Porto do Son, a sapphire blue spell
Sometimes one just seeks peace of mind beyond the crowds and the hubbub of the most touristy destinations. Luckily, there are still many peaceful spots in Spain where we can enjoy the calm of an undiscovered setting. In our search for peace and quiet, we shall let the sea breeze take us to the lands of Galicia, those that always feel somewhat mysterious, perhaps due to their indomitable nature. There awaits us the municipality of Porto do Son, a sapphire blue spell of beaches, sunsets and nature which, we could say, goes mostly unnoticed.
Castro de Baroña. | Shutterstock
The peninsula of Barbanza lies in the province of A Coruña, watching over the Atlantic Ocean just like the rest of the western Galician coast. This region learnt the intricacies of growth from the sea, and most of its idiosyncrasies could be explained through it. With a 30-kilometre coast, alongside the estuary of Muros e Noia, Porto do Son spreads landwards too, encompassing rich forests and mountains. However, water is still the backbone of this territory.
The most striking aspect of this municipality is perhaps the number of museum-worthy pictures it offers. When we travel through Porto do Son, it’s inevitable to stare at the horizon with our eyes wide open. The golden beaches, the lookout points watching the estuary and beyond, the wild vegetation of the area’s forests… One can never get used to the beauty of this Galician landscape.
The beach of As Furnas. | Shutterstock
The first thing most people seek when they arrive at Porto do Son is the beach. It makes perfect sense to crave walking through the beautiful beaches in the area, enjoying all their nuances and singularities. The beach of Aguieira, the longest in the municipality, lies on virgin land. There we will find white sands, dunes, and a good amount of calm. Besides that, the beach of As Furnas stands out for its natural pools, although it is less quiet. In fact, As Furnas is popular for surfing, given that these waters sway with the strength of the Atlantic Ocean. The traveller shouldn’t be misled by its spectacular shades of blue. Actually, we will find unsuspectedly deep ponds throughout the beach, hence we should be careful at all times.
The list of beaches could go on and on, but we better end it up here in order to advance in a new direction. We will close this section by mentioning the beach of Fonforrón, which is only unveiled when the tide retreats, revealing some curious cavities modelled by the sea. This is one of the best spots to enjoy the sunset, which we should definitely catch in some place in Porto do Son: they are probably the most delightful sunsets in Spain.
The beach of Fonforrón. | Shutterstock
As we have mentioned before, Porto do Son always swings to the rhythm of the ocean, and that can be seen in the oldest traces of the region’s past. For instance, we have Castro de Baroña, a fortified settlement from the 1st Century BC. It’s one of the most important forts in Galicia, and one of the few that display an essentially maritime layout. Then again, this is the power of the Atlantic Ocean.
Castro de Baroña at sunset. | Shutterstock
Galicia cannot be understood without taking water into consideration. As Galician writer Álvaro Cunqueiro once said, this is the land of the thousand rivers, and it might as well be chased away from the sea. This way, we will reach the waterfall of Ribasieira, one of the largest ones in the Sieira river, which comes from the mountain range of O Barbanza and disgorges into the sea at yet another beautiful beach in Porto do Son. We may head to this waterfall through a path which allows us to explore the cascade either from the water or from the ponds it pours into. Nature, nature and more nature.
Perhaps the best way of grasping this beautiful landscape is to reach the lookout points in the area. The one in Iroite, an almost 700-metres high mountain in O Barbanza, is simply spectacular. The estuary of Muros e Noia can be perfectly seen from there, blending with the rich colour palette of the Galician landscape.
The beach of Aguieira. | Shutterstock
Galicia is a precious land in every sense. Its artistic, cultural, natural and gastronomic heritage makes it hard for the traveller to experience everything it has to offer, especially if they are first-timers. Porto do Son lies at the heart of the Rias Baixas, surrounded by other municipalities that have drawn more attention from tourists so far. Really close to the north, we will find Noia, a lovely village with a stunning old town. Even more to the north, Fisterra keeps welcoming pilgrims that travel in pursuit of the most famous sunset in Spain. Southwards, there are more estuaries, and villages like Cambados or Combarro that remain under the spotlight.
Quoting another Galician writer, Vicente Risco, “Galicia is a whole world”. Sometimes it’s difficult to fully get to know such a vast world, and that’s precisely why Porto do Son is still kept as a little secret. However, this spellbinding land is always there, waiting for those travellers that long for something beyond the trendy places, for something authentic and fairly unexplored.
