Attractions and Places To See around El Barco De Valdeorras - Top 20

The summit of Galicia, with very good 360º views

The PR-G 98 takes the Santa Cristina detour along an ancient country path dug into the mountainside centuries ago in remote and steep places, like the remains of the stone villages that appear during the journey through this enchanted world. Remains of mills, houses, wineries, “sequeiros” and a multitude of constructions with mossy walls emerge from the small natural steps of the terrain that are suitable for building a building. The rest of the surroundings are a forest of chestnut and oak trees, old and gnarled, forgotten by man and time, placed everywhere forming a magnificent forest of enormous trees that hide the views of the Sil gorge. The river is close but practically unreachable.

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.

It is a magnificent example of rural Galician Romanesque architecture. The original building is from the 12th century, and preserves carvings from the 16th century and baroque altarpieces from the 18th century. The entrance to the cloister has a Romanesque doorway with lobed arches and a magnificent sculptural pantheon. The economic power of the monks of the Sil reached a notable splendour in the 12th century, when they received royal privileges and papal protection to expand the monasteries and sanctuaries on both banks of the Sil, a territory with a strong historical and cultural personality, called Rivoyra Sacrata at that time and known since then as Ribeira Sacra.

The Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Fontei, located in the municipality of A Rúa, Valdeorras, Ourense, is a modern temple built between the 19th and 20th centuries. This church stands out for its two slate-covered towers and its neo-Gothic style. Every year, in May, a festival is held in honor of the Virgin of Fatima. It is said that the famous Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí may have influenced its design, although there are no documents to confirm this. ⛪

A highlight along the way. The path doesn't actually lead over the bridge. But you should take it with you

Churches unfortunately mostly closed