LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL:

Light, color, and history in A Pontenova

There are places that arrive without noise, without big promises or tourist claims, but that end up staying in the memory as if they were part of a personal discovery. That’s how it was for me with the greenway of A Pontenova. I arrived without expectations and left with the feeling of having lived an intense experience — visual and physical — that mixes nature, industrial memory, and paths that enter into the dark only to emerge into the light among forests and fairytale landscapes.

A place on the map: A Pontenova

The surroundings of A Pontenova. Simply spectacular...

Memory of iron and smoke

Before it became a hiking trail, all this path was iron. A Pontenova was born and grew around its old ironworks, driven by the area's mining wealth and the need to turn ore into product.

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Ancient ironworks of A Pontenova and its attached dependencies

The brick chimneys that rise in the center of the village are witnesses to a mining era that shaped its development. These are the visible remains of the old ironworks and calcination furnaces that operated at full capacity at the beginning of the 20th century. They are not just a curious sight or a backdrop for striking photos, but an essential part of the story that explains the existence of the greenway.

From that industrial period several vestiges remain that are now part of its character: the calcination furnaces, the five chimneys rising in the village center, or the old train station of Vilaoudriz, now converted into a tourist information point and the starting point of the greenway.

Calcination Furnaces 

Old Vilaodriz railway station, now the Tourist Office of A Pontenova

This entire industrial complex is not just ruins or a testimony of the past: it is also living memory of a territory that knew how to reinvent itself without denying what it once was. And it is precisely that coexistence between what remains and what transforms that gives A Pontenova its strong personality.

The greenway and the tunnels: following the railway’s footprints

The greenway of A Pontenova is, in fact, what remains of the old railway route that once connected the mines of Vilaoudriz with the port of Ribadeo. Today, what once carried iron now carries walkers, cyclists, and curious visitors who choose to follow its trail through forests, iron bridges, and passages carved into the mountain.

Asela Tunnel (173 m.)

Carriceiro Tunnel (132 m.)

Pedrido or Piagolongo Tunnel (232 m.)

The full route stretches over twelve kilometers, but what really makes it special are its tunnels: dark, cool, long, with that characteristic echo that turns every step into a sensory experience. The light at the end of each tunnel is not just a metaphor; it’s part of the charm. Each exit reveals a new scene: a curve among trees, a clearing in the woods, or the murmur of the river down below.

Other image of Pedrido Tunnel

Volta Tunnel (90 m.)

Entrance to the Volta Tunnel

There is something introspective in the act of passing through so many tunnels in a row, as if one were entering and exiting small capsules of time. It is a landscape that changes, but also repeats — hypnotic — that makes you stop and observe. It’s impossible not to get caught by the filtered light, the backlighting, and the textures of the wet stone.

Other of the most recognizable symbols of the place is the Piago Maior suspension bridge, which crosses the Eo River in a passage that goes far beyond its practical function. Crossing it is almost a rite for anyone coming to explore the route. Its gentle sway and the views of the river from above leave a lasting impression, both for those beginning the walk and those returning at the end.

Piago Maior suspension bridge

The scale salmon trap at the Piego Mayor fishing shelter

Villages that preserve memory

Along the route, beyond the tunnels and railway remains, small villages are scattered that keep the identity of these lands alive. Among them, Vilarxubín stands out — a place that seems frozen in time. Its stone houses, narrow paths, animal pens, granaries, and even some abandoned buildings speak of a way of life that, despite the passage of time, still endures..

It’s not just the architecture that catches the eye, but the way the surroundings are integrated with the terrain: the houses appear nestled between chestnut groves and slopes, and everything seems naturally placed there. Walking through Vilarxubín — or simply stopping to look — is an experience that invites pause, silence, and contemplation.

And like it, there are other villages scattered around A Pontenova that preserve that same spirit. They are not made for haste, but for those who know how to look slowly. They are part of the charm of these mountains: discreet, resilient, stubborn — like the people who lived and still live in them.

Walking between echoes and light

Photos: ©Juan Carlos Asorey

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