Plaza de Fefiñanes, the old town and the San Sadurniño tower

Cambados' old town is a Site of Cultural Interest and one of the finest ensembles of pazos and stately houses in Galicia. The walk begins at Plaza de Fefiñanes, with the palace and its winery, continues along the paseo da Calzada and the seafront promenade and ends at the urban beach of A Mouta, where the remains of the San Sadurniño tower stand, an old fortification that defended the town.

The route

Plaza de Fefiñanes is the most imposing in Cambados and, for Turismo de Galicia, one of the prettiest in the region. It is the heart of the stately Fefiñáns quarter, and the 16th-century ensemble around it brings together the pazo with its round balconies at both ends, the church of San Benito, a keep and a Baroque arch-bridge. Inside the palace is the winery of the tasting at the Palacio de Fefiñanes.

From there you go down to the paseo da Calzada, a poplar-lined promenade that is the setting for the Albariño Festival in August. Next to it is the old 17th-century Pazo de Bazán, built by the ancestors of Emilia Pardo Bazán and today the Parador. The seafront promenade, with palm trees and green areas, looks onto the Arousa estuary: from it you see A Toxa, Arousa island, the O Grove peninsula and the mussel, oyster and scallop rafts.

The last stretch crosses the San Tomé quarter, the most seafaring in Cambados, to A Mouta beach and the San Sadurniño tower. Its ruins, from the Early Middle Ages, stand on the islet of da Figueira, and you reach them across an arched bridge, but only when the tide is not high.

When and how

Mid-morning, before lunch, or at dusk, with the low tide leaving the estuary bare. Check the tide table if you want to cross to San Sadurniño: at high tide the way is cut off. Allow about two hours with stops. It is flat and can be done with a pushchair, and with a dog on a lead.

The old town is explored on foot; in summer parking is harder in the centre, and the seafront promenade and the surroundings of Plaza de Fefiñanes are the reference points. The tourist office is on the paseo da Calzada and there they tell you which wineries are open each day.

If you have time left, go up to the Santa Mariña Dozo ruins, in the upper part, with the Ethnographic and Wine Museum next door: it is the natural complement to this walk. With children, the walk ends well: on A Mouta beach, with the tower in sight.