Discover Padrón

We have all probably heard the name due to the small green peppers called after it (“pimientos de Padrón”)… but this itinerary features the beginning of Jacobean history, the literature of Rosalía de Castro or Camilo José Cela, and its delightful gastronomy.

Not to be missed

Rosalía de Castro House Museum

Or Casa de la Matanza, where she lived during the last years of her life and died. The tour features the events that marked the brilliant writer’s life and work, personal objects and the possibility of exploring a Galician house and its traditional architecture for a symbolic price. We recommend strolling around its gardens.

How to get there

Inevitable

Iría Flavia

A town that stands out in history due to having been a See and to its Collegiate Church, which holds the title of Galicia’s first cathedral. The Casa de los Canónigos, which you will encounter along the way, is really a complex of 17th-century buildings that houses the Camilo José Cela Foundation; it contains documentation on the Nobel Prize-winner’s life and work, an important painting collection, library and auditorium, as well as the memory of Sarita and Sestao, Galicia’s first locomotives. There is also a religious art museum.

How to get there

Special

Church of Santiago

It houses the “pedrón” (stone) where Apostle James’ disciples moored their boat when they brought his beheaded body from Palestine. This explains the origin of the town’s name. We recommend visiting this Roman altar stone dedicated to Neptune.

How to get there

Marvellous

Old Town

Touring the streets of this medieval town will highlight its importance in times past, with landmarks such as A Porta do Relax, Quito Palace, Porta do Bordel, Espolón walkway along the Sar River, Santiago Bridge, Rosalía Monument, Town Hall, etc.

How to get there

Curious

Botanical Garden

A beautiful garden and one of the oldest in Spain, featuring 300 different plant species, as well as an impressive sequoia. This place was often chosen by Rosalía de Castro to write and is famous for its Tree of Love or the boxwood that was planted in memory of Cela one year after his death. This is the garden that Padrón’s inhabitants are most proud of.

How to get there

Peaceful

Visit to lamprey weirs.

Here we can discover the curious way of fishing for lamprey, a product that is eaten in spring. It is caught in the river when they come to spawn and are trapped in the sluices in the middle of the current. It is a fish that is not very well known and which you either love or hate due to its strange, eel-like shape and toothed mouth; it is usually prepared in its own blood. Try it if you get a chance. You will not find lamprey in many regions outside Galicia.

A delightful walk along the river makes this place attractive for visitors and locals alike.

How to get there

The Franciscan monks were the ones that, in the 16th century, brought the small green peppers back from Mexico, although they have never laid claim to it; they were also the first to grow potatoes for domestic consumption.
The convent consists of several buildings surrounded by a wall. The main features are the Cloister, the Archbishop’s quarters and the San Benito fountain. It has been used for different purposes, such as a monastery, school or prison. It is the place where the famous “Pemento de Herbón” pepper festival is held.

How to get there

Impressive

Monte Meda

It is worth going up to this viewpoint at a height of almost 500 metres, from where you can see on a clear day the towers of Santiago Cathedral, the town of A Estrada, Vilagarcía de Arousa and the island of Illa de Arousa. It has been named since long ago by poets and troubadours such as Macías o Namorado, a minstrel killed by his lover’s husband whose statues are found in the botanical garden and in the square of the same name.

How to get there

Book

Discover Padrón

Not to be missed

Rosalía de Castro House Museum

Inevitable

Iría Flavia

Special

Church of Santiago

Marvellous

Old Town

Curious

Botanical Garden

Peaceful

Visit to lamprey weirs.

Recommended

Franciscan Convent of Herbón

Impressive

Monte Meda