Turismo de Galicia

The Mariña in Lugo is intrinsically linked to that of Marshal Pardo de Cela. Places such as the O Pasatempo Bridge, the Castle of A Frouxeira, the Fortress do Ouro in Alfoz, as well as the village of Mondoñedo are part of the route we would travel in search of traces of this figure, who came to us in a way that is almost legendary. The Marquis of Sargadelos was also a leading figure in the lands in the north of the province of Lugo.

Pilgrims heading to Compostela cross the lands of the Mariña as they travel the Northern Way. In their journey they discover gems such as the Os Muíños distric and the expressive Cathedral in Mondoñedo. Also located in the Mariña is the Church of San Martiño de Mondoñedo, the oldest preserved cathedral in Spain along with important monasteries such as the Convent of San Salvador de Lourenzá.

The tower of the Castle de Pardo de Cela in Alfoz, the torre de Os Moreno in Ribadeo and the puerta de Carlos V in Viveiro are very significant local monuments along with valuable ethnographic elements that have been preserved such as the O Bogo ironworks in A Pontenova. Historical remains such as the dolmen of Sao Tome in O Valadouro or the Celtic castro settlements of Illade, Sumoas and Coto de Vela in Xove, make up a wide range of attractions that will make a visit to the Mariña in Lugo an unforgettable trip.

From among the offer of exhibitions and music in the Mariña in Lugo, those worthy of mentione include the Museo Histórico de Sargadelos in Cervo, the Barco Museo-Boniteiro "Reina del Carmen" in Burela, the Museo do Mar in San Cibrao and the Museo de Arte Sacra in Vilanova de Lourenzá.

The Mariña in Lugo is, however, also an enclave in which nature and the biological are geomorphological wealth of its coastal areas are an important part of the tourism on offer.

As Catedrais Beach and the Souto da Retorta are considered natural monuments. In this forest, you can walk among the more than 600 eucalyptus trees that make up the Chavín Eucalyptus Stand (one of them – popularly known as "Grandpa" – towers 67 metres high). There are many protected nature reserves, from the River Landro to Monte Maior, passing through the River Ouro, the Foz-Masma Estuary, the River Eo and the Carballido Forest. Five municipalities (Alfoz, Mondoñedo, Riotorto, Ourol and O Valadouro) are part of the UNESCO Terras do Miño Biosphere Reserve, and three (Ribadeo, Trabada and A Pontenova) of the Río Eo, Oscos e Terras de Burón Biosphere Reserve.

 Among the gifts that nature presents us with in the Mariña in Lugo are also the landscape seen from the Monte da Marosa in Burela or the large hunting and fishing resources of the Rivers Sor and Landro as they pass through Ourol, as well as the views of the Island ofCoelleira from the Punto do Embarcadoiro and the Pozo da Ferida waterfall in Xove.

In the Mariña in Lugo there are more than a dozen festivals declared as Galician Tourist Festivals; the oldest include the festival of San Lucas de Mondoñedo and the Xira de Santa Cruz de Ribadeo. Holy Week in Viveiro has been declared as a National Tourist Event. In the Mariña, there are also other festivals declared to be Galician Tourist Events. the patron saint feasts of San Lourenzo in Foz, the Rapa das Bestas and the Romaría do Naseiro de Viveiro, the Feira do Bonito de Burela, the Festa da Troita da Pontenova, the Festa da Faba de Lourenzá, the Queimada Popular and the Festa do Ourizo de Cervo, the Maruxaina de San Cibrao and the Festival Internacional do Emigrante in Barreiros.

 The star product of the cuisine of the Mariña in Lugo – composed principally of the marine species in the Bay of Biscay – is the Faba de Lourenzá, which has a Protected Geographical Indication.

Among the highlights of the artistic heritage of the Mariña in Lugo are the Sargadelos Historic/Artistic Complex, which include the remains of the old foundry and pottery factory, all founded by Antonio Raimundo Ibáñez, Marquis of Sargadelos.

In the area, we can also visit the Paseo de los Enamorados and the reservoir  of the River Xunco, as well as see the Casa de la Administración and the Pazo do Marqués de Sargadelos, the Museo Histórico de Sargadelos and the industrial complex of the internationally renowned local pottery.

Sargadelos is one of the most traditional of the porcelain design and creation firms in Europe, with more than two centuries of history linked to the cultural development of Galicia in all areas of creativity.