A church, a viewpoint and hiking give Simes three distinct reasons to visit. The Igrexa de Santa María de Simes is part of the Ruta del Mar de Arousa y Ulla route of the Way of St. James. The Ruta de Bordóns also starts in Simes. This brings together a cultural connection, a landscape view and a hike with published route details as separate highlights.

Church and views over Simes

The Igrexa de Santa María de Simes is in the parish of Simes (Santa María), in the village of A Igrexa, 36969 Meaño, Pontevedra. Its inclusion in the Way of St. James route gives a visit to the church a clear connection to the pilgrimage route. The Mirador da Barreira o de Simes is located above the centre of Simes, near the parish church of Santa María. From there, the view stretches across the Lores valley, O Grove and the Atlantic Ocean. The viewpoint is part of the Meaño route of four viewpoints. This makes Barreira both a viewpoint in its own right and one of four scenic stops along a route.

Hiking with practical details

The Ruta de Bordóns starts in Simes and climbs along the right bank of the Chanca River. The route is listed as 14.3 km long, with a duration of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Together, these figures give the route length and the stated time frame—two details that can be considered together when planning a hike. Trail conditions can change; check them before setting out. On the descent, there is a rest area beside restored mills on the Rego de Fofán. This provides a specific place to take a break along the described stretch, in addition to the starting point and route details.

Mills and local connections

The mills feature in two different contexts. The Festa dos Muíños takes place at the Muíños de Lores–Simes. The named sequence of the PR-G 172 Ruta do Río Chanca also includes the Muíños de Sta. María de Simes. These references play different roles: in the first case, the mill site is named as the festival venue; in the second, the mill name appears in the route sequence. The festival venue and the route connection therefore offer two different points of interest, without needing to be combined into a single route.

Which trail suits your visit?

The difference can be summed up simply: if you are looking for a connection to the Way of St. James, the church is the main attraction; if you are interested in the panorama, the Mirador da Barreira offers views across the valley, O Grove and the Atlantic. If you would like to plan around a stated distance and duration, the details for the Ruta de Bordóns offer a concrete basis for comparison. You can consider the three highlights separately—culture, views or hiking—rather than combining them into a fixed itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Soutelo, Cuntis, O Grove, Donsión, A Aldea de Baixo, Nigrán, Salcidos, Figueiras.

For the broader travel overview: Pontevedra.