Between the Atlantic and the Miño
The site is to be found towards the summit of Mount Santa Trega, on the northern bank of the mouth of the River Miño, a strategic and symbolic location with a visual command of the surrounding area, controlling roads, agricultural lands and different mines in the region. The site extends across the mountain’s summit and slopes, especially on the eastern side.
Santa Trega was the first archaeological site to be excavated in Galicia, with interventions beginning in 1914.
Currently, four sectors are visible: the northern sector, or Calvo quarter, the central sector, or Mergelina quarter, the southern gate and several huts on the summit.
Santa Trega was a large, fortified settlement, a city almost, the largest in the province of Pontevedra and quite possibly the whole of Galicia, being continuously occupied from the 4th century BCE to the 1st century. In the Middle Ages, the chapel which lends the mountain its name was built.
The archaeological excavations carried out on the site show that there were three distinct phases of occupation: a first phase in the 4th century BCE, with huts made of perishable materials, of which ditches, trenches and post holes remain; a second phase in the 2nd century BCE, with circular huts made of stone; and a third phase between the 1st century BCE and the second half of the 1st century, characterised by a restructuring of the space, with terracing and paved streets around which the dwellings were built. In this last phase, an entire system to harness and divert water via channels and cisterns was engineered.
The mountain stands out not only for being a prime archaeological site but also because it is a true natural monument with a visual command of the landscape from Portugal to Fisterra.
A natural and cultural monument
Mount Santa Trega is one of Galicia’s most important tourist spots and a must for visitors eager to discover its archaeological and scenic value.
This large archaeological site occupies some 20 hectares, of which only a small part has been excavated. Its origins can be traced back to the 4th century BCE, reaching its peak at the change of the era, when a true city of between 3000 and 5000 inhabitants had evolved and where the Mediterranean and Atlantic cultures converged.
The mount is a natural vantage point in itself, with magnificent views over the mouth of the River Miño, Portugal, O Rosal valley and the Atlantic Ocean. Different vantage points scattered across the mount enable us to appreciate the surroundings in detail, along with the Pico do Facho and the Pico de San Francisco, the mount’s highest point.