CATOIRA

The spring waters in Catoira may have been used by the Romans before the town became popular for the festival known as Romaría Vikinga, held every August. This event recreates the landing of the Vikings and the battle against these northern raiders, which takes place by the Torres de Oeste Towers.

The town, in the province of Pontevedra, boasted a renowned spa and hotel in the early 20th century, and it exploited the thermal waters for the production of soap and bath salts. The modest one-storey stone building was located in the town centre.

The sulphurous soap, made from waters of the springs of Laxiña and Recarén and commercialized under the brand Torres de Oeste, became internationally known. The salts were also made from these medicinal waters. These products were awarded prizes in London, Rome and Buenos Aires. In the middle of the 20th century, Ricardo Dios López bought the business, which exhausted the resources and it finally closed in 1970. In addition, the permits of the spa had expired and the amount and quality of the waters were no longer suitable. Recent research proved that this small town, by the mouth of the Ulla River, stands on spring waters reservoirs which may have medicinal properties. In fact, in the place of A Lomba, there is a spring emerging from a depth of more than 130 metres.