• Region: Galicia
• Province: Pontevedra
• Declared a Natural Park: 1978
• Park surface area: 746 hectares
• Towns and villages: Tuy

Points of interest

Located in the south of Pontevedra province the Monte Aloia Natural park (the first natural park in Galicia) is basically the summit of the Sierra de Galiñeiro mountain range.

There are prehistoric and Roman remains in the area and the fascinating local history is surrounded by legends such as this is place of the mythical mountain called Monte Medulio where the collective suicide of the Celtic tribes rather than falling into the hands of the Romans took place.

Forestry engineer Rafael Areses Vidal was born in Tui in 1878 who died in 1953. He was a man born before his time and transformed this landscape a hundred years ago with a reforestation project that included autochthonous vegetation as well as other exotic species, such as cypress, spruce and Lebanon cedar. He promoted the reforestation of Mount Aloia, creating in 1906 the Viveiro Forestal de Areas on Mount Seixos Albos (the first woodland plant nursery of its kind in Galicia) and In 1909 he started the first official plantations in Oia, Tui , A Guarda (on the mountain of Santa Trega), Baiona and Ponteareas. The supplies from his forest nurseries promoted the extension of the pine plantations in the whole of Galicia.

His conception of a mountain with a space of public enjoyment linked to forest exploitation and the consequent economic development, is an idea very close to the current concepts of tourism and environmental sustainability .

Find a hotel close to the Monte Aloia Natural Park

Walking and footpaths

The trails here are very easy for walkers. The Muíños do Tripes trail is made up of walkways and wooden bridges alongside some interesting restored mills. The Rego da Pedra route can be started at the Forest House (information centre) itself or in the village of Frinxo and follows an old stone waterway built centuries ago to carry water to the crops. The botanic trail also starts for the interpretation centre and has plenty of information panels explaining the plant diversity andhelp with identifying the species in the area.

A short video of the Monte Aloia natural park

The Monte Aloia natural park is well worth visiting as can be seen in this short video clip showing some spectacular views of the area.

Other easy walks in the area are. (Ask in the information Centre)

• Senda das Udencias 600 m 30 min LINEAR
• Rego de Pedra 2,4 Km 1,30 h CIRCULAR
• Muíños do Tripes 2,5 Km 1,30 h CIRCULAR
• Muíños de Paredes 6,5 Km 3,30 h LINEAR
• Castro Alto dos Cubos 4,5 Km 2 h CIRCULAR
• Cabana-Cabaciña 2 Km 1 h CIRCULAR
• A Muralla 2,5 Km 2 h CIRCULAR

Molinos del Folón y del Picón

Located in the municipality of El Rosal, the Folón and Picón mills (in Galician muíños do Folón e do Picón ) are a group of 60 cascading mills, documented as early as the 18th century. They are a characteristic legacy of the rich ethnographic heritage of the Bajo Miño region and as such have been declared Assets of Cultural Interest by the Government of Galicia.

The 60 mills are divided into two sections that receive two different names

• The Folón mills: 36 buildings on the slope of the Folón river.
• Los Molinos del Picón: 24 buildings on the slopes of the Picón River.

For walking the route of the mills see wikiloc: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/pr-g-94-ruta-dos-muinos-do-folon-e-o-picon-2961623

Information/Visitors Centers

Centro de Interpretación de la Naturaleza ”Casa Forestal” Enxeñeiro Areses

Directions: From Tui on the Gondomar road (PO-340) 1 km. detour to the right going up 5 Km. towards the top of Monte Aloia.

The interpretation centre for the Monte Aloia Natural Park is housed in an old forest house. The interesting design of the building is the work of the aforementioned forest engineer Rafael Areses who built it in 1921.

There are detailed information panels and a lot of information about the endemic and also introduced species of exotic plants.

The official tourism website is here: https://www.turismo.gal/que-visitar/espazos-naturais/parques-naturais/monte-aloia?langId=en_US

Ronda Today

Everything you need to know before you visit Ronda “The city of dreams” in Andalucia. https://www.rondatoday.com/

Visit Cádiz

Planning on visiting Cádiz? Tourist information. Monuments. Hotels. Activities. City guides: https://visitingcadiz.com/

The Caminito del Rey

Find tickets for the Caminito del Rey: https://www.caminodelrey.es/

Wildside Holidays – Spain

Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies.

Iberia Nature Forum

Struggling with identifying those bugs and beasties? Why not check out the Iberia nature Forum! https://iberianatureforum.com/

clive

I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain.