Combarro old town and its hórreos

Combarro is a granite fishing village on the Pontevedra estuary, one of the best-preserved examples of traditional architecture in Galicia, with its street layout and houses almost intact. It was declared a Picturesque and Artistic Site in 1972, and its history was tied to the monastery of San Xoán de Poio from the 12th century, when Queen Urraca gave the place to the monks, until the mid-19th century.

What to see

The hórreos are the picture of Combarro. They are granaries raised on stone legs to keep the grain safe from damp and rodents; here they combine stone and wood and are called palleiras. About 60 remain, and half of them are lined up on the same shore, facing the estuary.

The seafarers' houses give the village its character: small, terraced and facing the sea. The ground floor served as a store for fishing gear and tools, and sometimes as a small wine press; many have a narrow porch. Above, a balcony overlooks the water, with balusters of wood, iron or stone that were painted with whatever was left over from painting the boats: hence the multicoloured look of some façades.

The cruceiros number seven, all granite, built between the 18th and 20th centuries at street crossings, some as protection and others as a private person's vow. The one in Praza da Fonte, from 1771, with Christ crucified and Saint Anne, and the one in Praza de San Roque, from 1802, stand out. Some have a stone table at the foot, the pousadoiro, where coffins were rested during funerals, and they are decorated every year for the Corpus Christi procession.

How to visit

Park on Calle Maceira, on the As Redeiras promenade, at the Club Náutico (paid) or beside the Chancelas school, and go in on foot: details are in Combarro parking. The old town is pedestrianised, with narrow streets, steps and cobbles: with a pushchair some stretches are awkward. Allow an hour and a half without rushing.

The Combarro tourist office, at Carreiro do Campo 17, is open in season, Tuesday to Saturday 9:30 to 20:30 and Sunday 11:00 to 13:30; the rest of the year the Casal de Ferreirós office in San Salvador is open, on 986 833 204. In summer go early or late in the afternoon: at midday the streets fill up.

What to combine

From Combarro harbour the boat leaves for Tambo island, the one you can see opposite. Five minutes by car is the Poio monastery, which once owned the village, and very close is the Samieira mills trail. To see the hórreos from the water, the mussel boat trip passes right in front.