A spar for a vane arc segment of a gas turbine engine includes an elongated spar leg that has a spar wall that circumscribes a core passage. There is a plenum passage embedded in the spar wall between inner and outer portions of the spar wall. The inner portion of the spar wall is fully solid such that the plenum passage is fluidly isolated from the core passage. The outer portion of the spar wall has a plurality of cooling through-holes for emitting cooling air from the plenum passage.