Day 24 (6/4) Barbadelo to Portomarin

(written on 6/5)

So, so close to catching up.

The walk from Barbadelo to Portomarin is pretty chill, although there's a significant downhill as you descend toward the river. Portomarin is a cool town. 

From Caminoways:

In the 1960s, an event unfolded that would forever change the face of Portomarín. The construction of the Belesar Reservoir led to the damming of the Miño River, threatening the original village with submersion. This village, established in the Middle Ages beside a Roman bridge, faced an existential crisis. The response? A bold and unprecedented move to relocate the entire village to higher ground.

The relocation of Portomarín wasn’t just a matter of moving a community; it was about preserving its historical soul. Key historical structures, like the 12th-century Romanesque church of San Xoán de Portomarín and the Capela de San Pedro, were carefully dismantled, stone by stone, and reconstructed in the new village location. This monumental effort not only saved these historical gems from the rising waters but also symbolically resurrected the town’s history and identity.

Photos from Cory I