Ponteareas is a town and municipality in the province of Pontevedra, in the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. It belongs to the comarca of O Condado.
It is located on the Vigo-Benavente highway and on the river Tea, a right-hand tributary of the Miño. It is the chief town of a fertile hilly region, which produces wine, grain and fruit, and contains many cattle farms. The industries of the town itself are porcelain manufactures, tanning and distilling. Close by are the ruins of the Sobroso Castle, which played an important part in the medieval civil wars. While it is located in the nearby town, Mondariz, it is owned by the council of Ponteareas.
Geography
Parishes
The municipality of Ponteareas is formed by 24 parroquias (parishes) - rural suburbs of the main town. These parishes can be further subdivided into aldeas (villages) or lugares :
Areas (Santa María): Agualevada, Alemparte, A Cruz, Ganade, A Gándara, A Lomba, O Peso, O Picoto, San Brais
Arnoso (San Lourenzo): O Cotarel, O Covelo, A Muxena, A Oliveira, O Outeiriño, O Souto da Presa
Bugarín (Santa Cristina): Camondes, A Chan, As Eiras, A Freixa, A Gándara, A Porteliña, Queidores, A Quintenla, A Rasela, O Viñal
Celeiros (San Fins): A Carreira, O Outeiro, O Requeixo, Ribadas, Soutelo
Cristiñade (San Salvador): O Cribeiro, O Feixoal, A Igrexa, Mesego, O Outeiro, O Paseo, Penela, A Porteliña, Porto, A Pousa, O Puño, Rabadeira, As Raíces, Sequeiros, Soutovidal, A Torre, Urcela, A Xesteira
Cumiar (Santo Estevo): O Areal de Fontes, O Calvario, Candeira, Carballas, A Coutada, O Cruceiro, As Eiras, A Mo, Santa Cruz
Fontenla (San Mamede): A Ascensión, Barbáns, O Ceo, Cornedo, A Gaiosa, A Gloria, Novexil, O Picouto, As Rabadeiras
Fozara (San Bartolomeu): Borraxeiros, A Lomba, Outeiro de Castro, Outeiro Fernando
Guillade (San Miguel): Aval, Carballede, A Cavadiña, O Eirado, A Encostada, A Igrexa, A Lomba, Mourigade, Pazos, A Pontexil, A Portela, A Rañó, Reimonde, Santa Locaia, A Vigair
Guláns (San Xulián) : A Abelleira, A Abesoureira, O Aciviñeiro, O Arrabal, O Barreiro, A Barxa, O Casal, A Cima, A Costa da Groba, Costa de Sequeiros, Couso, A Cruz, A Devesa, O Eido Vello, O Lameiro, O Outeiro do Foxo - O Outeiro, O Padrán, Penadouro, O Pereiro, Porto, O Provizo, O Salgueiral, Santa Baia, O Souto, Suaviña, Valiñas
Moreira (San Martiño): A Amarela, O Calvario, A Cañota, Chan de Espiño, As Covas, A Feira, Macadín, Os Muíños, A Peroxa, O Pontillón, Rañe de Abaixo, Rañe de Arriba, Requeixo, A Ribeira do Río, Sixas, O Soutiño, Urcela, Vilanova
Nogueira (San Salvador): O Areu, O Castelo, A Costoura, Cruceiras, A Gándara, As Meáns, Monte de Abaixo, A Murxeira, A Nogueira, O Paramo, Pazos, O Rego Alto, O Souto, Torre do Sino
Santiago de Oliveira (Santiago): A Áspera, A Bouza da Igrexa, O Casal, A Duca, Entrecotos, A Fraga do Rei, A Pedreira, A Portela, A Porteliña, Rabuñade, A Sobreira, Valverde
San Mateo de Olivera (Santiago): O Agrelo, O Alcázar, O Asperón, O Calandro, A Capela, O Carrascal, A Chan, A Cheira, O Cruceiro, A Cuña, As Godallas, A Manga, O Outeiro, A Pedreira, Penavella, O Piñeiro, Puzo, As Rozas, A Silva, O Val do Eido, Vera, Vilafría
San Lorenzo de Oliveira (Santiago): As Cabazas, A Camba, As Eiras, Paredes, A Pedreira, Pombeiras, Souto
Padróns (San Salvador) : Castro, Chan da Gándara, As Cortellas, Maínza, Mouro, A Portela, A Seca, A Serra
Paredes (San Cibrán): O Picouto, O Ramallal, O Toucedo
Pías (Santa Mariña): Chans, A Costeliña, Cotobade, A Cruz, A Ermida, A Lenguda, O Outeiro, A Pontacóns, O Souto do Pazo, O Toxo
Ponteareas (town) (San Miguel): O Areal, O Barral, As Cachadas, Canedo, A Castiñeira, A Curuxeira, Lamazáns, A Moscadeira, O Paseo Matutino, Pedra de Agua, A Perillana, A Ponte dos Remedios, Ponteareas, O Reiro, San Roque, San Vicente, Valoura
Prado (San Nicolao): O Amial, O Carrascás, A Carrasqueira, O Charco, A Coutada, Os Ferreiros, O Outeiro, A Pardantela, O Pazo, O Souto de Abaixo, O Souto de Arriba
Ribadetea (San Xurxo): O Aceido, Antela, A Bagañeira, O Barbeito, A Barca, A Barronca, A Barxela, Bernardos, O Cabaleiro, O Canal, Carreira, A Carriza, Os Casás, Os Casquizos, Cillarga, Covas, O Eido do Monte, O Eido Vello, Entreeidos, O Espadanal, O Figueiredo, A Freixa, A Groba, O Igrexario, Lomba do Cruceiro, Mourade, O Outeiro, O Pazo, A Pedra da Bouza, Peitieiras, As Penas, Pereira, O Portal de Dentro, O Porto, A Pousa, Preito, A Rabadeira, O Roupeiro, O Salgueiral, Santa Cruz, O Sobreiro, O Souto, A Tramila, A Videira, Vilares, A Viña Vella
Xinzo (Santa Mariña): As Balsadas, O Barbeito, A Barreira, Barroselo, Barxelas, A Bergoa, O Borraxeiro, Bouzalonga, Cabreira, A Canella, A Cividá, O Confurco, O Coto, O Eido de Arriba, A Ermida, A Fichoca, Fixón, As Fonteíñas, A Granxa, A Illán, Lamas, O Longaíño, O Moledo, Nando, Parada, O Pereiro, O Picoto, A Portela, O Regote, A Riba, A Rocha, A Rúa, O Sobral, O Souto, A Touza da Vella, Os Valados, A Verdella, A Viña de Lama, A Viña Nova, O Vis
Government
The municipality of Ponteareas is administered by a mayor-council government, the Concello de Ponteareas, which meets at the Casa Consistorial in the Xardins da Xiralda. Following the local elections of 2023 the municipality is governed by a two-party coalition of the People's Party and ACIP with Nava Castro as Mayoress.
The religious festival of Corpus Christi is particularly important. Dating back to 1857, it is traditionally celebrated with a procession of the Holy Sacrament along floral carpets laid in the streets. In 1968 the festival was declared a festival of Tourist Interest, in 1980 of National Tourist Interest, and in 2009 of International Tourist Interest, joining other famous Spanish celebrations such as Fallas and the Tomatina.
