Poio, the heart of the Rías Baixas
Poio is a municipality on the northern bank of the Pontevedra estuary. It is situated right in the heart of the Rías Baixas area, between the city of Pontevedra and the region of O Salnés. Forming a natural balcony overlooking the estuary, its history has been defined by its livelihood based on the activities of the land and sea.
Declared a Municipality of Tourist Interest in 2000, its strategic coastal location and its proximity to Galicia’s main motorway, the AP9, makes Poio an ideal place to visit. Within the 34 square kilometres of its municipal boundaries, you will find wealth of leisure, cultural and eating out options and plenty of places to stay. Visitors have a choice of visiting more than twenty beaches; prehistoric rock carvings; one of Galicia’s most monumental monasteries; a beautifully preserved and restored traditional fishing village; hiking paths and pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela and even a museum dedicated to the world’s most famous explorer.
One municipality, five parishes
The Poio Municipal Council comprises five parishes, each having its own population hub and waterfront on the estuary.
This parish in the A Caeira Archaeological Area is the location of one of the most important Bronze Age sites in the south of Galicia, close to which a modern Interpretation Centre has been built. A spot known as Boa Vista (Beautiful View), on the Monte da Tomba hillside, has one of the best viewpoints over the Pontevedra estuary. Visit the Columbus House-Museum in Portosanto, another Poio landmark, to learn about the research undertaken to support the hypothesis of Christopher Columbus’ Galician ancestry.
With its seafront promenade along the beaches of Lourido, Polvorin, and Cabeceira and its mouth-watering food, San Salvador is the ideal place to enjoy the outdoors and the beautiful scenery.
This is the location of the Monastery of San Xoán de Poio, which came to prominence in the Middle Ages due to its royal privileges and the wealth it generated from the sea and from cultivating the land. Two of the paths on the Camino de Santiago pass by the monastery; the Padre Sarmiento Route and the path known as the Spiritual Variant.
There are also areas of outstanding natural beauty here, such as the Bosque de Colón (Columbus Forest), considered to be one of the largest redwood forests in Europe; the A Reiboa-A Seca Cove, with facilities for recreational and sporting activities.
Hikers can walk along the Ruta de los Molinos (Watermill Route) from A Freixa, and the Ostreira Hiking Trail to Campelo where it joins the Lourido Promenade.
The Combarro Historical Site is this parish’s greatest attraction. Designated an Artistic and Picturesque Site in 1972, Combarro is one of the best-preserved fishing villages in Galicia. Its traditional architecture, its hórreos (granaries) and its stone crosses lend the village its unmistakable character.
In addition, there are several spots in this parish from where you can admire the scenery, such as the viewpoints of O Loureiro and O Campanario, as well as the Cuna da Moura nature area.
In Samieira, there are opportunities to enjoy both the hills and the coast. Visitors can opt to walk along the Samieira Watermills Route, passing by 23 watermills, visit the Samieira viewpoint to admire the stunning views of the Pontevedra estuary, or to spend the day on the Covelo or Laño beaches with the family.
Other places of interest include the Laño Path and the Pedra da Tartaruga (Turtle Stone), close to the Loureiro and Campanario lookout points.
The parish of Raxó, with a strong maritime tradition, offers a wide range of tourist activtivites in the Ria de Pontevedra. One of the areas with more life is the promenade, in the surroundings of the fishing port, where most of the accommodation and catering establishments are concentrated. One of its main attractions is the food, and there are many bars and restaurants in the town where you can taste it while enjoying excellent views of the estuary. Raxó also has a Michelin-starred restaurant.
The town offers, in addition to the sheltered beaches of Fontemaior and Sinás, the urban and accessible beaches of Raxó, Xiorto and Pedra Alta, with fine sand and light waves. From the top of Raxó you can see a spectacular panorama of the Ria de Pontevedra, with the port of Raxó and the island of Tambo. Its pleasant and mild climate and its attractive landscape make Raxó an ideal destination to visit at any time of the year.
