The best hikes from bus stations around El Barco De Valdeorras

The As Fontiñas viewing point is an excellent window into the best-preserved natural ecosystems in the Sil Canyon, a mysterious and balanced mix of water, stone, forest and space. The course of the Gavias stream reaches the edge of the cliffs from the fields of Requián and before entering the Sil River it plunges down a crazy and dizzying succession of rocky steps. In one of them it creates the Pozo da Ovella waterfall, a giant's cauldron that demonstrates the energy of the water when it falls furiously down the walls of the great Sil gorge.

The village of Entrambosríos is hidden in a forest of ancient chestnut trees at the confluence of the Batán and Fiós rivers, two torrents of water that provided enough energy to move the machinery of two mills built on the banks of the river, one in Entrambosríos and the other in Rabacallos, near the mouth of the river in the Sil. The buildings and part of the irrigation ditches, the bridge and the surroundings of the mills have been restored to preserve the memory of the families who for generations dedicated themselves to the work of milling. A panel located next to the old mill remembers the last family that kept the mill running until the end of the last century. From Roman times, the basis of peasant food and the original raw material for milling was the chestnut. The first agricultural revolution came from the 12th century, when the monks of the Ribeira Sacra introduced the cultivation of millet and rye. And from the 17th century onwards, wheat and corn arrived, the flours that have brought the Galician baking industry and “Galician bread” to the forefront of popular gastronomy. The Entrambosríos chestnut tree is an ancient example of chestnut included in the Catalogue of Singular Trees of Galicia, and boasts of being one of the oldest and largest trees in Galicia. The branches continue to produce fruit and in the meantime they tell an endless story of perseverance, love for the land and friendship with human beings.

The petos de ánimas or “soul piggy banks” are an artistic expression of medieval popular architecture linked to the cult of the dead and beliefs about life and death. In the religious reform of the 16th century, the concept of Purgatory appeared as an alternative to save the “souls in torment” who wandered around waiting to be condemned, suppressing the idea of eternal punishment. The petos de ánimas reached their highest artistic quality in the 18th century, they are at crossroads and form part of the ethnographic heritage of the Galician rural environment. In the municipality of Parada de Sil there are petos de ánimas in Requián, Teimende, Casa do Vento, Cimadevila, O Couto and O Coutiño, with two striking ornamental pinnacles on the stone chapel.

The trail begins in the Plaza do Barquilleiro, in Parada de Sil, a must-see in the essential landscapes of the Sil Canyon and the Ribeira Sacra to discover fantasy forests, river balconies, traditional wineries and the ancient monastery of Santa Cristina, a notable landmark in the Benedictine foundations spread across the great river canyon in the interior of Galicia.

In the surroundings of Parada de Sil there are several paths marked by old “carriozas” or traditional paths that run through beautiful “castiñeiros” (chestnut) forests, with centuries-old specimens, buildings and ethnographic remains linked to chestnut cultivation. The “souto” of chestnut trees is a living symbol of the rural world of the Galician interior. The itinerary is a thematic walk in the chestnut culture, an open-air museum among centuries-old specimens that serves to protect resources and maintain the cultural and environmental value of the rural environment.

The Balconies of Madrid have a history that speaks of emigration, dreams and human adventures in unknown lands. The original name of Os Torgás was changed when the people of the Ourense villages of the Ribeira Sacra hung themselves from the cliffs of the River Sil to say goodbye to their loved ones who were leaving for Madrid and other lands in the south with the dream of a new life. The viewing points form small steps hanging over the river gorge and cause a special fascination. The breeze in the air carries the aromas of vineyards hanging on steep rocky terraces and melodies of elves emerging from enchanted forests, descendants of the primitive mythological beings who resisted the sacralisation of their plant kingdom by the monks and long before by the Roman legions. The walls of the Sil Canyon are a monumental sculpture five hundred metres high made of fierce, bare granite, a fortress of living rock up to the edge of the viewing points that filter the wind, the lights and the eternal songs of all the people who have passed through this fantastic natural balcony to say goodbye or find someone.

Great route. The section between 3 and 4 is closing the path and needs to be cleaned. Also the section after 6 for about 500 meters is full of weeds, which is a shame.

The Sil River is a fundamental part of O Barco de Valdeorras. This river, which is the second most important in Galicia after the Miño, runs through the Valdeorras region and offers impressive landscapes. 🌄😎