Castromaior

Stage 31 · Portomarín – Palas de ReiLugo Province

What is there in Castromaior

Castromaior is a hamlet and parish in the municipality of Portomarín, in Lugo Province, on the Camino Frances.

The name says it: “the greater hillfort”. A few metres from the Camino hides the Castromaior hillfort, a fortified Iron Age settlement inhabited roughly from the 4th century BC to the 1st century AD, declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2010 and considered one of the most important sites in north-west Iberia. Excavations have uncovered paved streets, round houses and the foundations of a communal granary, and from the top the view is superb. It is worth the short detour. Before it, in the hamlet itself, the church of Santa María is a fine example of rural Romanesque, with masons’ marks on its walls. Then the Camino keeps climbing gently towards O Hospital and the Ligonde hills.

Accommodation in Castromaior

There is no accommodation registered here yet. The nearest is in O Hospital, 3 km away.

See accommodation in O Hospital

Distances from Castromaior

From Castromaior to O Hospital it is about 3 km.

To Vendas de Narón it is about 4.5 km.

And to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in Santiago de Compostela, about 84.1 km remain.

What to see in Castromaior?

Hillfort
Castro de Castromaior Camino de Santiago Frances 2 768x403

Hillfort de Castromaior

Pre-Roman Hillfort of Castromaior The Castro de Castromaior, located in the village of Castromaior, in the municipality of Portomarin, Lugo
Church
Iglesia de Santa Maria de Castromaior Camino de Santiago Frances 2 768x403

Church of Saint Mary of Castromaior

Church of Saint Mary of Castromaior Located along the picturesque stretch of the Camino de Santiago Frances, between Portomarin and

History

Castromaior is a hamlet in the parish of Santa María de Castromaior, in the municipality of Portomarín. Its 12th-century Romanesque church is small and pretty, with a semicircular apse.

The name, «greater fort», refers to the great hill fort beside the village: a fortified Iron Age settlement, also occupied in Roman times, with several ditches and ramparts. It is one of the best in Galicia and can be visited freely.

Where it is

It lies about two kilometres after Gonzar, in a landscape of hills and meadows.

Other features

Stone houses, hórreos and fountains complete the hamlet.

Population

The parish has barely thirty residents.

Traditions

As in the rest of the district:

  • Festivities in honour of Santa María.
  • Pilgrimages with the neighbouring villages.
  • Galician cooking: octopus, empanada and caldo.

Castromaior on the Camino

The Camino Frances crosses the hamlet beside the church, and the hill fort is a few metres away. Many pilgrims walk past without knowing it: the short detour is well worth it.

Camino de Santiago Frances
Privacy overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can review our Privacy Policy.