O Barco de Valdeorras: Discover Trails along the Sil and Culture

The Sobradelo–O Barco section of the Camino de Invierno is 7.9 kilometres long. For planning the day, a walking time of around two hours is indicated; the route is considered moderately difficult. Via Éntoma, the Camino de Invierno leads to O Barco, crosses the town centre and leaves the town via A Proba.

Hiking

Along the banks of the Sil, you can follow a promenade whose route runs from the Camino Real to A Proba. You can reach the Salgueiral recreational area via a footbridge crossing the Sil. In Salgueiral, the area is home to colonies of ducks, herons and storks. Another signposted hiking trail leads from O Barco to the monastery of Xagoaza.

This means that trails of different lengths and difficulty levels can be found along and around the Sil: the moderately difficult Camino section, with a walking time of around two hours, and the low-difficulty round trip to Pincheira, which is just over four kilometres long.

Nature

Pincheira de Portomao is a waterfall that drops more than 20 metres over a slate wall covered with ferns. From Fervenza, a path leads to Pincheira de A Fervenza (Portomao). The round trip is just over four kilometres long and has a low level of difficulty.

Culture

The historic centre of O Castro is known for a group of rock cellars. The triangular Plaza Mayor is located in the old town, Casco Vello, and opens towards the Sil. This Plaza Mayor is regarded as the symbolic centre of the town.

The red Casino building in O Barco dates from 1910. Its design shows Modernist influences. Torre de O Castro has terraces from which the tower and the surrounding area can be viewed.

San Miguel de Xagoaza has Romanesque origins dating from the 12th and 13th centuries and preserves a semicircular apse. The restored San Miguel has a small cloister, glazed wooden galleries and rooms for exhibitions and lecture series.

Festivals

The Festa do Botelo takes place at the end of January. The festival honours the pig slaughter and the Botelo product. The Descenso del Sil canoeing competition takes place as part of the Fiestas del Cristo and has been held for more than 50 years. In O Barco, the Fiestas del Cristo are associated with 14 September.

Getting there

O Barco can be reached by bus. The town can also be reached by train on the Palencia–A Coruña route. By car, the journey is via the N-120.

Other places

Other places include Cadós, Xunqueira de Espadanedo, A Pobra De Trives, A Teixeira, Dadín, Porqueirós, Monterrei and Maceda.

To the higher-level travel overview: Ourense.