O Vao

O Vao is a small locality in the province of A Coruña, Galicia, on the Camino Inglés route. The name derives from vao or vado, the Galician and Spanish word for a ford, indicating a shallow river crossing point that was historically the route’s primary means of crossing a watercourse before bridge construction.

Ford toponyms are found throughout Galicia and northern Iberia, typically marking ancient route crossings that predate or supplement bridge infrastructure. The locality has a quiet rural character in the enclosed green valley landscape of the A Coruña interior.