038- Vigo Zamans - Galicia/Spain
I lived in Vigo for almost 2 years and from there I would go and visit most of the northern Spain. When I was saving money for future trips, I would go on a local hike, like on the one where I found by chance the 4000 years old Petroglyphs (see here), or the 2000+ years old Castros (see here). Now it is time to present another trip in time, one take takes place close to Vigo, in Zamas, so… let’s discover!
038.1 Before we present the hiking trip from Vigo Bay Area to Mount Galinero, I would like to show the statue of Jules Verne. Why? He is in my the top 10 list of authors, plus he also wrote about Vigo, and this statue sits right next to the Atlantic Ocean (Vigo bay area). In fact left and right of the statue there are private small boats (some sort of parking area for locals). So in some hiking trips that me and my wife did, we would start from here, grab cold water and a coffee and climb the hills and mountains of Vigo.
038.2 Vigo the city, we presented it in the previous article, however there is a huge part of it, in which there are no apartment buildings, just houses and gardens. This is the Vigo I loved to see in my weekends, the rural one, grey stones that are painted by vegetation.
038.3 Vigo gets so rural, so fast, that only a Lamborghini can keep up. It was funny to see modern Lamborghini both in the city (bay area) and in the gardens of farmers (tractor).
038.5 Now what image to show after a Lamborghini? Maybe the black prancing horse -> the Ferrari logo -> or even better, a real horse :) Just like in other regions of Galicia, here also, people love horses and when the horseshoe breaks, they hang those on trees or fences so that people passing by may have luck!
038.6 One day when I was walking towards Zamans lake we saw this on the sky and it really felt like divine intervention. It is called a sun dog or parhelion and what we did not know is that there are two, opposite to each other, on both sides of the sun. In our case, the houses to the left side were blocking the view so we did not see the full parhelion.
038.7 Orange and lemon trees bloom late summer and in peek winter the same trees are filled with fruits, just like in this image. In the rural area, many branches fall basically on the side of the pavement and sometimes they are so low that I can bump my head. They are generally safe to eat and just as good as the ones found in the commerce. I took a few lemons that were so sweet that I ate them like oranges. I never knew before that episode that lemons can be sweet. In fact I grab one, eat half and the rest I put in my water bottle. I would fill the bottle at a spring (they are marked on phone open street based maps) and then search around the water spring for mint herbs to do a lemonade.
038.8 Near the water fountains, often there are also sheep and cows. Usually, at the fountain, there is a place for us to fill our bottles and drink, then right next to that, there is a place for sheep/cows/horses to drink.
038.9 When taking a break I like to look back towards Vigo and try to spot that green tower (still visible in 2017/8) that used to be the hospital Feral de Vigo, which was close to my home. I bet if I return to Vigo now in 2025, and I do this hike again, it will feel weird not to see this building.
037.10 We are finally getting to where the fun part starts as we are at the foot of the Galineiro Mountain. Up to this point I was walking mostly on pavement, with some smaller forest/meadow trails, but from now on is just nature and no pavement. There are markings on the trees, and I was using (then) maps.me application. Sadly that app became something else (deleted all my pins… I am very upset on this).
038.11 This is Casa-Muino da Maquias. It used to be a water mill that stoped at some point, in part, because of the construction of the water dam (next image). You can read a bit more about this building here: https://www.galiciamaxica.eu/galicia/pontevedra/muino-das-maquias/.
038.12 While planning my first ever excursion to Zamans lake, I did not know that this building should be here, in fact all I “knew” is that there should be a waterfall and a dam, so my route was aimed at seeing those and then maybe the lake. I was amazed to find this watermill, but I loved it so much that I was eager to bring my friend (now wife) to check it out.
039.13 The old water mill is not the only one in the region, and I will “find” a few more, but first there is a small climb to the top of the lake. This water dam is not generating electricity, is just creating a fresh water lake that is used for consumption by people in Vigo.
038.14 Tired from all that walk/climbing, I sit on the ground, while also changing my camera lens with the new 100-400mm Tamron that I bought for this exact trip. I tested the lens the same day I got it (see article 028 A Guarda and 029 Oia) so that today I would just wait for some wildlife and not focus on the lens anymore. I am sitting on my belly, on the ground and cannot believe that even at 400mm (640) I don’t see the “white” head of those seagulls. Turns out their heads are not white and they are not headless either. While I am focused on the bird centre of the image…
039.15 …I hear on my left side, movement, and it does not sound like a bird. So I just turned my head gently while still in the same position so not to move the camera too much. I did arrive at this location prepared a bit to “blend” with the surroundings but I did not hope to get this lucky. I got super happy because usually I see wild animals but I totally miss the shot or just because I moved, they run away so I only have time to follow with my eyes. I always shoot on my camera on full manual so this time I burned 3 photos before landing with this one (which is not that good either).
038.16 I waited for maybe 5-10 minutes for the Mink to come back to the water so I can take better images but I got the feeling that I might be missing on other opportunities. Right in front of my camera, big dragonflies were chasing each other. This is Orthetrum albistylum and according to my book, it is a male. In the previous article 029 - Oia, I took a photo of the same species of dragonfly, however she was a female.
