Ribadelouro

Ribadelouro, a parish in the Pontevedra municipality of Tui, is the first hamlet the pilgrim crosses on leaving the border city heading north along the Central Portuguese Way. Its name, "bank of the Louro", describes its setting precisely: the low, damp lands watered by the river Louro before it enters the natural area of As Gándaras, a protected wetland that forms part of the Natura 2000 Network. At the entrance to the parish stands one of the most venerated spots on the whole route: the Ponte das Febres, a simple medieval bridge over the river San Simón where, according to tradition, Saint Telmo —patron of Tui and of seafarers— fell ill with the fevers that would cause his death in 1251. Beside it, a stone cross reminds the walker of the episode. The heart of the parish is the church of Santa Comba, rebuilt in 1827 over an earlier temple of probable Romanesque origin. Here the pilgrim finds a stretch of shade and water, away from the asphalt, as well as lodging and a respite before tackling the industrial estate of O Porriño and the subsequent climb to Mos. More than a hub of services, it is a rural and devout scene that foreshadows the deep Galicia of the final stages towards Santiago.