Island of Tambo

Tambo Island is a beautiful natural area of great environmental, heritage and historical value with several attractions, such as its two beaches (Area da Illa and A Dreidá) and its three small jetties and the Tenlo lighthouse.

From the jetty you can take several paths to explore the island. If you go to the right, you will find the small beach Area da Illa, where there is a picnic area that belonged to the army and where pilgrimages were held. On the other hand, if you turn left, towards the south of the island, you will find a small peninsula called O Tenlo, where there is a beautiful beach called A Dreidá and the old Tenlo lighthouse. This beach, at the end of the 19th century, was used by Protestants to perform baptisms at night.

In addition to its beautiful natural landscapes, on Tambo Island you can also find ancient buildings that show the steps of man on the island over several eras, such as the remains of a lazaretto and a small chapel dedicated to San Miguel.

Before you visit Tambo Island, we will also tell you a little about its history. As mentioned above, this island has been used for many different purposes over the years. This small place has been inhabited by Benedictine monks, attacked by pirates, used as a prison and as a lazaretto, and administered by the army and, now, by the council of Poio.

The oldest remains are Iron Age forts, located in the north of the island. There are also the remains of the Benedictine monastery of San María de Gracia, a building from the Middle Ages, built by San Fructuoso, of which only the old monastery church dedicated to San Miguel and a fountain remain. During the Middle Ages, Tambo Island suffered several pirate attacks and, unfortunately, the monastery was destroyed in one of those attacks, orchestrated by the notorious pirate Francis Drake, in 1589.