O Milladoiro

O Milladoiro is a parish in the municipality of Ames, in the province of A Coruña, Galicia, situated on the hillside immediately south of Santiago de Compostela. The name refers to a milladoiro, a cairn or pile of stones traditionally left by pilgrims at viewpoints or high passes as a votive offering and a mark of having passed.

The locality sits on the final elevated approach to the city, and the descent from O Milladoiro into Santiago offers pilgrims their first clear view of the cathedral towers. This viewpoint has been a moment of intense emotion for pilgrims for centuries, representing the visual confirmation of the journey’s end.

Today O Milladoiro is a built-up suburban area, but it retains its significance as the last named locality before Santiago’s historic centre and the cathedral.