Teo: Routes along the Ulla, petroglyphs and cultural heritage

Teo offers several starting points for a trip focused on hiking, nature and cultural heritage. River landscapes, routes, archaeological sites and historic structures offer a range of themes to shape your plans. You can, for example, plan your stay around a particular route or focus on natural and cultural history.

Routes along the Ulla and nature

The Ulla riverbank in Teo is protected under the European Natura 2000 network. Along the Ulla-Deza river system, which runs through the parishes of Teo and Reis, there are walking trails along the banks of the Ulla. At the Xirimbao recreation area on the Ulla, you can access several walking trails; there are also parking spaces, picnic tables and public toilets. This means you can plan around not only the trails but also the facilities available along the riverbank.

Devesa de Agromaior is an oak wood on a stretch of riverbank protected under Natura 2000. It lies along the walking route connecting Teo with Burga de Xermeade. Some of the trees are very old; the vegetation helps mitigate pressures on the riverbank and provides shelter for animal species. Burga de Xermeade is a sulphur spring with a semicircular stone structure and an outlet. The paved recreation area there has a diameter of 13.90 m, and seven stone benches stand around old oak trees.

Routes and archaeological sites

The two pilgrimage routes can also be distinguished by their stages through Teo. The section of the Portuguese Way through Teo is just under 8 km long, signposted and equipped with information panels. The Camiño da Geira dos arrieiros runs for 14 km through Teo, from Pontevea towards Montouto. If you take the route length into account when planning, these two sections provide options of different lengths. The Geira was also traditionally used by muleteers to transport wine from Ribeiro to Compostela, connecting the route with a historic transport tradition.

The PR-G 238 route, Teo’s petroglyph route, leads to the petroglyphs of Río Angueira and Monte Piquiño. It passes through an area of granite hills and numerous archaeological remains. The Outeiro do Corno petroglyph site is signposted and forms part of the route. Here, landscape and archaeological sites come together along the same route.

In the Monte Piquiño area, near Loureiro in the parish of Luou, there is a necropolis of 33 megalithic burial mounds. Nine petroglyph sites lie close to the village of Loureiro, in the immediate vicinity of the necropolis. The burial mounds make up the megalithic necropolis, while the petroglyph sites represent rock art: two different forms of archaeological evidence in close proximity.

Bridges and historic landmarks

The medieval Pontevea Bridge is a stone pedestrian bridge over the Ulla. In February 2017, it was designated a BIC, an Asset of Cultural Interest. The Gothic wayside cross of Francos dates from the 15th century and is considered one of the oldest in Galicia. Rudimentary figures accompany the cross and may represent two pilgrims; this possible interpretation strengthens its connection with the Portuguese Way.

Together, these places bring several aspects of Teo’s history into focus: a bridge over the Ulla, a wayside cross with a possible connection to pilgrims, and archaeological evidence in different forms. When planning your trip, you can therefore decide whether to focus on a particular route, the river landscape, or the historic and archaeological sites.

Discover more destinations: Raxó, Santiago Del Monte, Cornide, Corcubión, Vilar, Oroso, Cesuras, Boqueixón.

For the broader travel overview: Coruña.