Santuario da Virxe da Barca


The 18th-century church on the rocky seashore at the north end of town marks the spot where (legend attests) the Virgin Mary arrived in a stone boat and appeared to Santiago (St James) while he was preaching here. A fire on Christmas Day 2013 gutted the church's interior; repairs continue.

Two of the rocks strewn on the foreshore, the Pedra dos Cadris and Pedra d'Abalar, are, supposedly, the boat's sail and keel. Crawling under the former nine times is said, improbably, to help back problems.


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