Destination Pontevedra

Pontevedra

Pontevedra capital is constituted as a municipality in which all the old town and the most important points of interest are settled along a route along the banks of the Lérez River. These are the Basilica of Santa María A Maior, late Gothic style, the convent of Santa Clara or the Ruins of Santo Domingo, where visitors are not allowed in the interior, but it is worth contemplating from outside. It is also highly recommended to visit the Museum of Pontevedra, which brings together paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, archaeological objects, coins, musical instruments, tools of everyday life, furniture and jewelry that are more than 4000 years old.

Vigo

Vigo, is the most populated municipality of this province. Wandering through its streets and along its promenade, we discover curious monuments such as the Siren or Jules Verne's sculpture of the giant squid. Castrelos and Castro are the two large green spaces of the city. The first one is the Quiñones de León Museum, specialized in the history of Vigo. The Castro, on the other hand, is characterized by its gardens of camellias and viewpoints. In addition, the beach of Samil, is the favorite spot of many to enjoy the sunset with the fantastic views of the Cies Islands in the background, and why not, take the opportunity to visit the Museo do Mar.

Villages with charm

Both inland and on its coast, Pontevedra has many must-see places such as A Estrada, where you can find the beautiful Pazo de Oca, known as the Galician Versailles with its impressive garden. Combarro, where to visit the typical Galician granaries, the municipality of Soutomaior with its important castle that also has a garden with a great variety of camellias and beautiful views of the valley; Cambados, a place to live the wine culture through albariño, undoubtedly one of the best white wines in our country; Vilanova de Aurousa, the birthplace of Valle-Inclán and Sanxenxo and its white beaches...

Photo: Pazo de Oca

More Charming Villages

It is also worth stopping in the municipality of O Rosal, in the south of As Rías Baixas and contemplating the spectacle of the cascade mills: the Folón and Picón mills - a place that few know - and the statue of the Virgin of Roca, in Baiona, one of the most touristic coastal towns of Pontevedra, with the honor of being the first thing that the sailors of the La Pinta caravel saw on their return after discovering America.

Photo: O Rosal

Rías Baixas

The entire coast of Pontevedra is part of what we know as Rías Baixas, characterized by its large size compared to the rest of the Galician estuaries. Its best-known beaches are A Lanzada in O Grove, Tempérans in Cangas, Aguete in Marín, Playa América in Nigrán, Playa de Rodas in Islas Cíes and of course Samil in Vigo.

Natural heritage

Definitely, the natural heritage in these lands is impressive, and an example is the islands near its coast, since in this province is the National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia that includes the Ons Islands in the Ría de Pontevedra, Cies in the Ría de Vigo.

Very close to the coast inland, there are dream forests, where water in the form of waterfalls and streams is the protagonist, such as the Toxa River Waterfall (Silleda) with a hiking trail that reaches the Carboeiro monastery, or the picturesque route of A Pedra e da Auga where the Mills of Meis are located.

And continuing with the benefits of water, in Pontevedra there are also the villas of Cuntis, Caldas de Rei and Mondariz known for their spas and thermal waters.

Photo: Cascade of the Toxa River

Route of the Lighthouses

An interesting way to get to know Pontevedra is through various routes designed for the traveler, such as the Route of the Lighthouses that allows you to explore the coast and learn about the history of shipwrecks and great historical moments such as the Faro de Cabo Home, Punta Cabalo on the Island of Arousa (the largest island of Galicia), Faro de A Guia in Vigo or the Lighthouse of Cabo Silleira in Baiona.

Route of the Camelias

Another very interesting route, very visited by British and Japanese for their love of gardens, is the Route of the Camellias. In Pontevedra, for its mild climate is one of the few places where it is grown outdoors, as in Ribadumia where you can visit more than 850 different types of camellias, or in the gardens of Pazo de Oca or in those of the castle it is Soutomaior. Also in Rusticae we have a camellia insigne with more than 150 years, that of A Pedreira, one of our charming lodgings located in the thermal village of Cuntis.

Photo: Route of the Camellias

Route of the Castros

Worth visiting are also the route of the castros, where you can see for example the Santa Tegra in A Guarda or the Castro de Troña in Ponteareas. In the O Morrazo Peninsula you can also find important archaeological remains in a very good state of conservation, such as the petroglyphs of Mogor in Marín or the dolmen of Chan de Arquiña in Moaña.

Photo: Route of the Castros

Gastronomy

As if it were another great monument, the gastronomy of Pontevedra is more than popular, highlighting the Rías Baixas seafood, octopus and fresh fish. Meats are not left behind either, as Galician veal and pork are recognized throughout the country; Lamprey special is one of the most original dishes, a very special fish that is fished in the Miño following the same tradition of Roman times. And undoubtedly the perfect complement to this exceptional raw material are local wines, especially Albariño white wine and brandy to prepare the well-known "queimadas".

Where to sleep

To rest on this impressive trip full of beaches, views, routes and gastronomy, we recommend 5 Rusticae accommodations for all tastes. Quinta de San Amaro, a beautiful hotel surrounded by vineyards in full Rias Baixas, Torre DO Rio and La Rectoral, are perfect hotels for Pontevedra.

Photo: Hotel Quinta de San Amaro