Ourense
Via de la Plata
Camino Sanabrés
Ourense is the thermal capital of Galicia, and with good reason. The city sits on top of one of the largest concentrations of geothermal water in Europe -- more than 70 springs pump an estimated three million liters of hot water every day. The Romans settled here because of it, and two thousand years later the springs are still flowing.
Your first stop should be As Burgas, the thermal fountain right in the center of the old town. The water emerges at over 60 degrees Celsius -- you can't swim in it, but there's a small pool nearby cooled to a comfortable 38-40 degrees. The plaza around it is pleasant and the thermal basin is free.
For a proper soak, head to the Miño river. The Ruta Termal do Miño runs about four kilometers along the right bank, connecting seven thermal areas. Start at Termas Chavasqueira (the closest to the center, across the Ponte do Milenio), continue to Muiño da Veiga with its four pools and excellent sunset views, and then on to the Termas de Outariz and Burga de Canedo -- the largest and most developed, also free. Bring a proper swimsuit or expect to be turned away.
The old town itself is compact and walkable. The Cathedral of San Martín is the anchor. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries in a transitional Romanesque-Gothic style, it holds the Pórtico del Paraíso -- a polychrome sculptural portal modeled on the Pórtico de la Gloria in Santiago. It was created by students of Maestro Mateo, and unlike Santiago's version, this one still retains its vivid painted colors (restored in the 18th century but believed to follow the original palette). The 24 elders of the Apocalypse and the prophets with their name-bearing scrolls are particularly fine.
The Ponte Vella, the old Roman bridge over the Miño, dates to the 1st century though it's been rebuilt several times (12th, 13th, and 17th centuries). It's now pedestrian-only and worth crossing for the views back to the city. Eight bridges cross the Miño in Ourense, but this is the one that matters.
The old town around the cathedral has a good concentration of bars and restaurants. The tapas scene here rivals any city in Galicia. Rúa do Paseo and the streets radiating from the Plaza Mayor are where you want to wander.
Corpus Christi is the big one in Ourense. It falls in June and brings two full weeks of festival -- orchestras, concerts, parades, and a grand procession through the old town. The procession route passes through Plaza del Hierro, Santo Domingo, Parque de San Lázaro, and Plaza Mayor before ending at Plaza de San Martiño.
The Festa de San Martiño, honoring the city's patron saint Martín de Tours, arrives in November. It marks the season of the Magostos -- gatherings around bonfires to roast chestnuts and drink the year's new wine. It's a deeply Galician celebration and well worth timing your walk for.
Semana Santa in Ourense has medieval roots, promoted originally by artisan and merchant guilds. Palm Sunday opens with the Procesión del Burro, a colorful procession carrying laurel, olive, and palm branches.
The Romans founded Ourense around the 1st century, drawn by the thermal springs they called Aquae Originis (or, in some accounts, Aurienses -- the city of gold, for the precious metal found in the Miño). They built baths, a sanctuary to the water divinities, and the original bridge. The city's strategic position on the Miño made it an important communication hub.
The thermal waters were the beginning. Everything that followed -- the medieval bishopric, the cathedral, the old town -- grew from that original Roman settlement around the hot springs. Today there's no gold left in the river, but the waters are arguably more valuable.
The Cathedral was begun in the second half of the 12th century and continued into the 13th. It is one of five cathedrals in Galicia. The Pórtico del Paraíso, its crowning glory, was carved in the early 13th century and depicts the journey from hell to paradise, linking Old Testament prophecy with New Testament revelation.
Just beyond the Río Miño the camino splits into two routes. The arrows here leave a bit to be desired -- there's only one fading set painted on the sidewalk to indicate the split.
Here's how to find the way: once over the Ponte Vella keep to the right side of the road and head uphill. You'll pass four streets (Rúas Ribeira de Canedo, Mercado, Ramón y Cajal, and Vicente Risco). As you near the fifth, a much larger intersection, watch the ground for arrows. From this junction, the camino either continues straight (the LEFT route) or turns right (the RIGHT route). Both merge in Casas Novas.
RIGHT ROUTE - 18.9 km: From the right turn at the split, this route follows the N-525 uphill for about 1 km. At the gas station, the camino veers right and begins to climb steeply up to Cudeiro. This is the more traditional route and offers good views back over Ourense.
LEFT ROUTE - 17.6 km: From the split, continue straight up the hill keeping to the right side. The road passes the train station (on your right, bar) and follows the road to Quinitela.
Accommodation in Ourense.
| Hotel Novo Cándido Booking.com |
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| Hotel Altiana ⭑⭑ Booking.com |
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| Hotel Carris Cardenal Quevedo ⭑⭑⭑⭑ Booking.com |
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| Hotel Irixo ⭑ Booking.com |
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| Hotel Zarampallo ⭑ Booking.com |
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| Hotel Mabú ⭑ Booking.com |
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| Albergue de peregrinos de Ourense 10€ 42 |
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| Albergue Grelo Hostel 18*€ 32 Booking.com |
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| Albergue Augas Quentes 18*€ 36 Booking.com |
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