The Miño River

Measuring 193 miles (310 km), the Miño crosses Galicia from the north, south, east, and west before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Many parts of the river crop up along the routes that guide pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela, including the Original Way, the French Way, the Winter Way, the Silver Way, the Portuguese Way, and the Coastal Portuguese Way.

The Miño and its tributaries carve the various forms of Galicia's inland landscape. Nature, legends, history, and the present flow through its waters. Let's follow this coursing river and find out more about it.

At its upper course, the river receives water from the Parga, Ladra, and Támoga rivers, which, together with some other waterways, form the wetland of A Terra Chá. The Northern Way crosses this natural site, which is known for its network of slow and winding rivers. Together with the impermeable soil, these rivers have created a land full of flood plains, ponds, and lagoons.

Though many lagoons have disappeared with Spain's modernization, the Cospeito and Caque lagoons still exist today. They are exceptional sites for bird watching. Most of the landscape is dominated by agricultural and livestock activities, along with patches of native forests of oak and water-loving trees, including alder, ash, and willow.

In the 1st century BCE, the Romans founded Lucus Augusti, one of the three main cities in Gallaecia, which at the time was a Roman province in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. Today, this city is called Lugo, and it is 45 miles (73 km) downstream from the origin of the Miño river, where the Winter Way crosses over it.

Here, the land stretching from either side of the Miño and Sil's river banks is known as Ribeira Sacra. In the Middle Ages, many monasteries were founded in this area, and today they stand out against a natural backdrop. The Winter Way crosses the Miño at this point.

The river squeezes through gorges that have been used to cultivate wine since Roman times. Wines and rivers have made their mark on history and traditions in this region. Mythological creatures that are half human, half fish, known as xacias or xacios, are said to spring from these waters.

In Os Peares, the Miño meets its main tributary, the Sil. A little downriver, the Miño flows through another landmark on its way to the sea—the town of Ourense. Pilgrims following the Silver Way cross over the town's bridge, which is one of the best examples of Roman engineering in Galicia.

There are also border towns on either side of the river, which are often fortified. The Portuguese Way runs from Valença to Tui, the old town of which descends to the Miño river from the Cathedral of Santa María. Meanwhile, the Coastal Portuguese Way covers the estuary of the Miño river between Caminha and A Guarda.

This point of the estuary marks the southern border of Europe's distribution of salmon, which is a threatened species. The sea lamprey can also be found in these waters. It is an ancient vertebrate and is an important part of Galician cuisine. Sea lampreys were traditionally fished using dams known as pesqueiras; about 400 of these stone structures can be seen between Salvaterra de Miño and Crecente.

At its mouth, the Miño river forms an estuary where the combination of marine and river habitats create great biodiversity. As the tides wash in, they create a wide expanse of sea rush and grassy wetlands called morraceiras, as well as islands and sandbanks (ariños). In winter, the estuary is home to flocks of migratory birds.