Ponte Maceira is a small village in the province of La Coruna located between the municipalities of Ames and Negreira. More specifically, you will find it in the Portor parish, which belongs to the second, and constitutes a whole ethnographic ensemble that has led her to obtain the distinction of being among the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain.
Just make up Ponte Maceira several old houses, a magnificent medieval bridge, a chapel, a modern pazo, a beautiful chapel and three old mills. Therefore, it will not be difficult for you visit all this beautiful town coruñés. But, if you want to know more about him, we encourage you to continue reading.
What to see in Ponte Maceira
The first thing you should know about this Galician village is that it is part of the so-called Camino de Santiago Maritime. That is to say, of the one who transits between the city of the Apostle and Finisterre. We are going to know Ponte Maceira.
The medieval bridge
Built on the Tambre river in the XNUMXth century, it has five ashlar arches and two spillways at its ends. Especially striking is the central one, shaped like a pointed vault. It was built on the remains of a previous Roman bridge, with respect to which there is a beautiful legend that we do not resist telling you.
It says that the apostles came looking for the decapitated body of their master Santiago, persecuted by the Romans. After crossing the bridge, they saw that, as their pursuers did so, it collapsed. In this way, thanks to what they considered a miracle, they managed to escape.
Chapel of San Blas
The water mills
You can also see in this Galician village three old watermills with its huge grinding stones that take advantage of the force with which it comes out of the dam. They are old stone buildings that harmoniously fit in with the appearance of the town's houses, many of which have heraldic coats of arms.
Chapel of San Blas or del Carmen
It is a beautiful hermitage built in the XNUMXth century to which a Neo-Romanesque apse One hundred years later. A graceful belfry in its central part completes the monumental complex.
The church of Santa María de Portor
It is a beautiful temple Romanesque which is considered the best preserved in the entire region. However, the facade and the tower were built in the XNUMXth century. It consists of a nave distributed in four sections in which you can see historiated capitals, blind arches, semi-columns and even a acrotera or plinth in its apse. The side cover completes the ensemble.
The pazo de Baladrón, an unexpected jewel in Ponte Maceira
Although it is very well preserved, the date this pazo was built is uncertain. It has parts of the eighteenth century and others of the twentieth. In any case, it is a beautiful building with crenellated parts that simulate a castle and others at different heights that act as auxiliaries to the main house.
It is also surrounded by a stone wall with pinnacles and has a lovely garden. However, you can only see it from the outside, as it is privately owned.
Manor of Baladron
The surroundings
If Ponte Maceira is a very beautiful village, its surroundings do not detract in the least. You can do several hiking trails Around the area. One of them surrounds the Coruña town for sixteen kilometers.
And another is the call «Of the Three Pazos», for traveling around the area of CotonThat of Albarina and the own of braggart. It is also circular because it begins and ends in the first of those that we have mentioned. It has an extension of fifteen kilometers and also passes through Pedra Mamoa, bergando, Put on maceira y To Chancela.
When is it better to go to Ponte Maceira
Any time of the year is good to visit the Coruña village. However, the area has a climate of the Atlantic with mild temperatures and more frequent rains in winter and spring. Therefore, the best time to get to know Ponte Maceira is summer. In addition, this time is the one with the greatest influx of pilgrims so the village is more lively.
What to eat in Ponte Maceira
The Galician village has its own gastronomy of Galicia in general and of the province of La Coruña in particular. Therefore, some dishes that you should try are the Galician soup, Lacon with turnip tops (these are the flower buds of the turnip), the Galician octopus and pies.
More typical of Coruña cuisine are the Padrón peppers, which are prepared roasted and with salt. In the Ponte Maceira area, the products of the pig. For example, the pie of rax (pork tenderloin). Also popular are you rub, a kind of oatmeal porridge. And, in fish, there is very good trout in the zone.
As for the sweet, we advise you the Santiago's cake, a delicacy that is made with eggs, sugar, almonds and orange, basically. You can also order some crepes to cream, which are stuffed crepes.
Church of Santa María de Portor
Finally, to drink, you have the magnificent Galician wines. But, since you are in the province of La Coruña, we recommend that of the denomination Tierra de Betanzos. And after eating, try the coffee liquor or a good pomace artisanal
How to get to Ponte Maceira
The closest airport to the Galician village is Santiago de Compostela, which is just twenty kilometers away. But the best way to travel to her is by highway. There are bus lines that will take you to Negreira and to Ames, but then you will have to travel on your own to Ponte Maceira.
Therefore, we recommend that you either go walking from Santiago, which is less than twenty kilometers away, or that you travel in car. The route you must follow to get to the Coruña village from the Apostol city is the Ag-56. Then you have to take the road AC-544 and then the CP-201.
In conclusion, Ponte Maceira is a beautiful village in the province of La Coruña that is located on the Camino de Santiago Marítimo and that forms a top-notch ethnographic ensemble. In fact, it is among the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain.