Bayona Things to Do

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Arriving in Baiona as I looked out over the harbor my eyes were drawn to this ship that looked like something out of one of my grade school history books. There in all it's glory was an exact replica of the famous ship, La Pinta which was part of the fleet of Christopher Columbus. I was really surprised at it's extremely small size and wondered how it actually made it across the Atlantic. On board the ship is a Maritime Museum that depictes the daily life of it's passengers as it crossed the ocean to the New World.

They are open from June 15 - September 15 from 10 AM - 8 PM daily.
There is a price of .80 Euros to board the ship.

This statue was designed by Antonio Palacios and was started in 1910 but was not completed till 1930. It stands about 50 feet tall and towers some 300 feet above the sea. There is a spiral staircase that takes you to one of its arms where you can get a spectacular view of the ocean. Inside the sculpture is a small box which contains gold, silver, and bronze coins and documents telling about the Virgen.

The bridge across the river Miñor establishes the boundary between the councils of Bayona and Nigrán.
This beautiful medieval-style bridge presents ten semicircular arches, eight of which (36 metres long) belong to Bayona.
Tradition says that pregnant women whose unborn children had been repeatedly miscarried used to go to the bridge to exorcise their unfavourable fate. The exorcism had to be performed at midnight: the woman's belly was washed with water from the river and the first person to cross the river after the rite was chosen as godparent, a honour which could not be refused.

Over a group of rocks in the highest area of the village can be found this Cross that was built in the 15th century.
Inside the shelter there is a Gothic cross with the image of Jesus Christ at whose feet the Holy Virgin Mary appears next to some other consecrated figures.

This Church honors a martyr daughter of Bayona that was the first woman in the World to die in the cross, St. Liberata.
It's construction started in 1695, thanks to public donation.
The main façade has two towers and between them, escorted by the ancient coats of arms of Bayona and the Kingdom of Galicia, lies the crucified saint.

The Old Town was awarded Historically and Artistically Interesting Area by the Galician Heritage Board in 1993, the 5th centenary of the Arrival.
Although the Old Town includes part of O Burgo and Sabarís, its core is in the town centre. It's composed by narrow streets of cobbled stone, short stone or granite buildings and arcades, churches and fountains.

This panel made in painted tiles (azulejo) represents the routes taken by Pinzón and Columbus, with the caravels Pinta and Niña, when they returned after the discovery of the New World

The seafront in Bayona is probably the most attractive thing in the village.
The boulevard it's wide and artistic and a perfect place to stop and contemplate the bay. The opposite side is a long shopping avenue where we can find restaurants, cafes and hotels.
The boulevard has more than 2Km and it goes to the near village of A Ramalhosa.