Driving the Northern Spanish Coast to Santiago de Compostela

Castro de Barona

Yesterday, we drove from the city of Pontevedra, Spain around 2 peninsulas to Santiago de Compostela.  In this part of Spain, there are 3 long peninsulas jutting into the Atlantic as 4 large inlets cut into the coastline. 

The first peninsula, between inlets 2 and 3, looked like a mini-Costa del Sol.  Lots of large high-rise buildings housing condos, apartments and hotels.  There isn’t much to recommend this part of the coast since it’s town after town with nothing of interest and not enough ocean views to make the drive worth it.  The towns are mostly closed down right now since the season won’t start for another month.  That was lucky for us as I imagine the narrow roads are very crowded in the summer.

rocks and surf along coast

We really enjoyed our drive along the coastline of the 3^rd peninsula.  Here there are only a couple of large towns with massive buildings.  Most of the coastline is open with a few fishing villages.  The Atlantic pounds the rocks along this coast, so you get to see curling, crashing waves throwing up their white water and mist as they hit the rocks and cliffs.  Stunning.

Most enjoyable, however, is a little-known Celtic ruin, Castro de Barona, about 20 km south of the city of Noia.  This area was occupied between the 1^st century BC and the 1^st century AD.  Originally, it was quite a bit larger, but erosion from the heavy surf appears to have carved away much of the settlement.  Today, you can see about 20 stone circles which may have been homes 2000 years ago.  There was no fresh water, so it looks like the inhabitants carved bowls into the granite to catch water.  There are what may be water channels cut into the rock leading from these bowls into the settlement. 

Castro de Borona stonecircles

surf off Castro de Borona

The views are spectacular, with huge rollers slamming into the tiny peninsula of granite and grass.  As part of each wave hits the rocks, another section forms a perfect roll that you can see through as it breaks.  The water is turquoise and deep blue and frothy white where the waves break and wash back to sea.  We spent an hour exploring and enjoying the peaceful view.  The government is rebuilding the wall that used to protect the settlement, on the ocean side of a moat the inhabitants cut across the little peninsula.  Well worth a visit.

opera singer

Don enjoying tapas


 

Last night we sat outside and ate delicious tapas, accompanied by local wine.  All very informal and fun, with lots of noisy Spaniards enjoying their evening and wine and an adorable puppy scavenging among the tables.

On our way back to the parador, we stopped for about an hour to listen to a street musician singing opera in the vaulted passageway alongside the cathedral.  He had a magnificent voice and attracted quite a following of passers-by, many of whom left him some money, which he most surely deserved.  I’m hoping he’s there again tonight.