Vilanova día 2
The route that we propose for this second day will be marked by the tides, since one of the central activities will be the Traslatio trip. The most common times are usually early in the morning (between 06.45 and 08.30 am), although there are some days when they can be delayed until 12 noon. For this proposal, we will take early morning trips as a reference.
In addition, we invite you to make Vilanova your base port to get to know some of the most outstanding spots in its immediate surroundings.
Morning
1. Traslatio
Again, the starting point of the day is the Mar de Santiago Ferry Terminal. Here you will take a boat to sail up the river, thereby discovering the only sea-river Way of the Cross in the world by means of the Traslatio trip. You will be able to follow in the footsteps of the Apostle James on your route, discovering the cruceiros (stone crosses) at the foot of the estuary and river.
The tour lasts about an hour and will show you the incredible landscapes and historical remains in the other municipal districts that make up, together with Vilanova, the Mar de Santiago geo-destination -Catoira, Valga, and Pontecesures. After arriving in the river port, you can make the journey back to Vilanova de Arousa.
Prices per trip are around 30 euros and reservations must be made on the website of each boat operator. There is also the possibility of special group tours.
2. Monte Lobeira
After the boat trip, we recommend you go up to lofty Monte Lobeira, where you can still find remains of the fortress and the imposing castle in which Queen Doña Urraca resided and which served as a defence against Norman attacks. To do this, you will travel about 15 minutes by car (if you don’t have one, remember that we have a Carsharing service). By ascending the stone steps you will be able to admire the Ría de Arousa and the Val do Salnés from a bird’s eye view.
3. Gran Bazán Winery
We reserve the end of the morning for a wine tourism experience. In less than ten minutes by car, we reach the Granbazán Winery, part of the Rías Baixas Wine Route. You will take a guided tour of its facilities, during which you will learn how the wines protected by the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin are made. You will culminate the activity -which usually lasts about an hour- with a tasting of different wines paired with Galician products. To make the reservation, you must visit the winery’s website or contact us by phone in advance.
After whetting your appetite with the tasting, you can enjoy a magnificent meal in Granbazán’s own facilities, made with local produce, or go to any of the restaurants in the area, which will welcome you with their best dishes.
Afternoon
4. Stone and water route
The best way to start the afternoon is to enjoy a walk surrounded by nature. Five minutes by car we come across Ponte Arnelas, in the Vilanova parish of Baión. After crossing its Roman bridge and learning about the history of its ancestral fertility ritual, you can start the so-called Stone and Water Route, on the banks of the Umia River.
5. Armenteira
You will culminate this magical tour at the 12th-century Cistercian Monastery of Armenteira, where the echoes of the legend of San Ero and the bird song still resonate, an experience that will touch you. If you don’t want to do the entire Route on foot, you can also get here by car.
And if you want to continue learning about the history of the area, we recommend you visit Monte do Castro, in the municipal district of Ribadumia, an archaeological site in a peculiar natural setting, where you will walk among the remains of the old “castro” (fortified Iron Age settlement).
6. Illa de Arousa
On your way back to Vilanova, you can go over the bridge that connects our town with the neighbouring municipal district of A Illa de Arousa. Take the opportunity to visit the beaches of the O Carreirón Nature Reserve or, if you have a little more time, visit the port to see the beautiful modernist houses in its vicinity with their dream gardens. Enjoy the end of the day with the views from the Monte de O Con do Forno, with its Saint that protects the Ría de Arousa from high up, or the Punta Cabalo Lighthouse in a majestic setting.
