TOXO TRAVEL

Exit time: 10:00, 12:00, 17:00, 19:00

return time: 1 hour after the start of the tour

Includes: Official accredited tour guide throughout the day, transportation and mandatory insurance

What to bringcomfortable shoes and clothing suitable for the weather

Languages: English, Spanish (check availability of Portuguese, Italian and French)

Audioguides: Free (ask for them when booking)

Accessible to people with limited mobility, check the possibility of carrying baby seats, wheelchairs and suitcases

We leave Santiago de Compostela at 9:30 am and head south to the Rias Baixas.

Our first stop will be the gateway to the Rías Baixas, Padrón, land of literature. There, we will see on its boulevard two statues representing the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Camilo José Cela and another of the famous writer Rosalía de Castro. Next to them is the church of Santiago Apóstol, where the "pedron" where the ship that brought the apostle to the Galician lands was moored is located. Besides, Padrón is a city full of life, among other things because it is the last stop of the pilgrims of the Portuguese Way before arriving to Compostela.

From there, we will leave for our second stop, which will be the largest island of the Arousa estuary.

We will be on the island for about 2 hours during which travelers can either enjoy the sea and the beach (swimming in the calm waters of the estuary) or, with our guide, walk through the natural park of the island discovering the coves, paths and beautiful landscapes or even those who prefer can have a drink overlooking the sea in one of the beach bars.

After enjoying the island, we will head to the town of Cambados, capital of Albariño wine and a place of cultural interest in Galicia. In this villa, we will have free time to eat and, why not, taste the wines of the region or stroll through its historic district

Our next destination will be another island. In this case, the famous island of A Toxa, internationally known for its mineral and medicinal waters, the spa and hotel of the late nineteenth century, the old soap factory and the incomparable chapel of shells.

We leave the Ría de Arousa and go to the Ría de Pontevedra, the smallest estuary of the Rías Baixas. There we will go to the town of Combarro. Combarro is known for its well-preserved 18th century old town, full of granaries and stone crosses. We will have time to explore its intricate granite streets and enjoy this beautiful fishing village.

During this tour, you have the option of hiring a boat tour with a mussel tasting with local wine or soft drinks.

On this cruise through the estuaries, we will see the polygons of bateas (mussel farms) and enjoy spectacular views and, if we are lucky, we will see a dolphin!

The boat leaves in low season (until July) from the port of O Grove and in high season from the marina of Combarro.

We will be back in Santiago de Compostela around 7:30 pm.

1.Padron: Our first stop will be the gateway to the Rias Baixas, Padrón, land of literature. There, we will see on its boulevard two statues representing the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Camilo José Cela and another of the famous writer Rosalía de Castro. Next to them is the church of Santiago Apóstol, where the "pedron" where the ship that brought the apostle to the Galician lands was moored is located. Besides, Padrón is a city full of life, among other things because it is the last stop of the pilgrims of the Portuguese Way before arriving to Compostela.

2.Ria de Arousa by catamaran: From here, we will leave for our second stop, which will be the largest island of the Arousa estuary. We will be on the island for about 2 hours during which travelers can either enjoy the sea and the beach (swimming in the calm waters of the estuary) or, with our guide, walk through the natural park of the island discovering the coves, paths and beautiful landscapes or even those who prefer can have a drink overlooking the sea in one of the beach bars.

3.Cambados: After enjoying the island, we will head to the town of Cambados, capital of Albariño wine and a cultural highlight of Galicia. In this villa, we will have free time to eat and, why not, taste the wines of the region or stroll through its historic district

4.An island of Toxa - O Grove: Our next destination will be yet another island. In this case, the famous island of A Toxa, internationally known for its mineral and medicinal waters, the spa and hotel of the late nineteenth century, the old soap factory and the incomparable chapel of shells.

5. Combarro: We leave the Ría de Arousa and go to the Ría de Pontevedra, the smallest estuary of the Rías Baixas. There we will go to the town of Combarro. Combarro is known for its well-preserved 18th century old town, full of granaries and stone crosses. We will have time to explore its intricate granite streets and enjoy this beautiful fishing village.

This route crosses the interior of Galicia, among lush old forests, ancient monasteries and spectacular canyons.

The day begins with a visit to the best swing of the Ribeira Sacra, a curious swing where you can take good pictures.

We will visit the imposing monastery of Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil and then we will discover the most spectacular views of the wild canyon of the river Sil (Mirador de Cabezoás and the famous Balcones de Madrid).

We will stop to visit a local winery and do a wine tasting with the Ribeira Sacra designation of origin.

We will stop in Monforte de Lemos, considered the capital of the Ribeira Sacra. There will be free time to eat and walk around the town.

We will visit a traditional pazo from the 18th century with all its original goods and pieces, depending on the availability of the pazo itself. If this is not possible, we will visit the monumental complex of San Vicente del Pino in Monforte.

On the way back, we will stop to contemplate the canyon of the Miño River from a viewpoint. Thus we will discover another river, another canyon and another different landscape.

1.Columpio de Ribeira Sacra (O Bambán): We can climb on this swing (Bambán in Galician) and enjoy a different view. It is also located near a field of Mámoas, neolithic burial mounds, which tells us that we are in a really special place.

2. Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil: The monastery of Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil is one of the most remarkable and spectacular sets of the rich monumental heritage of Galicia. It was built between the 12th and 18th centuries. Legends say that this place was founded in the 6th century by San Martiño Dumiense, a very important figure in the Christianization of the Suevian kingdom of Gallaecia. We will talk about these and other stories and legends here.

