A faithful witness to the importance of Vilanova de Arousa in the time of Christianity, it is the only trace of the old Benedictine Monastery of San Cipriano de Cálago, founded by St. Fructuosus in the 7^th century, and destroyed by Norman attacks in the 9^th and 10^th Due to its location, separate from the old monastery, it is attributed a defensive function, so that it would have served to warn about possible invaders arriving the sea, before they reached the monastery itself.

You will come across Cálaga Tower about a 5 minutes’ walk from the town centre, on the street called Calle Campo, at the highest part of the surrounding land. With a square base, it is made up of granite ashlars and, at the top, part of a belfry with two semicircular arches is still standing –these would have housed two bells in the past. There are also remains of an external stairway, which would have led up to the bell tower.

Recently, a document dated 884 was located in which a donation to the monastery is recorded. It specifically mentions pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela, which is the oldest reference, so far, to the Camino de Santiago in the region.