A Estrada: Hiking, Culture and Festivals

Different travel interests come together in A Estrada: hiking, landscapes, cultural heritage and local festivals. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay here, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your trip. The hiking trails and natural sites offer specific destinations for outdoor activities; museums, Romanesque architecture and festival traditions reveal other sides of the area.

Hiking Trails and Landscapes

The PR-G 197 is a 30.30-kilometre circular hiking trail through the parishes of San Xurxo de Codeseda and San Lourenzo de Sabucedo in the municipality of A Estrada. Its landscapes include river areas, native forests and mid-mountain scenery. There are also the Rutas do Concello: ten hiking trails that start in the town centre of A Estrada. This gives you a choice between one clearly described circular route and a group of ten trails that share a starting point.

Another destination is Fervenza de Callobre. The path there leads through oak and pine forests, past two mills and over several wooden walkways to a viewpoint. There are two ways to access the waterfall: the upper section or its base. It is on the River Curantes, a tributary of the Liñares, which flows into the Ulla. Monte Cabalar is also accessible from A Estrada on foot, by bicycle or by car.

On the Liñares, there is a 24,000-square-metre riverside green area with extensive oak woodland. Its facilities include seating, changing rooms, a bar, a children's play area and a lifeguard service. These offer different landscape experiences: hiking trails pass through forests and mid-mountain scenery, while the river beach is described as a green area with several facilities.

Town Centre and Culture

The centre of A Estrada is pedestrianised, including the wine district, Praza da Feira, and Calvo Sotelo and Serafín Pazo streets. The main streets form an open-air shopping centre; there are also numerous terraces and an extensive wine district. If you would like to combine your stay with town life, these areas offer a distinct focus alongside the hiking destinations.

The Museo Manuel Reimóndez Portela features exhibitions about rural and urban A Estrada, the former education system, games and toys, and everyday life. The collection also includes a small art gallery with works by, among others, Castelao and Muras. The Museo do Pobo Estradense – Manuel Reimóndez Portela is housed in a former municipal abattoir designed by architect Juan Argenti in 1924. The museum also has a library, a research room and an archive.

The Casa das Letras de A Estrada was created by converting the former José Antonio school. A description from 2015 mentions several reading and study rooms, research rooms, a media library and exhibition areas. A Estrada's Romanesque heritage includes as many as 19 churches dating from the 10th to the 13th centuries. Two Romanesque routes are available; information panels and videos that can be downloaded via QR code provide additional context during visits to the churches.

Archaeological and architectural traces also offer points of interest. Castro de San Miguel is a 287-metre-high rocky outcrop where pottery fragments and the remains of a mill have been found. From there, you can see the mountains and the Ulla, which mark the boundaries of the A Estrada area. The square tower of Guimarei dates from the 12th century and is considered abandoned.

Festivals and Local Traditions

The Rapa das Bestas de Sabucedo is recognised as a festival of international tourist interest and has a history spanning more than 400 years. During the Rapa, visitors can join locals in groups to round up the herds of horses. This offers a very direct insight into the tradition: visitors experience the festival not only as spectators, but can also take part in this particular activity.

The Festa do Salmón takes place on the third weekend of May. During the festival, bars in A Estrada prepare salmon tapas from Friday onwards. The main tasting takes place on Sunday at the stalls in Novo Mercado and in the neighbouring streets and squares. A Estrada is also known for producing organic cider, the Ruta de la Sidra and the Feria de la Sidra.

Another ethnographic complex is formed by Vesacarballa and Serra do Mestre, with five mills. These include a watermill, a sawmill and a bread oven. Together with the museums, hiking trails and festivals, they offer different themes to consider when planning a trip, without limiting a stay to just one type of excursion.

Discover more destinations: Bon de Arriba, Cambados, A Xesteira, Mondariz, Vilagarcía, Curantes, Ladrido, Coiron.

For the overview of the wider area: Pontevedra.