3.Views of the Sil River: We will stop to enjoy the spectacular views of the Sil River canyon from the Cabezoás lookout and from the famous Balcones de Madrid, we will also talk about the reason for this curious name.

4. Ribeira Sacra Winery: We will visit a winery where they will explain to us how the process of elaboration of the wines of Ribeira Sacra takes place and we will know why this activity is called "heroic viticulture" in the canyons of the Sil and Miño. We will also do a tasting of wines from the winery itself, all with the designation of origin "Ribeira Sacra".

5.Monforte de Lemos: In Monforte de Lemos, considered the capital of the Ribeira Sacra, we will have free time to enjoy the rich local cuisine and walk through its most representative streets. You can even visit the Jewish quarter and the medieval city, crowned by the monumental complex of San Vicente del Pino.

6.Tor Manor: It is located on the outskirts of the city. It houses an important library, four continuous rooms, a baroque staircase and a collection of armor (14th-15th centuries), as well as furniture and paintings from the 16th century. It is subject to availability as its capacity is limited. If it is not possible to visit this Pazo, we will visit San Vicente del Pino, where the Torre del Homenaje, the Pazo Condal or the Benedictine Monastery (now a Parador de Turismo) are located

7. Viewpoint over the Miño River: We will have a panoramic view of the canyon formed by the Miño River and we will see the differences in the landscape between this one and the Sil Canyon. Although we will also see similarities such as the abundant presence of vineyards.

The itinerary begins with a visit to the famous Pico Sacro mountain. Then we will go to the waterfall of the river Toxa and the monastery of Carboeiro.

We will make a stop to regain strength in one of the most famous restaurants of the region to eat and taste seasonal products.

We will leave for the afternoon the viewpoints of Ponte Ulla, the medieval bridge of Pontevea and its suspension bridge, as well as the possibility to visit the famous Pazo de Oca.

This route takes place at the foot of the river, following the natural paths that water and time have created. We will follow the path that connects the three most important healing springs in Lugo: Valdovín, San Xoán de Lagostelle and the Fountain of Santo Domingo.

During this visit to the "Costa da Morte", the landscape is the real protagonist. It is a journey to a unique and particularly charming region. To a land of mystery, legends and myths.

Our first stop will be in Ponte Maceira, a small town near Santiago de Compostela and an obligatory passage for pilgrims who continue their journey to the "end of the world". Here, we will make a small itinerary through the city like these pilgrims, from east to west, passing by the medieval bridge that crosses the river Tambre.

The next destination that awaits us is the waterfall of Ézaro, in the beautiful natural environment of Mount Pindo. In this place, we will walk along the modern footbridges until we reach the foot of the waterfall, to enjoy a privileged view of the waterfall.

Our next destination is Cape Finisterre (Finistère). End of the world for the Romans and the Greeks as well as the border between the world of the living and the world of the dead for the Celtic cultures. There we will travel the last section of this continuation of the road from Santiago to Fisterra until we reach the monolith that marks km 0.

Then we will go down to the city of Fisterra where we will stop for lunch and have free time to walk around the city and its fishing port.

The next stage of our tour will be Muxía, the other possible end of this continuation of the Camino de Santiago. We will also travel the last section of the route until we find ourselves at km0 of Muxía and with the spectacular sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin of the Boat. Once there, we will visit the three sacred stones of Punta de la Barca a few meters away.

We will return to Santiago de Compostela around 5:30 pm.

We leave Santiago de Compostela at 8:30 in the morning and head north, towards the jagged coastline of the Rías Altas.

Our first destination is Santo André de Teixido, probably the most magical place in Galicia. We will see the old chapel which is the destination of a pilgrimage with a lot of history in the Galician territory, in fact, the tradition says that "Whoever is not alive goes dead to San Andrés de Teixido". We will also discover the tradition of wax ex-votos and the small colored amulets "sanandresiños" made with breadcrumbs. In short, we will visit an important part of the history and legend of Galicia.

From San Andrés, we will head further north and through the Sierra de la Capelada, among wild horses and free-ranging cows, we will arrive at the Vixia Herbeira booth. The stand is located at the highest point of the Sierra de la Capelada where the wind is the undisputed protagonist. With its 620 meters of height, it forms the highest cliff of continental Europe, with a difference in level of more than 80% of inclination.

Then we continue to the end of Cabo de Ortegal and there we will meet one of the most spectacular and photographed lighthouses of the Iberian Peninsula. The contrast between the white and red colors of the lighthouse, the blue of the ocean and the gigantic and pointed rocks that emerge from the water (the "Aguillóns") is striking here.

We leave the lighthouse bordering the Ortigueira estuary, passing through the towns of Cariño and the town of Ortigueira itself on our way to the next estuary, O Barqueiro. O Barqueiro is precisely the name of the town where we will stop to eat. It is a small fishing village, one of the most beautiful villages in Galicia. A beautiful corner of coast in one of the smallest estuaries of Galicia.

After this stop to regain strength, we will continue to discover the northernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula, the Cape Punta Estaca de Bares. This place, besides offering us an exceptional panorama, is the place where the Atlantic Ocean and the Cantabrian Sea are supposed to meet. The photo with the monolith that shows the latitude of the place, 43º47.173′, is essential.

Finally, before leaving, we will visit one of the most famous places in this region of the Rías Altas in recent years, Banco de Loiba, better known as "the best bank in the world", an absolutely charming place.

We will arrive again in the capital of Galicia around 18:30 with images on our retinas difficult to forget.