O Baixo Miño owes its name, landscape, and character to the presence of the Miño River, the most important river in Galicia. This area, located in the southwestern tip of the province of Pontevedra, harmoniously blends three types of landscapes: coastal, mountainous, and riverine.
The coastline is characterized by its straight line from Cabo Silleiro to the mouth of the Miño in A Guarda, with few sandy areas and where the sea crashes forcefully against the rocks.
From the summit of Monte de Santa Trega visitors can trace the coastline with their eyes, starting to the north with the Ría de Vigo and the Illas Cíes, and ending past the mouth of the Miño, already in Portugal, to the south. Another mountain, Aloia, is perhaps the most valuable place in Baixo Miño from an environmental point of view, being the oldest Natural Park in Galicia. Other areas of interest include the Miño estuary and the Gándaras de Budiño, to name just two examples. Its slopes provide shelter to a multitude of animal and plant species in a well-maintained environment designed to offer everything necessary to visitors. Both Monte de Santa Trega and Aloia, strategically located, are unrivalled natural viewpoints from which to enjoy beautiful views of these lands, in any direction you look.
The Miño River forms the southern boundary of this region and serves as its central feature.
In its final stretch, after leaving behind the interior lands of Galicia, the river adopts a more leisurely flow, as if preparing to merge lovingly with the Atlantic Ocean. Its course, marking the border between Galicia and Portugal, is crossed by several bridges, both modern and ancient, connecting towns on both banks.
The Baixo Miño boasts a diverse architectural catalogue spanning all eras. On the previously mentioned Monte de Santa Trega you can find one of Galicia’s most valuable castros (hillforts) most valuable in Galicia. Although the settlement is over 2,000 years old, this area may have been inhabited for around 8,000 years. Speaking of more recent times, practically every village in the Baixo Miño has a church of interest, most of them Romanesque. Tui is a cultural gem in itself, filled with exceptional works, notably the Cathedral of Santa Maria. Other towns that deserve visitors' attention include Baiona - at the gateway to Baixo Miño in the Val Miñor - Tomiño and A Guarda, each with its own unique attractions.
In Oia, we will visit the Monastery of Santa Maria, a source of material and spiritual progress for the region over the centuries. The monastic communities that inhabited it left us, for example, the muíños do Folón e O Picón. The monks of Oia also cultivated vineyards in the Rosal Valley. With dedication, favourable natural conditions, and, in recent years, the wise use of technology, the wines of Rosal have reached an excellent level of quality, within the D. O. Rías Baixas. They perfectly complement the gastronomic offerings of the area, which include all kinds of seafood, meats, and a variety of desserts such as the well-known mirabel plums from Rosal.
The route we propose is of low difficulty with the help of a vehicle and includes short journeys on foot. It is suitable for everyone and ideal to do as a family. It takes an estimated three days. The time distribution should just be taken as an example as each person can be vary it according to preferences.
We will start our route in Val Miñor, in the town of Baiona, also known as Baiona A Real due to the privileges granted by Kings Alfonso IV and Juan II of Castile for maritime trade.
There are many monuments to visit in this town, starting with the cruceiro da Trindade, notable for its beautiful carvings and being one of the few under a stone canopy in the shape of a pyramid. It is located at one end of the old town. Strolling through its streets we cannot miss the Collegiate Church of Santa María, the chapel of Santa Liberata or the Casa da Navegación. It is worth noting that Baiona was the first European town to receive news of the discovery of America, as the caravel "La Pinta" arrived at its port on 1 March 1493. To commemorate this event, the Festa da Arribada (Arribada Festival), declared of International Tourist Interest, is celebrated every first weekend in March.
It is also worth walking around the fortaleza de Monte Real, either along the exterior promenade or through its wall and interior, where the Parador de Turismo is located.
Before leaving Baiona, we recommend visiting the Virxe da Rocha (Virgin of the Rock), a large stone statue built by public subscription and created by the Galician architect Antonio Palacios and the sculptor Ángel García. A staircase ascends inside, leading to the boat held by the Virgin, a balcony offering stunning views of Baiona, the Monte Real peninsula, and the Illas Cíes. For those who want to visit the Parque Nacional marítimo - terrestre das Illas Atlánticas de Galicia, remember that Baiona is one of the ports of departure for ships heading to the Illas Cíes during high season.
If you still have time, take the Virxe da Rocha road, and a little over 9 km away, you will find the Miradoiro do Cortelliño. If the weather is favourable, you can enjoy exceptional views of the Galician coast, where you can even glimpse the Barbanza mountains.
We will leave Baiona via the PO-552. A few kilometres later, always with the sea on our right, we will arrive at Cabo Silleiro. Here, there is a viewpoint located at the foot of the lighthouse, 85 meters above sea level. The road hugs the coast, and the views from this point are stunning.
Between Baiona and A Guarda, the mountain range comes as close as possible to the Atlantic. This is the serra da Groba which reaches an altitude of 663 meters, known for its rugged landscapes and hosting the largest concentration of free-roaming Galician horses. Several round-ups are held throughout May and June.
A little over 17 km from Baiona we will arrive at the town of Oia, where on our right we will see the mosteiro de Santa María, an unusual case as it is located right by the sea on the Portuguese Coastal Camino.
