Combarro and Pontevedra, hórreos over the estuary and a city made for walking.

Combarro and Pontevedra are a quarter of an hour apart, on the Pontevedra estuary, and are best seen together in a day. Combarro is the granite fishing village with its hórreos (raised granaries) right at the water's edge; Pontevedra is the city that closed its old town to cars and is toured on foot from square to square. Between the two, in Poio, are the monastery of San Xoán, Tambo island off the coast and a river with 23 mills.

How do I get there from Santiago, Ourense or A Coruña?

By car, on the AP-9 to Pontevedra and then the PO-308, the coast road towards Sanxenxo, which passes through Poio and Combarro. From Santiago it is a good hour; from Ourense, an hour and a half on the AP-52 and AP-9; from A Coruña, a little over an hour and a half. Without a car, Pontevedra has trains on the Eje Atlántico line from Santiago, A Coruña and Vigo, and from its stations there are regular buses along the Poio coast: check the timetables at Transportes Públicos de Galicia.

Where do I park?

In Combarro, on calle Maceira, along the As Redeiras promenade, in the Club Náutico car park, which is paid, or next to the Chancelas school. The old town is pedestrian and in summer the car parks fill up at midday: arrive before eleven. In Pontevedra, leave the car on the edge of the old town; the Parador has no garage and will point you to nearby public car parks.

How long do I need?

A day. In the morning, the old town of Combarro with its hórreos, an hour and a half without hurrying. Then lunch in Pontevedra and the afternoon for the Museo de Pontevedra, free, and the old town's squares. With a night, add the Poio monastery, the Samieira mills trail and, in summer, the guided visit to Tambo island or the mussel boat trip on the estuary.

What else is there on the estuary, apart from Combarro?

Water and a big island. At Easter and in summer, Naviera Mar de Ons takes you to Ons island, in the Atlantic Islands National Park, from Combarro, Sanxenxo, Portonovo, Bueu and Pontevedra, from €16, with prior authorisation from the Xunta. If you prefer to paddle, Sanxenxo Paddle Surf Club runs a three-hour paddle surf route to Tambo, with a picnic on the island, for €50. On the south shore, the Museo Massó in Bueu, free, tells the story of fishing, canning and whaling in a former cannery. And in Pontevedra, the tourist office organises in summer and on some long weekends a 1 h 45 guided tour of the historic centre for €7.

What is special about the hórreos of Combarro?

That they are beside the water. Combarro preserves about 60 stone and wood hórreos, which here are called palleiras, and half of them line the shore, in front of the fishermen's houses with balconies and arcades. The village was declared a Picturesque Artistic Ensemble in 1972 and has seven granite crosses (cruceiros) from the 18th to the 20th centuries, such as the one in praza da Fonte, from 1771.

When to go

From April to October: the Combarro tourist office is open from 29 March to 22 October, the estuary boats sail in summer and the light falls late over the estuary. July and August are the busiest months; the best time in Combarro is early or at dusk. In winter the village is almost empty and Pontevedra is as lively as ever, although the Santo Domingo ruins are closed from 1 November to 14 March. On Sundays, the museum opens in the morning only and the Poio monastery in the afternoon only.

Where do I eat and sleep?

In Pontevedra, on Sundays Trasmallo, with a Bib Gourmand and a tight price, Os Maristas, in praza da Verdura, and O Eirado da Leña, with a Michelin star, are open. To sleep, the Parador de Pontevedra, in a 16th-century pazo; A Maquía, a rural hotel with a pool on the Poio coast; or the Poio monastery guesthouse.