This place, a meeting point between the municipalities of Redondela and Soutomaior, emerges as one of the places with the best landscapes in the area. There at the top, 327 meters above sea level, we can see the Ría de Vigo and, on the other side, the valley of the Verdugo River and the roads to the Terra de Montes and the Serra do Suído. In all this surroundings, the Soutomaior castle stands out, one of the best preserved in all of Galicia.
Peneda has a long history. The presence of a fort takes us back to the period before Christ. There were hardly any remains, but a mine of some depth stands out. But without a doubt the most important historical event occurred in the Middle Ages, in the context of the Irmandiña revolts and noble conflicts, with Pedro Madruga as the protagonist.
The then known as Castrizán Fortress, built at the end of the 15th century by order of the archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Alonso de Fonseca (of which part of the structure is preserved in good condition) stood as a witness to that time of continuous wars.
Later, the hermitage dedicated to the Virgen de las Nieves de la Peneda (15th-16th centuries) provided it with a place for celebrations and pilgrimages, a social space where, for example, the Festa dos Fachos is celebrated at the end of the month of June.
Since 2021, the imposing cork oaks of A Peneda were classified as unique trees.