After Oia, we will head towards the vila da Guarda, just about 12 km away. We will continue along the coast, guaranteeing a beautiful landscape. In A Guarda, we can stroll around the port area or discover the main monuments such as the Santa Cruz Fort or the Plaza del Reloxo. However, a must-see in this town is monte Santa Trega.
On the way up, we will stop at the castro (fhillfort), one of the first to be excavated in Galicia. To complete the visit, at the summit, we will find MASAT - (Museo Arqueolóxico Monte Santa Trega) and the chapel of the saint, the final destination for pilgrims and the monumental Via Crucis. The views from here are spectacular: the Miño estuary opening into the Atlantic with Portuguese lands to the south, and the Groba and Argallo mountains and the Rosal valley to the north.
A Guarda, which will be the final point of this intense day, offers various accommodation options for the traveller.
Our second day of the route will follow the Miño riverbank until we reach Tui.
O Rosal enjoys an optimal climate and conditions for viticulture. Along the road, we will see numerous vineyards, mostly of Albariño grapes. The wines from Rosal are included in the Denominación de Orixe Rías Baixas. There are many crosses throughout this region, and in the capital, we highlight the proud parish church of Santa Mariña, a large building, and the Town Hall, which occupies a former palace characterized by its large arcade and balcony.
From here, following the tourist signs, we arrive at the muíños do Folón e do Picón (Folón and Picón mills). This set of 60 cascading mills, connected by a 3.5 km marked trail, are of great ethnographic interest and have been declared a Cultural Interest Site (BIC). We will leave the car in the large car park and follow the marked path. You can choose to visit just the first set of mills or complete the entire route, which will offer excellent views of the final stretch of the Miño river and the Monte de Santa Trega in the distance.
From here, we return to the PO-552 and continue our journey. We reach the parishes of San Xoán and San Miguel de Tabagón, where we can visit their interesting churches. On the Eiras road, opposite the school in the parish of San Xoán, we find one of the most intricately carved cruceiros in the area. Returning to the PO-552, about 500 meters to the right, we find the famous Calvario de Tabagón (Tabagón calvaryn), located at a viewpoint offering a beautiful landscape of the Miño river estuary. Next to it, we see a ceramic map indicating the location of each town, mountain, and place visible from this point. Also noteworthy are the various examples of Indian architecture from those Galicians who emigrated to the Americas, mainly in the early 20th century.
We will head to Goián to visit the fortress of the same name, situated by the river and once part of the defensive system on the border with Portugal, facing the walled Portuguese town of Vila Nova de Cerveira, which can be reached via the international bridge.
Returning to the PO-552, we will turn towards Figueiró. There we will visit the sanctuary of San Campio de Lonxe, named due to the long distances that pilgrims travel on foot to reach this place of worship The many devotees of the saint, protector of soldiers, attribute all kinds of healing powers to him.
We will then return to the PO-552 and turn off again to visit Tomiño, where the Church of Santa Maria of Romanesque origin deserves special mention. If you are interested in this art, there are still two more examples in the parishes of San Salvador and Santa María de Tebra, with its polygonal apse.
From Tomiño, we will travel about 12 km to reach Tui, a town full of places to see, which we will do on our third day. In this town and its surroundings, there are various accommodation options, both in traditional hospitality and in rural tourism.
We will dedicate this day to discovering Tui by visiting its main monuments. From the Paseo da Corredera, where we have a late 19th-century bandstand, we will enter its historic centre to see part of the old walls. Soon, we will reach the most notable monument, the cathedral, which is worth visiting, as is the Museo Catedralicio (Cathedral Museum). Other buildings to discover include the Chapel of San Telmo, the patron saint of the town, an example of Baroque architecture with Portuguese influence, the Chapel of Mercy, or the convento das Encerradas, where the latticework of the windows deserves special attention. It is only possible to visit the church during mass hours, as it is a cloistered convent.
As Tui is the gateway to the Portuguese Way, mendicant orders also settled there, with good architectural examples in the Church of San Francisco, located in the upper part of the town, and in the Church of the Convent of San Domingos which houses beautiful altarpieces and several tombs.
A short distance away, on the way out towards Vigo on the main road, we can turn off to the Church of San Bartolomeu de Rebordáns, which stands out for its historiated capitals and 16th-century murals. In front of the temple, there is a highly carved stone cross and, outside the churchyard, an interesting souls' shrine.
We will spend the last afternoon enjoying the Parque Natural Monte Aloia. To reach it, we will leave Tui on the PO-340 road towards Gondomar and follow the signs. The best starting point for the visit is the Nature Interpretation Centre - Forest House Engineer Areses. It is located on the right-hand side as you ascend. In these facilities, we can collect guides for the different hiking routes in the park, as well as information about the species and everything needed to understand its environmental value. It also serves as a reminder and tribute to Rafael Areses, a figure who dedicated his life to the defence of Galician natural heritage.
Parque Natural Monte Aloia has the necessary facilities to receive visitors at any time of the year: leisure areas, picnic areas, etc. At the summit, we will find the Hermitage of San Xulián as well as several viewpoints, the most notable being the Cruz de San Xiao, from which we have magnificent views of the Baixo Miño, with Tui and Valença do Minho opposite and the slow flow of the river towards its mouth in the Atlantic.
On the way back down, if we still have time and energy to walk a bit, we can approach the Alto dos Cubos hillfort, partially excavated; or we can go directly to Tui where we will end this three-day route through the lands of Baixo Miño.
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