038.17 I love dragonflies because they are big and easy to see them and to focus on them, beautiful (personal opinion) and quite steady. This specimen I saw it further along the lake, however I decided to show all dragonflies while still on the topic: Crocothemis erythraea. Again looking in the book I see that this is again a male dragonfly and checking the picture of the the female… I don’t think I ever saw that one before in real life. Even now as of 2025… I made dozens more images of dragonflies and not Crocothemis erythraea femalle for sure.
038.18 While still on the topic of dragonflies, this one is the type I got the most lucky at taking pictures of. There are many in Europe, and because they really don’t blend much with the surroundings, makes then easy to spot. This dragonfly is called: Calopteryx virgo (immature) and the picture was done very close to the Zamans Watermills that will show in a bit.
038.19 This is the last photo of a dragonfly, the Calopteryx splendens and unlike the previous one, this one does blend quite well, however, in my case, this one was playing with the blue from previous image. I could not get them both in one frame.
038.20 The Zamans lake is not huge, in fact in almost no time I am near the path to the mount Galineiro. In this image we can see the artificial dam that created this lake. In this view is also the Mount Alba, on which sits a beautiful stone chapel. Past that mountain and there is Nigran and the Atlantic Ocean.
038.21 We teleport ourselves (for one image) from Zamans region, and onto the top of Monte do Alba (that we saw in the previous picture). The reason for this change is easy: this is the last article on Vigo and I wanted to show what is on this peek - Ermida da Nosa Señora de Alba. Could not make a full article just on this one, plus this was also another hike, just less pictures and more dodging cyclists and ATV. Now back to Zamans.
038.22 From time to time there is a more wet portion of the lake shore so I was constantly watching where I could walk or on which stones to jump… Just like that I caught this fellow trying to hide from me: Louisiana crawfish. I think this has to be the first time I took my phone out to Google what kind of crawfish is this one, so red. (Back in Vigo, at work, I showed my colleagues if it is true that this is from USA and they confirmed and actually told me that the Vigo mayor put some animals (see next picture) to control the population of these crawfish).
038.23. Yes the red crawfish was brought from Mexico to USA, where they became an invasive pest. They must have seen that the North American otter was very happy to eat the crawfish, so Vigo community brought/bought some otters for Zamans lake in Spain in hope that they will control the population of red crawfish.
038.24 Now a bit of rant that can be skipped if not interested in camera gear.
Most photos in this article are made while on my second trip to Zamans, for which I got not only some camouflage like clothing ( I changed myself into them at the first watermill house that looks haunted) but an expensive (for me) and special telephoto lens, the 100-400 mm f4,5-6,3 Di VC USD Tamron for my Canon. I used it the first time in Oia and most of the busted shots I thought are due to me never using such a “big” zoom lens before.
I missed all eagle shots because either the combo camera-lens could not manage the focus out of the branches, or for some reason the contrast between the dark bird and the clear sky was not good enough. Then, just like in Oia, I noticed that most shots. I am no specialist, but I think it has to do with the very powerful motor, because shots (handheld, manual controls) with stabilization are more blurry than those with the stabilization off.
I sold most of my Canons lenses, and by the summer of 2018 I was already on Fujifilm X-T20, without any big zoom, just some primes.
In 2024 I decided I want back on my old Canon camera, because is cheaper, so I got a Sigma 100-400 f5-6,3 that I still use today and on the first day, first shot, I nailed focus and sharpness on a flying duck! I have not touched a big zoom in 6 years, did not play in the house with the new lens, and went straight to the forest and got my first or second shot perfect (again, all manual settings).
I said all this not to brag but to help make a point on the fact that even after training with Tamron I was not better on easy shots, while with the Sigma I got great results, on a flying bird (not stationary) and it was literally first shot (all manual and single shots with single point focus).
038.25 And here is Mountain Galineiro, the mountain I would see each day from far away when I would go to work, and to which I would return two more times in just over two years. This is where we will also travel in this article, but first, Zamans.
038.26 On one of the plants I see this beautiful Leptotes Cassius that to be honest is more beautiful with wings opened.
038.27 The first time I got here, I was following the upstream (the one in this picture on the right side). At some point I saw a bird, and with the 135mm lens I could not “get” close enough. In fact this was the very moment I decided that if I am ever to take good photos of birds, I should put my money in a zoom lens just for that (something cheap, just like for an engineer who makes zero money out of photography:)) ). I lost those photos from my first trip, and to prepare for this article, I made this picture in 2018, in hope I will explain how the European Jay was sitting on the branches of that first tree. And then, when I realized I should give up on my try to get a great shot, that is when I saw the stone houses.
038.28 I had no clue what those houses were, also why there was nobody here. No people, not even dogs which I feared most. The place looked clearly well maintained, like some sort of Parc or pasture field. Right away I started to think that I might have entered a not so official area of this “park”, and soon someone will come to me and ask my none-existing ticket; plus I had no cash on me, no wallet.
