Come and meet the Muíños do Folón e do Picón
Autumn is the ideal season to enjoy the outdoor walks without the rigors of the summer heat or the cold and rain of winter. That is why we want to tell you that very close to our campsite, in the neighboring Concello de O Rosal, we can make an easy and very attractive route that will take us to know an impressive ethnographic group declared as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC). This group, consisting of almost seventy mills built between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, forms the route of the Muíños do Picón and Folón, which are the names of the two small streams whose waters allowed them to generate the energy they need to grind. Above all, it calls attention to its cascading disposition, as can be seen in the photo by Gaby that illustrates this publication, right?
Spectacular viewpoint
The route is circular, has about three and a half kilometers and is well signposted. We can start climbing parallel to the 36 mills that make up the O Picón group. The prize to reach the highest part -Chan da Cereixeira- will be spectacular views over the Baixo Miño. We will see the mouth of the Miño, the O Rosal valley, the Santa Trega mountain and Portugal. We will also find the stone that, with four holes, served to distribute water among the neighbors. Then, we can follow the marks that the wheels of the cars left in the so-called Camiño do Carro to go down to the right towards the 31 Muíños do Picón. However, if we want to extend the walk, another alternative is to continue towards the hermitage of San Martiño, where a popular pilgrimage is held every November 11th.
Singular elements
Most of these hydraulic mills are built on two floors; in the lower one is the machinery and in the upper one there is the stone where it was milled. If you are lucky and open, you can see one in operation, such as the one that serves as an information point next to the parking lot.
But a simple walk will allow us to observe the marks left by the canteiros on the stones, as well as other signs that serve to identify the date on which they were erected and their property. The number 11 of the mills of O Folón has recorded the year 1702, although it is believed that the mills are older because they are already mentioned in documents of the previous century. On the other hand, in some constructions we can see exterior piles that served as drinking troughs for the animals.
Enjoy nature
And, in addition to the 'rodeiras' or the grooves left in the stones by the carts, do not miss the waterfall that runs next to the upper part of the O Folón mills. The route will also allow us to cross small streams of water and wooden bridges between granite formations.