This Saturday, 24 October, the University of Vigo will kick off its cultural walking routes for the academic year with a hike along the Barbantiño river in the municipality of Amoeiro. The event is open to both university community members and the general public.
The walk is described as a circular route of approximately 16 kilometres with a medium level of difficulty. Organisers state that participants will follow the course of the Barbantiño, a small river that meanders through lush vegetation, presenting a landscape shaped over centuries by both nature and human activity.
The route will take walkers through the shaded banks of the river, past the ancient mills of Penas, which are now enveloped by greenery, serving as silent witnesses to a time when the river powered the livelihoods of nearby villages. Close by, the 'pozo do Inferno' (Hell's well) serves as a reminder of the river's potential force when it surges through rocky terrain.
One of the highlights of the hike will be the Cachón waterfall, which plunges around 15 metres and regains its roar in autumn with the first rains. A walkway allows visitors to approach this scenic spot where the river cascades among rocks, moss, and mist.
The walk will also feature traditional paths, stately homes, and the ethnographic heritage of the Chaos de Amoeiro, including stone walls, narrow paths, and cultivated land that reflect a landscape shaped by human presence.
This inaugural hike will pay tribute to the late José García Calvo, known as Willy, a key promoter of the University of Vigo's cultural routes, and is organised in collaboration with the newspaper La Región.
Registration details
Registration for each cultural route is conducted through the University of Vigo's Campus Activo platform and is initially open exclusively to university community members until the Monday prior to the event. If spaces remain, registration will open to the general public on the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday before each route. The fee varies depending on the participant's affiliation with the university, and non-university members are welcome to join.
Each completed route will earn participants 7.5 ECTS credits for the day. Buses will be provided to transport participants from the three University of Vigo campuses.
Organisers encourage public participation, highlighting not only the opportunity these routes provide to explore Galicia and its surroundings but also the welcoming atmosphere of the events.
Upcoming routes
The second route is scheduled for 14 November, focusing on the Ribeira Sacra, featuring a circular walk through one of the region's most unique landscapes, starting from Castro de Abaixo and ascending to Torbeo before descending towards the Sil river. Participants will discover the Romanesque church of Santa María de Torbeo, ancient pathways, and the stunning scenery of the Cubela meander.
On 28 November, another hike will return to Campo Lameiro, an area renowned for its concentration of petroglyphs and rock engravings, which are among the most significant archaeological sites in Galicia. This itinerary will combine archaeology, Atlantic forest, mills, and riverine environments of the Maneses and Lérez rivers, allowing for an interpretation of a landscape transformed and inhabited over thousands of years.
Finally, the first semester's programme will conclude on 12 December with a linear walk along the Grañal river, from Esgos to Tarreirigo and Os Gozos. This route, near the city of Ourense, will uncover ancient paths, villages, mills, forests, and elements related to traditional water use, highlighting the area's ethnographic heritage. The hike will conclude with a traditional 'magosto', a celebration featuring roasted chestnuts.
The aim for this 28th edition of the cultural routes is to match or exceed last year's participation figures, which averaged 83 participants per route, with around 80% being university community members.
