Whether you are walking your way to Santiago de Compostela or just driving along the highway from any other site in Galicia, there are many reasons to stop in Lalín town and enjoy the food, the people and the surrounding nature.
We’ve already told you why you should visit Lalín on you trip to Galicia, now let us introduce you to the unmissable spots in Lalín:
Here’s what you shouldn’t miss when you visit Lalín
The town Hall
Lalín’s Town Hall is a beautiful piece of modern architecture from Tuñón & Mansilla. The building, which uses concrete and glass as its key elements, takes its inspiration from the Iron Age fortified villages or castros (Lalín has one of the biggest concentrations of these structures in all Galicia).
While you will find it open only Mon-Fri, there are plenty of reasons to get in and enjoy the open spaces, the use of light and the pork art pieces they keep inside (together with some more classical pieces of art).
The building was selected among the best 15 architectural projects in Spain on the XII Bienal Española de Arquitectura y Urbanismo 2013.
Where: Concello de Lalín, Praza de Galicia, 1, 36500 Lalín, Pontevedra, Spain
Latitude: 42.660648 | Longitude: -8.116311
Museum Ramon Aller
Ramón Aller was many things: priest, mathematician, astronomer… born in Lalín in the XIX Century, he devoted his life to scientific investigation and built the first Astronomical Observatory in all Galicia.
This observatory is one of the main reasons why you should stop by the museum (it is still in use -booking required-), but it’s not the only one. Check out thee building where he lived (including his own office and some of his original writings) and a nice collection of paintings by Laxeiro (including an interesting República painting).
They also host temporary exhibitions and the personal items of aviator Joaquín Lóriga.
Where: Rúa Ramón Aller, 9, 36500 Lalín, Pontevedra, Spain
Latitude: 42.661295 | Longitude: -8.113328
“The pork”, km0 and other quirky things
Right at the heart of Lalín, you will find three of the best places for a picture (or a selfie) and certainly one of the best points to prove you’ve been to Lalín:
1. “the pork” is literally a real size pig, just made out of bronze. It was placed there in 2001 to conmemorate one of the most important things to do in Lalín: Cocido (eating the traditional stew, whose main ingredient is pork) and the gastronomic party that happens every year: Feira do Cocido.
2. the Km.0 sign (on the floor), which marks the perfect location of Lalín from the main points of Galicia.
3. the funky zebra crossings (here piano crossings)
Also here, a traditional market happens every Saturday morning.
Where: Rua Joaquim Loriga, 3, 36500 Lalín, Pontevedra, Spain
Latitude: 42.661438 | Longitude: -8.112218
Monument to Lóriga
You may have never heard of Joaquín Lóriga before. If you like great travels like we do, you will get intrigued by this one.
Lóriga was an aviator who was born at Pazo de Liñares in Lalín, by the end of the XIX Century. But he was not an “ordinary” aviator: he was on the first flight to connect Madrid and Manila by air (it took them 33 days to connect the 19.000 kilometers between both locations), the first to fly De La Cierva’s autogyro and also the first to land a plane in Galicia.
The people of Lalín were so proud of him that they collected enough money to buy him a new plane. But he died in Madrid while flying at an exhibit at Cuatro Vientos, so they built this monument (tht’s the reason why it has the shape of a plane stuck in the earth.)
Where: Praza da Torre, 36500 Lalín, Pontevedra, Spain
Latitude: 42.662155 | Longitude: -8.112953
The oak trees of García Sanchez (and Pontiñas river walk)
One of our favorite things to do in Lalín is to enjoy the beautiful nature surrounding. If you don’t have enough time (or a car), you can also enjoy some beautiful spots without leaving Lalín:
1. Carballeira do Rodo or the lands of García Sánchez is a stunning spot that combines art and oak trees, together with a traditional galician forest or fraga nearby. The place (in the picture below) has also an enourmous granite table.
2. Paseo Pontiñas (or river walk by Pontiñas river) is an urban park but don’t get me wrong, it’s only “urban” on its first few kilometres. From the way underneath Avda. Xosé Cuiña, the park has its own bike lane, crosses many bridges and watermills, and you will see few oak forests too.
Where:
Carballeira de Rodo, Rúa García Sánchez, 5, 36500 Lalín, Pontevedra, Spain
Latitude: 42.668781 | Longitude: -8.111193
Paseo Pontiñas, Rúa do Parque, 36500 Lalín, Pontevedra, Spain
Latitude: 42.665446 | Longitude: -8.105297
On a map
Some extra info
Lalín village is easily explored on foot but you will need a car to make the most of your visit here (or a good pair of hiking boots).
There are several private parkings available around town and many public parking areas.
How to get there
By train: Renfe operates direct trains from Ourense and Santiago de Compostela but timetables are a bit limited (and sometimes confusing). You can travel by Bus from Vigo, Santiago, Ourense etc. but car is still the easiest route.
By plane: all three airports in Galicia are at 1 hour – 1 hour and a half distance. Check Vigo (VGO) Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) and A Coruña (LCG).
The Way: two routes cross by Lalín, the Winter Way (Camino de Invierno) and the Silver Way (Vía de la Plata)
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