From Santiago to A Toxa
The keen tourist will have to leave the motorway
behind to make this journey, and travel down the N-550 instead,
passing through the delightful countryside of A Mala before reaching
Iria Flavia and Padrón, replete with reminders of Santiago
and home to museums commemorating the poet, Rosalía de
Castro and the writer, Camilo José Cela.
Next we follow the western shore of the Ulla estuary which leads
to the end of the Arousa estuary. Among the most interesting points
before arriving in the historical town of Cambados are the medieval
towers of Catoira, the cave engravings of Os Ballotés,
Vilagarcía de Arousa, the vantage point of Monte Lobeira
in Vilanova - the hometown of the writer, Valle lnclán
- and the evocative Isla de Arousa.
On leaving Cambados it would be worth your while to make a little
detour to visit the Monasterio de Armenteira, and, lying just
beyond, the Grove peninsula, the enormous A Lanzada beach, and
the pretty island of La Toja, with its hotels, casino, golf course,
spa and many other facilities catering for tourists.
The return journey can be made via Pontevedra, passing by the
string of beaches at Sanxenxo and visiting the Islas Ons on one
of the speedy boats which regularly make the journey across during
the summer months. The route continues to hug the northern shore
of the Ría de Pontevedra by Combarro - taking in typically
Galician sights such as the hórreos (raised granaries),
cruceiros (stone crosses) and the sea – before reaching
the Monasterio de Poio and the historically important city of
Pontevedra.
If you have enough energy left to carry on
with the journey, you could go to Campo Lameiro to inspect the
fascinating cave engravings to be found in the hills nearby.
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