Cenlle: Thermal Trails, the Miño and Roman Traces

The Barbantes recreation area in the parish of A Barca de Barbantes has three freely accessible open-air thermal pools.

Relaxation

At Barbantes, a 4.7-kilometre riverside path runs along the Miño River. Between the Barbantes thermal area and the Hotel Balneario Laias Caldaria lies a permanent orienteering course in the natural area of Espacio Natural Ribeiras do Miño. The thermal springs of Laias have been used since Roman times.

Trails

The riverside path along the Miño is 4.7 kilometres long. The linear thermal trail covers 1.96 kilometres between Barbantes and the Vila termal Laias. The linear thermal trail from Barbantes to Laias starts in the Barbantes thermal area and ends at the Vila termal Laias. The route is completely flat and suitable for families and bicycles. The path is also known as the Ruta do Miño and has some trail markers and information boards about fauna and flora. Ducks, herons and cormorants can be observed along the Miño riverbank on the route from Barbantes to Laias.

History

The Ruta Calzada Romana is a 15-kilometre circular hike. It has a moderate to high difficulty level and approximately 400 metres of elevation gain. Part of this circular hike follows an old Roman road that connected San Cibrao de Lás with the Roman mining site of A Coba da Moura. The Ruta Cova da Moura is an 11-kilometre circular hike with a moderate difficulty level and views of the Miño near Barbantes. A Cova da Moura is a mining site dating from the end of the Bronze Age to the early Iron Age. The A Cova da Moura tunnel is 70 metres long and 1.80 metres high; the Romans used it to channel water to the gold-washing facilities of the mining area there. Thus, along these trails, both an old transport route and the Romans’ technical use of the tunnel stand alongside a much older mining history.

Nature

The Fervenza de Xubín features rapids, pools and waterfalls; the largest waterfall plunges approximately 40 metres over granite and gneiss rock. The route to the Fervenza de Xubín follows the N-120 between Ourense and Vigo, via a turn-off near Xubín and then along a track to the entrance of an abandoned privately owned quarry. From there, it is a few metres on foot to the waterfall.

Winegrowing

The Cuñas Davia vineyards cover 2 hectares across four plots and have 800 years of winemaking history. The Priorato de Razamonde estate covers 24 hectares; 20 hectares of this are vineyards, while the rest is covered by native woodland and hiking trails.

Other places

Other places: Corvillón, Tamallancos, Verín, Allariz, La Merca, Viana Do Bolo, Vilarchao

To the higher-level travel overview: Ourense.