Water that runs into the sea

 

Since prehistoric times, the work of the men and women of Poio has been intricately linked to the sea and the land. A major agricultural development was the introduction of corn cultivation in the late 17th century as it radically changed the rural landscape of Galicia and especially that of the Rías Baixas.

One of the most distinctive features of Galicia’s corn production are the watermills that line the banks of our rivers and streams. These small works of engineering are powered by water which rotates the granite millstones that grind grain into flour.

In Poio there are nine small river courses along which there are dozens of mills that were family or community owned. Some of the most notable examples have been restored and can be visited along two itineraries: the Samieira Watermills route (5.5 kilometres) and the Da Freixa route (1.8 kilometres).

Brochure