The Ría de Pontevedra is the estuary on which Combarro sits — a broad inlet stretching some 20 km from the Atlantic inland to the city of Pontevedra. From the village waterfront the views extend across the water to the rolling hills of the far shore and, on clear days, to the Ons Islands at the river mouth.
The ría is mild, sheltered, and historically rich in fish and shellfish. The local economy has long depended on it — and still does. Small fishing boats work the inshore waters, and the rope structures floating further out are the mussel beds (bateas) that make the Rías Baixas one of the great shellfish-producing regions of Europe. The combination of productive water and dramatic scenery has been the making of the villages along these shores.