An old ice cream cart has a second life next to the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor in Pontevedra: to welcome those who walk the Portuguese Way. The Christian reception team has just closed its 2026 campaign, a volunteer effort that brings together the stamping of credentials, information about the temple and personal listening.
According to the report published by Faro de Vigo on November 6, between twenty and thirty volunteers support this initiative, coordinated by Cristina Montenegro. On some days of high season they have served around 150 pilgrims and tourists. The figure corresponds to days of greatest influx, not an annual average.
The campaign ended on October 31 and the team is already looking towards the Compostela Holy Year of 2027. Therefore, those who walk towards Santiago now should not assume that they will find the cart installed.
The reception of pilgrims in Pontevedra begins with a conversation
The project has been running since 2021, according to the parish itself. It is aimed at both walkers and people who enter the basilica for artistic, historical or religious interest. The external attention and the accompaniment inside the temple are part of the same proposal.
The Archdiocese of Santiago collected this experience during the Second Tourism Pastoral Day, held in Muxía on September 18, 2026. Javier Porro and the volunteers Cristina Montenegro and Remedios González presented there the interparish work developed in Pontevedra.
The diocesan chronicle describes meetings that begin with questions about the journey, fatigue or origin. The seal on the credential may be the initial reason for approaching; The conversation also allows us to attend to the person who carries that credential.
An invitation to enter, know and stop
Volunteers use spiritual maps to explain different spaces in the temple and present the possibility of participating in the prayer reception inside. It is an invitation for those who wish to accept it, within a service that welcomes visitors with different motivations.
This interior dimension already appeared in Pastoral Santiago's information about the parish festivities of 2023. There it was explained that other volunteers took turns in prayer and were available to individually accompany those who requested it.
Also in 2023, Diario de Pontevedra documented the use of the old cart as a sealing table, the delivery of information about the temple and spiritual support. This background allows us to position the current news as the continuity of a work maintained for several seasons.
Volunteers who are also prepared to listen
In June 2026, the parish announced a Christian welcome course for pilgrims and visitors, the first session of which was held on the 16th. The call was aimed at people interested in collaborating in the care and accompaniment of those who arrive in the city following the Camino.
Training provides continuity to a task that depends on the availability of volunteers. The cart is the most visible part, but behind it there is a community that organizes its presence, shares experiences and prepares the handover between those who serve.
This form of hospitality connects with other stories we tell on RTV , such as the legacy of Elías Valiña and his commitment to welcoming. Guiding the walker and paying attention to him are concrete tasks that accompany the pilgrimage.
What to keep in mind if you pass through Santa María
The basilica is one of the outstanding heritage sites of Pontevedra. Municipal tourist information recalls that it was built in the 16th century at the initiative of the Seafarers' Guild, testimony to the importance of the city's port.
If you prepare your way through Portuguese Way, it is advisable to distinguish the hours of visiting the temple from the availability of voluntary service. For 2027, check parish communications before arranging a stop specifically to find the cart.
In Santa María, a reused object is used for something as simple and necessary as welcoming the pilgrim and dedicating time to them.
Sources: Vigo Lighthouse; Parish of Saint Mary: welcome experience; Volunteer course; Archdiocese of Santiago; Pastoral Santiago; Pontevedra Newspaper; Visit Pontevedra.
