Responsible hospitality with Julio Castro Marcote
We speak to Julio Castro Marcote, director of the Parador Costa da Morte in Galicia...
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Standing atop the cliffs of Galicia’s dramatic Costa da Morte (Death Coast), the hotel Parador Costa da Morte is a beacon of responsible hospitality in Spain. Director Julio Castro Marcote discusses its conception, and how this scenic escape has been encouraging conscious travellers to flock to Spain’s green corner.
Can you tell us about Parador Costa da Morte and its origins?
The Parador Costa da Morte opened in June 2020. The decision was taken to build a Parador hotel on the Costa da Morte in 2002, after an environmental disaster caused by an oil-tanker spill off the Galician coast led to the collapse of the local fishing industry for more than a year. It was decided that tourism in this area needed a boost, and this would in turn create local employment opportunities and help to protect the environment.
Galician architect Alfonso Penela was chosen to create the hotel. He conjured a modern glass building that overlooks the Costa da Morte, an area that is known for its rugged coastline and powerful, foaming waves. When you enter the hotel, it initially seems modest in size; however, because it has been built in tiers that gradually rise up the sloping hillside, you soon realise, once inside, that it’s a lot bigger than you first thought
Julio Castro Marcote, Director of Parador Costa da Morte
Julio Castro Marcote, Director of Parador Costa da Morte
The Paradores group – a national network of hotels located in restored heritage buildings and unique sites around Spain – has more than one million loyal guests who enjoy staying at its properties across the country. Parador Costa da Morte is one of the most popular stays in the network, which is a great source of pride to us. Just as importantly, it also offers a regular income stream to the local community, since 80% of our staff are from the surrounding area.
How have you made responsible hospitality a focus?
Thanks to the hotel’s construction, which uses a large amount of glass, we are extremely energy efficient. The building faces east, so we receive light from the rising sun in the morning and throughout the day, meaning the central building is heated naturally – even in winter. This sustainable approach goes for our outdoor swimming pool and spa with indoor pool, too, which are heated using aerothermal energy.
In addition, we have planted vegetation on the roof of the building that helps regulate the temperature of the rooms. We water the roof – as well as our 13 hectares of land – daily, so water conservation is very important to us. Consequently, we built two stations on site that purify our wastewater and allow us to recycle it to water our fields and plants.
Parador Costa da Morte
Parador Costa da Morte
Similarly, we source as much of our food as possible from local Galician producers, following the philosophy of zero-kilometre gastronomy. We are committed to preparing and serving traditional Galician recipes that celebrate locally sourced ingredients, such as octopus, rice with lobster, and caldeirada, which is a traditional fish and potato stew.
What can visitors expect to see and do at the hotel?
We encourage our guests to enjoy the natural elements of the local area as part of the Paradores ‘Nature for the Senses’ programme. Our guests can enjoy spectacular coastal hikes that lead to beaches and lighthouses such as the one at Finisterre. We have breathtaking views over the ocean as well as out to Cape Vilan and its distinctive lighthouse, where you’ll also find a cemetery that is the final resting place of 170-plus British sailors who lost their lives when their ship (HMS Serpent) sank off the Costa da Morte in 1890.
We also offer horseriding excursions and the opportunity to learn how to dive. There are many shipwrecks here; in fact, that’s how the Costa da Morte got its name, because of how treacherous it was. Guests can also learn the Galician craft of making bobbin lace. A local artisan regularly comes to run workshops and courses for anyone wanting to try this historic craft.
Parador Costa da Morte
Parador Costa da Morte
Do you have any further sustainable initiatives planned in future?
We’re currently installing eight charging stations for electric cars. We also plan to add solar panels within the next five years so that we can produce even more of our energy from renewable sources.
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