The Sea Route of Arousa and the Ulla River

Follow a maritime and river route, created to commemorate the arrival by sea in Galicia of the Apostle St. James' body.

Scene from the translatio in a painting inside the church of Santiago in Padrón (19th Century)Regional Government of Galicia

This modern route evokes the final journey of the Apostle's body, which must have entered Galicia via the Arousa estuary. Tradition has it that the boat on which his body arrived had traveled from the Palestinian city of Jaffa.

Hermitage of Nosa Señora da Lanzada, aerial view (2019)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

Sanxenxo

The town of Sanxenxo, which today is a popular tourist destination, is situated in one of the best known areas of natural beauty in the northeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The chapel of A Lanzada, built on an island which has been inhabited for 3,000 years, stands against the backdrop of this magnificent landscape.

O Grove and the island of A Toxa, aerial view (2005)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

O Grove

Connected to the rest of O Salnés by an isthmus formed by the magical A Lanzada beach, this enchanting landscape has been a strategic settlement since Roman times.

Monument to the fisherman, in O Grove (2014)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

O Grove was, to all intents and purposes, an island until modern communication channels facilitated its links with other places. Inextricably connected to the sea, it was via its fishing port that the Black Death entered Galicia in 1562.

Square in Cambados (2013)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

Cambados

Now world-famous thanks to its wines, the town of Cambados was a key settlement that was controlled by feudal lords from the 12th century onward. It was governed by a number of eminent historical figures, such as the poet and Adelantado Mayor (a Spanish medieval title given to nobles) of Galicia, Paio Gómez Chariño.

Fefiñáns square and pazo (2017)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

Cambados' main historic building (and one of the most famous in Galicia) is the Palace of Fefiñáns. The building was ordered by Juan Sarmiento Valladares, one of Philip II of Spain's ministers, in the 16th century. It is believed that the palace's wine cellar was the first to bottle the wine now known worldwide as Albariño.

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Vilagarcía de Arousa

Vilagarcía is the region's capital, and one of Galicia's most populous towns. Its historic buildings, busy port, and the fact that it was the first part of Galicia to be connected by rail with Santiago de Compostela show its strategic importance.

Torres de Oeste, in Catoira (12th Century)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

Catoira

This town is home to a Galician fortress with an exceptionally long history: the Torres de Oeste (Towers of the West). Its origins date back to Roman times, when it was built to defend the estuary. It also played a key role defending Santiago de Compostela from attacks by the Normans. The towers are the setting for the famous Viking Pilgrimage, a festival awarded the status of International Tourist Interest in 2002.

Torres de Oeste, in Catoira (12th Century)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

Given the depth of the Arousa Estuary, attacks by sea via the estuary meant that attackers could reach the center of Galicia with ease. The Towers of the West in their current form were built in the 12th century to see off invasions, and were used as recently as the 18th century to defend the area from attacks by the English.

The Ulla River as it passes through Dodro and Valga (2018)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

Valga and Dodro

Sitting at either end of the Ulla River, these fertile towns have had a fundamental role in shaping the lands of Santiago. Sitting as close to the mouth of the river as they do, their wetlands (such as the Brañas de Laíño) are among the most biologically diverse in Galicia.

Ensenada de Boiro, aerial view (2008)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

Boiro

Since the Middle Ages, the coast at Boiro has been closely associated with the city of Santiago de Compostela, its cathedral, and its chapter. Buildings such as the Church of Santa Baia in Boiro, and the Torre de los Canónigos (Tower of the Canons), now in a state of disrepair, are reminders of this connection.

Port of Rianxo (2004)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

Rianxo

At the end of the estuary, on the edge of the Barbanza peninsula, is one of Galicia’s most characteristic port towns. It came under the jurisdiction of Santiago de Compostela between the 10th and the 19th centuries.

In the late 19th century, Rianxo became an important cultural hub for the regional political movement known as Galicianism. As the birthplace of several eminent writers and poets such as Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao (commonly known simply as Castelao), Rafael Dieste, and Manuel Antonio, it is considered to be a fount of talent in the world of Galician arts.

The Arousa estuary from A Curotiña (2007)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia

A Pobra do Caramiñal

Sheltered by the Barbanza mountains, this town is home to the best viewing point over the Rías Baixas: the mountain of A Curota. The historic town center is the result of the fusion of two places: A Pobra do Deán (named after the lord of the estate, the Dean of Santiago de Compostela) and the town of O Caramiñal.

Bridge of Santiago and church of Santiago in Padrón (19th Century)Regional Government of Galicia

Padrón

The town of Padrón is a fitting end to this route. It was here that the tradition of the Camino de Santiago began in Galicia, and it is the natural harbor for the city of Santiago de Compostela, leading into the Ulla River and the Arousa Estuary.

Church of Santiago in Padrón (19th Century)Regional Government of Galicia

Its church (the Church of St. James) houses an object that has come to symbolize the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela: the pedrón (large stone) that is inextricably linked with the story of St. James' body being brought to Galicia.

Pedrón (Roman altar) in the church of Santiago in Padrón (19th Century)Regional Government of Galicia

Legend has it that the boat carrying the Apostle St. James' body to Galicia was tied to this Roman altar, dedicated to Neptune. The pedrón, which is worshipped as a devotional object, is kept beneath the altar at the Church of St. James.

Sculpture of Rosalía de Castro (1957)Regional Government of Galicia

And so this modern route comes to an end, in the birthplace of internationally renowned Galician writers such as Rosalía de Castro and Camilo José Cela, having traced the route taken by the Apostle St. James' body: a global tale set within a truly Galician landscape.

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