042 - Pontevedra part 2 - Galicia/Spain

In this article, we go back in time with a few years, then 4000 years and then…many millions of years in the past. How can that be a thing in Pontevedra? Let’s discover!

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042.1 First stop -> Pazo de Lourizan. I hinted this place in previous article, by saying that when searching about Pontevedra, the bridges will come up as tourist attractions, but also a palace that looks deserted. To be honest in 2018 and upon reading reviews, also in 2025 it still looks abandoned. There is moss everywhere, the window’s wooden frame is decomposing and … well I wish this was as glamorous as Sintra. As of 2023, this palace is part of Xunta de Galicia. 

042.2 The Pazo de Lourizan has a history that goes back to the 15th century. Many families lived here, each adding more and more to the place, buying more land around, even reaching the Pontevedra Estuary and having boats anchored. Today, reaching the pazo it is not hard, and we did come by car, mostly because I was afraid that if I walk all this way up, just to have to turn around… There is also a parking place and in 2018 it was not open for visit. I think it is pretty much the case for 2025 also. 

042.3 The main attraction - for non-photographers - is an actively maintained botanical garden. It features some plan species that are… unique in Europe! I did not see those, probably they were in this glass dome, but it is true, even the trees are different. In all the moss growing on buildings, this part looks maintained (probably because it is for students). 

042.4 Kahili Ginger (sounds like it is from the movie Avatar) is a fine example of the uniqueness of Pazo de Lourizan. This plant species, although highly invasive, it is originally from the Himalayas. 

042.5 Helichrysum bracteatum - unlike the previous flower - this one is very common and probably the one that is integrated very often in flower bouquets especially dried (this is how I know it). 

All in all, Pazo de Lourizan, if possible, it is a must visit place in Pontevedra, even if we cannot get inside. We made tons of photos and I had lots of fun making the palace in 3D. It also gave me an idea of the time I might need when I will be doing the Versailles palace in maybe 40 articles from now (or more). 

Sadly I did not find good sketches or blueprints of this place, which always makes me go back to Oceans Eleven movie and others like it, where people seem to find everything so easily… Instead I used my own pictures and some drone shots especially for the top floor. 

Then about a few weeks into the work, when doing finally the main clock and the bell behind it… I noticed none of the details show in the final render so I started to “cheat” a bit and omit a ton of details, since they won’t be that visible anyway (even if looking at individual pixels). This palace took less time to make than the previous work, and all in all - Pontevedra double feature costed me a few months of night work, and I love the results. 

042.6 This photo is made in Lameiro - a site that is a bit far from Pontevedra (need car or bus). Main attraction: petroglyphs. Here, at Lameiro, it has been found the biggest agglomeration of such 4000+ years old art form, but as shown in previous article - 033 Baiona - petroglyphs are quite common to the area and searching on the Internet there will be many results, much closer to the city of Pontevedra. However, here there are more and… there is one that is very beautiful and special.

042.7 Small pause in the article - an Iberian wall lizard came to check what I was doing in it’s territory. Of course I was just taking photos of the reconstructed circular huts (from the neolithic or Bronze Age). There are two of them also at A Guarda, in fact there is a whole town of prehistoric settlements (ruins) very well preserved and can be read here (028 - A Guarda). Pontevedra Lameiro offers best petroglyphs and settlements, in one location. However if you want a free and opened non-stop experience - A Guarda + Baiona ( 033 )

042.8 Unlike the site found in Baiona, Pontevedra - Campo Lameiro is way bigger, there are more beautiful petroglyphs such as this stag found on the rock that is named: Laxe dos Carballos. There are more stones carved with deers, and it seems to depict hunting, or maybe like in Baiona, a counting of hunting population of that year (bigger the size of the animal, a bigger population for that period, smaller the animal, smaller population). 

042.9 More animals are depicted and also the “classic” abstract labyrinth shapes (like in Baiona or pretty much any site close to Pontevedra). I found some that had a hole/orifice where one could insert a staff to open the gate to the other world…or … who knows, maybe is like in Milano, where people turn three times on their right heel on the “reproductive” part of the Bull of Torino mosaic. So maybe here also people were putting their staff in the orifice and turn a few times and pray. Many did so… thus making the orifice bigger and bigger. Joke aside, it is interesting and I wish we knew more.

042.10 I did not want to insert only images of the petroglyphs that I liked (almost all) so instead I show an image of a more quiet area of the park, where two (semi) white horses were feeding and suffering from mosquitos. This image I like the most, mostly because it seems abstract and very soothing (I had it also on my wallpaper on my laptop). 

042.11 Campo Lameiro is technically still part of Pontevedra region - this means there is a bus (check on Google the correct name/number as they change) and don’t worry about the price - should be affordable. It might take half an hour to get here so stay close to the timetable to know when to leave back to the city. 

I made this image, mostly because, as we were in the park, taking pictures of petroglyphs, animals (there were some horses), butterflies and plants, all of a sudden we heard canon/explosive shots. I don’t know where that was happening, but I did manage to take a picture of the smoke left behind, plus if you zoom in, a bit to the centre/right of the frame - is visible another shot rising, not yet exploded.  

042.12 This forest, these clouds and this… rain is in Forcarei region. We were here on the 27th of July 2018 because of the longest lunar total eclipse, of the 21st century and we saw… nothing. 

042.13 While Forcarei is no longer part of Pontevedra (as it was Campo Lameiro), it is connecting well with the next article so I think it finds its place here, at the end of the article. In short, we drove from Vigo, to the Forcarei Astronomical Observatory, that sits on top of a 670 meter high hill. From here, we were supposed to see (starting 9 PM) the longest lunar eclipse of our century. 

Sadly the weather was not on our side so we just visited the observatory, talked (picnic) outside, and then when it was a bit late in the night and still cloudy, we drove back home. Should you visit? Not really… not unless is good weather that night and there is an important astronomical event (there are plenty, but some are more unique - once in a lifetime). This place is made for such events. 

This article is shorter than usually, and it’s because I chose only a few photos for the 3 last places of Pontevedra. 

I still think that it is worth visiting the city, especially if you find yourself in the area. The top places in costal Galicia, personally, still remains Baiona at number one, A Coruna, Santiago de Compostela, Cies Islands and then Tui/Valenca with Pontevedra on the 6th position and that is because it has the only bull arena, beautiful bridges, beautiful churches and ruins, petroglyphs, and medieval feeling. Tui ( see here) also is medieval, much smaller, less diverse but paired with Valenca… it remains more interesting.

We hope you enjoyed this article and we hope you found it useful! 

MiDe