Pontes is a small cluster of seasonal dwellings known as an ‘inverneira’ or winter place, which in days gone by would have been inhabited in the colder months, from Christmas to Easter. It is located in the valley at an altitude of between 700 and 750 meters above sea level. It is one of a group of Inverneiras that, together with the Brandas and the permanent dwellings in the area, make up the settlement system of Castro Laboreiro. It includes a group of 12 Inverneiras on the right-hand bank of the Laboreiro River. In total, there are 19 inverneiras, 18 brandas and 9 permanent settlements in the parish of Castro Laboreiro.

Before Easter, the families in Pontes would uproot themselves, together with their animals and possessions and move mainly to the brandas (summer villages) of Campelo and Formarigo, where they would meet up with neighbours from other inverneiras. They would return to Pontes by the time of Christmas.

Nowadays in Pontes it is almost impossible to see any signs of activity, at least in practices related to traditional agriculture. It is noticeable though that the village is relatively well preserved and even restored. These small hamlets, picturesque from the outside, have been the target of investment projects in tourism, which have led to the creation of infrastructures and tourist services which in turn have contributed to a revival of such places, bringing in new temporary inhabitants - tourists.

Enjoy the traditional architecture of Pontes and the way the place is arranged (dwellings and windrows or fields). At the entrance of the hamlet there is a small community oven, embedded in a block of granite, evidence of communal working relations, a common feature in the communities of this region.