STOP 3: CASTELO DOS MOUROS (self-guided route The Names of the Island)

If you prefer, you can download the complete self-guided route leaflet in PDF format HERE.

Prehistoric peoples had already learned to live in close connection with the sea.

On the jagged hill to the right of the path lie the remains of an Iron Age hillfort (castro) that also brings with it a legacy of legends.

From the path, you can make out the shape of the castro and its defensive structures. This is the oldest known settlement on Ons Island, occupied from the 4th century BC until the 4th century AD, by which time it was already part of the Roman period.

The presence of castros on the islands shows that prehistoric peoples had already adapted to maritime life—sailing and gathering food from the sea.

This hill is known as Castro or Castelo dos Mouros, and like other places in Galicia with names including “dos Mouros” or “da Moura,” it is linked to a legend. The Mouros were a people of supernatural beings who appear in myths and stories from the north of the Iberian Peninsula. They are often portrayed as the builders of ancient structures such as hillforts (castros), dolmens, or burial mounds (mámoas). In this particular case, there is also talk of an underground tunnel connecting it to the rocky islet you can see in front, near Canexol beach, which would have served as a hiding place for the local population during pirate or enemy attacks.

From the 1st century AD onwards, the inhabitants of this castro worked in the Roman salting factories found on Canexol beach, which produced and exported salted fish, sauces, and even purple dye for the Roman upper classes. 

The Castelo dos Mouros as seen from the path, along with the islet of O Cairo, which legend says is linked to the hillfort by an underground tunnel.