Portuguese Coastal Way ‧ Stage 7

Information

About this stage

Distance and elevation

Stage profile

Km 0 ‧ O Serrallo

Just 250 metres after the Glasgow Hotel we cross the road at a pedestrian crossing and take a paved road uphill; the path now goes to a higher elevation, with good views, through an area with cottages and orchards. Finally we come back down to the road, which we cross carefully at the pedestrian crossing; we follow it for a few metres along the cycle path and turn left onto a dirt track. We soon reach a beach and the mouth of the river Mougás, which we cross by means of a metal bridge. After crossing it, we turn left and enter the small village of Porto Mougás, with houses on the seafront.

Km 2,8 ‧ Porto Mougás

We follow the main street, parallel to the seaside. We join the PO-552 road and its cycle path, and at the next bend we take a dirt track on the left, which we follow until we reach the O Muiño campsite, in Pedra Rubia.

Km 4,6 ‧ Pedra Rubia

Here we return to the cycle path that runs parallel to the road. We pass the hotel-restaurant O Peñasco, and after 150 metres a milestone indicates us to go down towards the coast to follow a grassy path, which climbs back up to the road. Once again along the cycle path we pass Punta Centinela, while Cape Silleiro and its lighthouse appear in the distance. We now enter A Ermida, the anteroom to As Mariñas.

Km 7,1 ‧ A Ermida

We leave the Mougás campsite behind us and continue along the cycle path for 650 metres; here we must be very careful, as suddenly the arrows indicate that we must cross the road to begin the climb towards the mountain along a concrete ramp next to some villas, which becomes a path of dirt, grass and stones, the Camiño da Portela. We cross a gate and face a stretch with a gradient of 20%, a bit rough but not excessively long; we gain height until we reach the lighthouse, which we can see in the distance, to our left and with the ocean in the background.
This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, magical and solitary parts of this route. We follow an ancient stone tiled road, used for centuries both for shepherding animals and by merchants. We pass through another gate and come out onto a flat land, after which we start to descend through the forest. We reach an asphalted road and follow it to the first houses in the Cabreiro neighbourhood, in the parish of Baredo.

Km 11 ‧ Baredo

We follow the arrows carefully through the streets, between the fences of houses and villas. We leave along the Camiño do Río Pequeño, an asphalt uphill, at the end of which we turn sharply left to follow the road to Baredo (EP-2203) for 700 metres, through pine trees and with good views over the Cíes Islands; we reach a crossroads where we turn left, passing a viaduct over the AG-57 motorway.
We then turn right, bordering a park, followed by a viewpoint with stone tables and a gazebo, perfect for enjoying the panoramic view over Baiona and the entrance to the Vigo estuary. Continuing to the right, we reach the houses in the San Antón neighbourhood, the highest part of Baiona, and descend through its streets towards the town centre.
We reach a roundabout next to the football pitch and, right in front of it, the cemetery. Bordering the metal fence of the stadium we find the chapel of Santa Liberata. Barely 50 metres away is the ex-collegiate church of Santa Maria, founded in the 12th century by Cistercian monks from the nearby monastery of Oia.

Km 14,3 ‧ Baiona