauce of olive oil, garlic and pimentón. A Solaina is the kind of no-frills pulpería that makes it perfectly every single time.
Mugardos and Its Famous Octopus
Galicians argue passionately about regional octopus variations — Carballiño's version is the most famous nationally, but locals on both sides of the ría will tell you Mugardos does it better. The key difference is the sauce: mugardesa style adds a sofrito of garlic and onion beneath the smoked paprika, giving the dish a deeper, slightly sweeter base than the simpler Carballiño preparation.
A Solaina serves it the traditional way: on a plain white plate, with a thick slice of Galician bread to mop up the oil and a glass of cold Ribeiro or Albariño wine. The dining room is simple — paper tablecloths, wooden chairs, a view of the harbour — and the cooking is entirely the point.
Getting There and What Else to Order
The journey is half the pleasure. Take the lancha ferry from Ferrol's Estación Marítima — it runs roughly every 30 minutes and the crossing gives you a beautiful low-water view of the arsenal walls and the estuary. Mugardos village is a five-minute walk from the ferry dock.
Beyond the octopus, order the empanada if it is on the board that day — Galician savoury pastry filled with tuna or cockles — and finish with a tarta de Santiago or a small glass of orujo, the local grappa. Lunch here on a Sunday, when the village is at its most relaxed, is one of the great simple pleasures of the Galician coast.
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