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The Miño’s Southern Bank
As Neves sits on the Galician side of the Miño, where the river grows wide and slow before Portugal. The comarca is A Paradanta, in the south of Pontevedra. This stretch of water has never been a true barrier. From the heights of the Altamira castro, you see both banks, a geography that explains centuries of movement and exchange across the current.
A Table Set by the River
The local food calendar is still marked by the lamprey season. From late winter into spring, its arrival is noted in the kitchens here. The classic preparation is lamprea a la bordelesa, stewed with red wine and its own blood, a method that has changed little. It draws dedicated followers from both sides of the border when in season.
For the rest of the year, the cooking turns inland. Pote with grelos and unto is a staple in colder months. In some inland parishes, you might still see unto curing near the hearth in winter, a practice that connects daily meals to older ways of preserving food.
Among traditional sweets, there is the tarta de chícharo, an almond sponge cake typical of southern Pontevedra. Its origins are sometimes linked to the Jewish communities that historically moved along trade routes toward Portugal.
Rituals and Gatherings
The parish of Ribarteme holds its well-known romería for Santa Marta in summer. The procession of the llamados ofrecidos, people who participate after overcoming illness or hardship, forms the core of an event where personal devotion meets communal tradition.
Later in the summer, the same parish hosts a historical re-enactment inspired by the area's Roman past. It is a newer addition to the local calendar, distinct from the older religious observances.
Other parish festivals follow the agricultural year. Some include processions to bless the river, a custom found in many villages along the Miño. These events tie community life to the rhythm of the seasons and the water.
Walking the River and Its Valleys
The most accessible walks follow the Miño’s bank, passing small river beaches and quiet backwaters where the current stalls. In these calm stretches, it is common to see European pond turtles on sun-warmed rocks.
Inland, paths trace smaller tributaries like the Xuliana. The ruins of traditional water mills stand along its course, some collapsed, others with walls still intact. They show how this network once functioned to grind grain for nearby villages.
The walk up to the Altamira castro is more demanding. The site reaches about four hundred metres in elevation, with sections of ancient stone wall still visible. Like many castros in the northwest, it saw occupation over a long period, extending into the Roman era, likely due to its position overlooking trade routes along the river valley.
Layers in Stone
The church of Santiago de Ribarteme shows the typical adaptations of rural Galician architecture. Its doorway has Romanesque features, while the rest of the building reflects modifications made in later centuries, as resources allowed.
Older marks exist in the parish of Taboexa. There, you can find rock-cut wine presses, known locally as a pedra dos viños. Carved directly into granite, with channels for the must to flow, they date from pre-Roman or early Roman times. They have been part of the landscape for so long that their exact period of use is not remembered.
These elements, from the river crossings to the carved stone, outline a place shaped by continuity and quiet adaptation. The story of As Neves is not found in a single monument, but in this persistent relationship between its people, its water, and its land.
