Are you planning a break in Galicia for this October holiday? If you would like to discover the surprising destination of Mar de Santiago, we suggest a 3-day route around our geo-destination.
In our last post, we explained the first part of the trip featuring an itinerary for your first day in the municipal district of Pontecesures. Are you ready for two more days touring Valga, Catoira, and Vilanova de Arousa? Then let us get started!
Day 2: Valga and Catoira
After eating a hearty breakfast and visiting Pontecesures’ Plaza de Abastos (food market), with its interesting Casa de la Lamprea (Lamprey House), we now head off by car to the municipal district of Valga for the second stop along the way. But we do not have to travel far since the next stopover is just 6 km from our starting point! We will begin the day at the Vilarello river beach, a beautiful park near the mouth of the River Ulla featuring spectacular riverside views. This area, which forms part of the Natura 2000 Network, includes one of the “cruceiros” (stone crosses) that make up the world’s only sea-river Way of the Cross, which follows the Traslatio route running through our geo-destination.
After visiting the park, we now head for the Mirador da Perdiz viewpoint, a new space created by the inhabitants of the village of Vilar. From here you can enjoy striking views of the Ulla’s riverside scenery from a giant swing.
After lunch, we now travel to Catoira, the third municipality in our geo-destination and a place closely linked to the Vikings thanks to the Torres de Oeste, an old fort that was erected to protect Santiago de Compostela from the Norman invasions. To discover more about the site’s history, we recommend visiting the Centro de Activación Cultural Torres de Oeste (CACTO), which is a modern building housing an exhibition on the fort and the Viking attacks in Galicia.
Before heading to Vilanova de Arousa, where we will spend the night, you must enjoy the evening along the riverside walk that starts at the towers. This wooden walkway runs through Catoira’s beautiful marshland, which is classified as a Special Protection Area that delights all its visitors.
Day 3: Vilanova de Arousa and journey home
After spending the night in one of the locality’s numerous hotels, you can now enjoy your third day of the route in Vilanova de Arousa, the fourth and last municipal district included in our geo-destination. This is one of Galicia’s most beautiful fishing villages, where you can enjoy lovely views of the Ría de Arousa coast. We therefore recommend beginning with a stroll between the beaches of O Terrón and As Sinas, from where you can enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of the area’s characteristic mussel-producing platforms.
Back in the village, mussels are still on our mind since we must try this renowned Galician seafood in any of Vilanova de Arousa’s restaurants.
And speaking about things we must do, we cannot leave Vilanova without visiting some of the famous Albariño wineries belonging to the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin.
Our trip has now come to an end, and it is time to say goodbye to Mar de Santiago and head home. We know that your trip will have flown by and that you are already thinking about coming back. On our website, you will find many more tourist attractions and everything you need to know to plan your next trip. We are waiting for you in Mar de Santiago!