Porto do Son can be explored through a range of different themes: fishing, coastal landscapes and history. The fishing port lies at the back of the Ría Muros and Noia and marks the maritime boundary between the Rías Baixas and the Rías Altas. When planning a trip, you can first consider whether maritime culture, nature or historic sites should be your main focus.

Fishing Culture and History by the Sea

Small traditional boats are used for shellfish gathering and octopus pot fishing. Octopus also plays an important role in auctions at the Porto do Son fish market. The “Polbo en Lonxa” quality seal guarantees the quality and origin of the product from one of the six fish markets in the Ría Muros and Noia. Fishing methods and marketing are therefore equally part of the town’s maritime character.

The Museo Marea is an ethnographic space: it displays objects and shares stories about the people of Porto do Son, as well as the maritime culture of other places on the Ría. Its exhibitions cover fishing gear, shipwrecks in the region, women’s maritime occupations, and the salt and canning industries. The Museo Marea also serves as a tourist information office. If you wish to use this service, check in advance when the office is open.

A further insight into the history of fishing villages can be gained by walking around Porto do Son and Portosín. Along the way, you can see several former salting factories, including the one on the islet of Punta Anguieira and those belonging to the Ferrer and Lestón families.

Coast, Route and Nature Watching

Praia das Furnas has natural pools formed by wind and water erosion in the schist rock. An accessible promenade makes it possible to walk along the beach for its entire length. This is a different scale from the Senda litoral, which follows the coast of Porto do Son from north to south for around 30 kilometres. This figure describes a longer coastal route; it does not mean that your stay has to cover the entire distance.

The Xuño and Muro lagoons are another focus for nature. The wetland complex is part of the Natura 2000 network and is included in the Site of Community Importance (SCI) “Complexo Húmido de Corrubedo.” There are two birdwatching hides in the area around the lagoons. Alongside the coastal route, wetlands and birdwatching therefore offer other distinct interests to consider when planning your trip.

Archaeology and the Way of St. James

Castro de Baroña is a fortified Iron Age settlement. It was inhabited from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD and is designated an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC). The Way of St. James offers a different historical connection: Porto do Son is one of four ports on the Ría where the route variant through the Rías Muros and Noia begins. The castro and the pilgrimage route thus appeal to different travel interests—an extended period of settlement in the first case, and a starting point for a pilgrimage route in the second.

If you are looking for hotels in Porto do Son, you can choose your main focus first: fishing culture, the coast, nature watching or history.

Discover more destinations: Nebra, A Cruz, Portosin, Xalo, Valmaior, Foro, Cerceda, Condomiña.

For the broader travel overview: Coruña.