038.29 I found an information panel and there I got the name of the place: The watermills of Zamans. A place known and trespassed by merchants, pilgrims and of course, robbers. This is where the most important product was made: wheat. There is even a poem that many people used to sing it in this region, and that matches a bit my love situation.
038.30 Hard to think that this place was once filled with people and that it was very popular, with many hard at work transforming cereals into wheat while harnessing the power of water. Water so essential to humanity, not just for our thirst, but our food, our energy and our protection from invaders. Plus, there is a building here where people used the same fresh, clean, no chemicals, just cold water to wash clothing. Fast forward to 2025 and a new power is more and more evident: AI. It also uses fresh water, and quite a lot of it. Interesting no? Anyway all this to say, that the three times I visited this place, me and my wife did not see one single human being, apart from the two of us. So if you arrive here and you are asked to pay ticket (that would be a first) I am sorry that I don’t know better.
038.31 We were so lonely at this Zamans watermill park, that we even saw a few rabbits that could not care less of humans.
038.32 We went back on the wooden bridge out of Zamans park, back towards the lake, and walked a bit towards the dam. Here is a picture of Passifloraceae, and I believe this was the first time I saw it. Weirdly enough, where I stay now in France, I have a bunch of them, yet they still remember me of Vigo.
038.33 Most of the 2018 photos are from the aftermath of the fire that burned in most of the Redondela, Vigo and Baiona regions (see here). This last trip to Galineiro was also to see for real the extent of the wildfire and what is left after it. The forest was healing.
038.34 While staying in Vigo for two years, I have to say that there is almost no feel of season passage when looking at the trees. The leaves don’t get yellow, maybe they fall but not all at once. So walking between leafless trees with black trunks; now that was a radical change.
038.35 I did not see deers on my trips to the very top of Mount Galineiro however, when I was seeing fresh water, I would stay hidden for a while and look far in the direction of the stream with my 400mm zoom lens. In France where I live deers are pretty common and on rainy weeks they are easier to spot since less people walk the forest trails.
038.36 While sitting in the shadow of the mountain, a goat visited us. We got up and climbed the rocks, and we saw on the other side a bunch of goats and to our amazement, no dogs, no shepherd. Maybe he was napping somewhere not that close.
038.37 Final steps to the peek Galineiro. Not a hard climb by any means, just long. From this picture we can see the Vigo bay area, and the generally mountain region.
038.38 Mount Galineiro peek is at 709 meters and the cool thing about it is that it can be reached from sea level!
038.39 The view that amazed me the most back in March of 2017, was not the Vigo bay area, rather the snowy peaks towards the east. I am probably looking at Ourense central massif (according to wikipedia mountain map). They do seem very tall (1700m) and far away. In February 2018, when we climbed to the top of Galineiro for the last time, there wasn’t this much snow, in fact, I am not even sure that there was any at all (while looking at those images, there is hardly anything white).
038.40 Opposite to the mountains, so to the west, I can see Baiona which is honestly the best town to visit for all those who come to Vigo/Pontevedra. See why in these two part articles.
038.41 Descending from mount Galineiro is not complicated, and most of the trip is just downhill. Usually, as we get near to Vigo we start to climb more, or just the fact that we are super tired, makes the last climbs, the hardest. Still, we stayed true to walking the whole distance from Sea to Peek and back to Sea.
038.42 Here we are in Vigo at La Pepita restaurant. Usually a very sought after burger shop, so much so that people would stay for a good 30 minutes outside, waiting for one of the few tables to clear. In my wife’s opinion it is a great restaurant, in mine’s… I like a whole lot more the GALEGUESA. The bread at La Pepita is less traditional, feels industrial, the sauces taste a bit better than Burger King, with too much mayo with synthetic taste. Galeguesa (which is closed apparently) had traditional buns, different for each type of burger. Plus each vegetable was well placed and rich in taste. I could feel the taste of each individually, and not so much of the sauces, all that while still being more tasty than I could ever make home. Also not long after leaving Vigo, KFC came there and they did disrupt a lot of local places, including American burger restaurant, Galeguesa, the awesome pizza place I featured in the previous article and a lot more. Anyway, Vigo is a great place to stay, close to great attractions like Baiona, A Guarda and A Coruna. It has airport, high speed train and cruise ship docking and boarding. What more to ask really?
Thank you for reading this article, for looking at the photos, and we hope they did help.
Hope you will check some other articles,
MiDe.
Source: https://vigoeduca.vigo.org/recursos/10_Folleto_Zamans_GL.pdf
While there is no legend to Zamans watermills directly, which I find to be very odd, seeing the location… I did find a song on the same pdf brochure, that says the following:
Unha noite no muíño,
unha noite non é nada;
unha semaniña enteira,
esa si que é muiñada.
Aunque me veas casada
non me perdas lo cariño,
Que podo quedar viuda
E mais casarme contigo.
One night at the mill,
one night is nothing at all;
but a whole little week,
now that’s a real milling time.
Even if you see me married,
don’t lose your love for me,
I could become a widow,
and then marry you instead.
Interesting.
