Alto da Cruz do Castro
The return to the hillforts
1. The paved road, or corredoir
The site is surrounded by several traditional roads, such as the one that begins here, a paved path bearing the marks of the wagon wheels that trundled along it. Traditionally, these types of construction were defined as Roman roads, but they are known to be from the medieval or modern ages. In this case, as well as linking different population nuclei, they gave access to the water mills and farmland abandoned today.
2. At the foot of the hillfort
The Alto da Cruz stands at 475 metres high, and is one of the outermost edges of the Serra do Cando's western ridges, whose highest peaks in the region exceed 700 m. The "peak", in strict terms, is the result of the land alterations carried out by the hillfort's builders to provide it with better defences, accentuating the slopes in some sectors by building a parapet or artificial bank.
3. Visual command of the valley
The Alto da Cruz is a strategic vantage point in contrast not only to the hills, mountain pasture areas and the cows and horses in semi-freedom which are predominant in higher mountain areas, but also to the foothills and lowlands ideal for agricultural activities. The courses of two rivers can be visually controlled from here: the Almofrei and the middle and lower basins of the River Lérez, and it is just possible to make out the rounded contours of the Pontevedra ria's shorelines on the horizon.
4. A windmill
Its construction can be dated to the beginning of the 20 th century. It is one of the few pre-industrial structures of its type that still exists in Galicia. The blades were north-facing, into the wind, and had various overlapping rows of wooden slats at their edges. In this way, the entire shaft of pinions and gears, also wooden, would move in both directions to turn the mill stone (still preserved in the mill's interior) that ground the grain.
¡Lo que no te puedes perder!
Muíño da Igrexa (The church’s mill) (Cerdedo-Cotobade)
This borough is famous for the stonemasons who used to work with the stone, revealed by its traditional architecture, paved roads and bridges. It boasts numerous water mills, channels and washing troughs which exist thanks to the rivers that flow through the borough, such as the Almofrei, the Lérez and the Barbeira. The mill lies just a few metres from the site, along a traditional paved path.
2. Ensemble of rock-art engravings at Fentáns (San Xurxo de Sacos)
An archaeological area comprising almost 300 open-air engravings. One of the best-known sites is “Pedra das Ferraduras”, containing one of the finest examples of preserved deer and cow prints.
Cotobade Astronomical Observatory ()
Managed by the Asociación Sirio, it promotes activities relating to the world of astronomy, including educational talks on the handling of telescopes, sundials and other astronomical instruments. It boasts the latest technology and has a planetarium with a 4-diameter-wide dome.
Monte Seixo ()
Between A Lama and Cerdedo-Cotobade, this mount is particularly rich in geological formations created by ice, water and wind. There are places such as Portalén, near Santa Mariña do Seixo chapel, where this phenomenon gave rise to unusual fulcrums among the rocks, turning it into a place of ritual in popular culture.
As Neveiras de Fixó (The Snow Wells of Fixó) (Forcarei)
The ensemble is made up of two large, circular enclosures, similar to wells. They were used in the 18th century by the monks from Aciveiro monastery, initially for their own use, but later to store and trade in snow for the preservation of foodstuffs, and even for medical use. They can be found along the route that leads to the abandoned village of Grovas.