Camino Mar de Arousa e do río Ulla (Arousa Sea and Ulla River Road)
Route of the Arousa Sea and the Ulla River
Relive the legendary passage of the stone boat through As Rías Baixas
The Arousa Sea Route recovers the final route of the voyage of the stone boat that carried the mortal remains of St. James the Greater. The apostle was beheaded by order of Herod Agrippa in the Holy Land for preaching Christianity; his disciples would have stolen the corpse and embarked it to give it rest in the most distant province in which he practised the Gospel.
The Traslatio Jacobea starts in Pedras Negras (O Grove), where the sailing licence is obtained, and ends in Iria Flavia. Twenty-two municipalities located on both banks of the Arousa estuary and in the upstream of the river Ulla are crossed, twelve of them in the province of Pontevedra: Cambados, Catoira, A Illa de Arousa, Meaño, Meis, O Grove, Pontecesures, Ribadumia, Sanxenxo, Valga, Vilagarcía de Arousa and Vilanova de Arousa.
The beautiful maritime route, rich in landscapes, beaches and shellfish banks, has a distance of 40 miles. Sailors must stamp their credentials in at least two ports, one of them on the southern shore of the Arousa estuary and the other on the northern shore; or also on one of the banks of the river Ulla. This is established by the Fundación Ruta Xacobea Mar de Arousa e Ulla, a recognised entity for the promotion of the Way of St. James and declared of Cultural and Galician Interest by the Xunta de Galicia in 1999.
The voyage allows you to enjoy the only maritime Way of the Cross in the world, made up of 17 stone crosses. These were donated by the Church, town councils, institutions and companies.
The crossing
At the beginning of the navigation is the isthmus of A Lanzada, with a splendid beach more than two kilometres long. The starting point is close to A Illa de Ons, part of the Atlantic Islands National Park, which it is advisable to visit if you have time.
During the crossing, a visit to O Grove and Illa da Toxa is a must, as well as a stopover in Cambados, the birthplace of Albariño and with a monumental historic quarter in which the Plaza de Fefiñáns stands out. It is also advisable to stop in A Illa de Arousa, the smallest island municipality in Spain and with a marvellous natural area (O Carreirón).
Vilanova and Vilagarcía de Arousa are also recommended stops; it is worth the climb to the viewpoint of Lobeira hill, with wonderful views of the estuary. The crossing passes the island of Cortegada, which belongs to the Atlantic Islands National Park and has an excellent laurel forest. Opposite, on land, is O Carril and the cultivation banks of its famous clams.
On entering the mouth of the river Ulla, sailors will see the towers of Oeste, in Catoira, a defensive fortress against attacks by the Vikings to seize the treasures of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Originally there were seven towers, located on both banks of the river, but today only the remains of two are still standing, next to a small chapel dedicated to Santiago.