From northern Spain to the vineyards of France, across the hills of Italy and the Portuguese coast, our plants are located in truly charming areas. Each one reflects not just a way of working, but a way of living. In this feature, we invite you to discover these places through the eyes of those who live there, along with suggestions for creating your own journey — as authentic as it is inspiring.
In this first edition, we head to the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula to rediscover places full of character, history, and flavour. This four-stop route invites us to see cities like Vigo, Porto, Valladolid, and Guadalajara in a new light. In each one, our plants share space with iconic monuments, soulful corners, and vibrant traditions worth sharing. Pack your bags — the Hinojosa Route begins now.
Vigo – where the sea meets innovation
Located in the northwest of the peninsula, Vigo is a city infused with sea spray, maritime tradition, and industrial vitality. Its port — the largest in Europe in terms of fishing traffic — has made this Galician city a global benchmark in the canning industry. Just a few steps from the bustling harbour, Alameda Park offers a peaceful escape: the perfect spot for a stroll among camellias, a photo by the main fountain, or a meal in one of its historic restaurants.
Here, in northern Spain, you’ll find Hinojosa Packaging Vigo, a plant specialising in solutions for the canning industry. Thanks to its ability to produce compact cardboard in small and medium formats, it has become a leading name in packaging design for seafood products, adding value to one of the city’s most iconic industries.
Before continuing our Spanish journey, let’s stop off in Portugal and its colourful city, Porto.
Porto – graphic tradition in a city full of history
With the Douro River winding through narrow houses and tiled façades, Porto is steeped in history. One of the city’s most iconic spots is the recently renovated Bolhão Market. This century-old space has preserved its essence: stalls filled with fruit, vegetables, flowers, and local goods now sit alongside modern bars and restaurants serving the very best of local cuisine.
Guided by this balance of tradition and innovation, Hinojosa Packaging Graphicsleader is located nearby. From here, high-value-added packaging is produced for supermarket shelves. With over 125 years of history, this plant is a specialist in high-quality offset printing — transforming each package into a visual experience and paying attention to the smallest detail to meet growing demand for personalisation in the sector.
Valladolid – from Columbus’s legacy to the future of packaging
Back in Spain, we head to Valladolid, a city rich in history and culture. One of its most striking landmarks is the Columbus Monument, located in the square that bears his name. Designed by Sevillian sculptor Antonio Susillo and inaugurated in 1905, it was originally intended for Havana. This symbolic monument pays tribute to the explorer through detailed reliefs of his life, allegorical figures, and a sphere topped with a lion — alluding to the adventurous spirit of the era.
That same drive for exploration and innovation can be found at Hinojosa Packaging Valladolid, a versatile plant with a wide portfolio of products in all types of cardboard and print finishes. It is particularly renowned for its packaging design for frozen foods — especially prawns. Its solutions reach over 60 countries, serving sectors ranging from confectionery, ready meals, and meats to preserves, dairy, promotional, and industrial products. In its commitment to innovation and operational excellence, the plant has recently incorporated a cutting-edge offset printer that improves final packaging quality while also strengthening the group’s environmental commitment by reducing waste and using circular-lifecycle inks.
Guadalajara – technology and customisation from the heart of Spain
In central Spain, Guadalajara surprises visitors with its rich heritage and peaceful streets. One of its most unique gems is Palacio de la Cotilla, a 17th-century mansion now home to the Municipal School of Arts. Its most treasured feature lies on the upper floor: the Chinese Room, adorned with delicate rice paper wallpaper brought from China during the Qing Dynasty. Measuring over 24 metres in length and showcasing exquisite style, this room offers a window into another world — making for a truly unexpected experience.
This is also home to Hinojosa Packaging Guadalajara, operating since 1966. Thanks to its strategic location and focus on innovation, it has become a key centre for developing sustainable packaging solutions for e-commerce, large-scale retail, and logistics platforms. The plant is especially known for its use of fanfold — a continuous cardboard format that enables custom packaging for products of any size, optimising costs, space, and sustainability. In an increasingly demanding logistics environment, Guadalajara delivers agile, efficient, and environmentally responsible solutions.
A journey through four plants — and many reasons to keep exploring
These four stops show that the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula is not only a land rich in natural beauty, culture, and gastronomy, but also a region where industrial innovation harmonises with its surroundings — and where every plant reflects a unique way of creating local value.
And this is only the beginning. In future editions, we’ll continue discovering new locations, new stories, and new ways of travelling by following the Hinojosa Route. Because sometimes, to see a place differently, all you need is a new starting point.
