Hidden among the green hills of the Umia Valley, Cuntis is a spa town where history bubbles up from ancient thermal springs that lured the Romans two millennia ago, long before anyone dreamed of branding “wellness” as a lifestyle. Before them, Celtic hilltop settlements like Castrolandín and Castro de Ovil left stones that still hint at their presence, followed by the Suebi, who held the town for nearly 170 years, until the Visigoths moved in and claimed the lease along with the thermal springs. Centuries of monasteries, feudal towers, and local ingenuity layered resilience and ritual on top of a town already steeped in history.

The Arcos de Furcos catacombs are Cuntis’ underground secret. Hand-dug in the 1940s when the town literally ran out of room for the dead, the two-level labyrinth of 60 crypts and 245 niches nods to ancient Mediterranean burial practices while keeping the past literally beneath your feet.

And when the living take over, the town knows how to celebrate. The Festa do Lacón con Grelos, the town’s signature Carnival-end festival, pairs pork shoulder, turnip greens, and sweet pancakes with O Chapante, a gluttonous mascot paraded through the streets in a mock funeral before being set aflame. Festivals like Cultura na Rúa fill the cobblestone streets with bagpipes, tambourines, and the Muiñeira dance, turning the town into a stage for history, folklore, and mischief. Come for the thermal springs, stay for the stories, and leave with a new appreciation for Galicia’s most spirited spa town.

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Ancient thermal springs and Celtic-to-Visigothic history surface in this green Galician valley town.

We’re currently putting together a full guide to Cuntis and its surroundings, from thermal springs to curious customs and local events. We’re gathering stories that turn a simple visit into a deeper experience.

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