Losacio: Granite, Pilgrimage and the Arroyo de Valdeladrones Valley

Losacio lies between the Sierra de las Carbas and the Aliste River, in the small valley formed by the Arroyo de Valdeladrones. The Losacio granite intrusion has formed a thermometamorphic aureole containing numerous centimetre-sized chiastolite crystals; the crystals can be identified in the area around Losacio.

Other local destinations:Zamora, Peñausende, Mámoles, Fuente Encalada, Ceadea, Puebla De Sanabria, Viñas and Anta de Rioconejos.

Nature

There were two important quarries around Losacio for the so-called chicken-foot stone: the del Río quarry and the Tras la Torre quarry. Andalusite prisms occur in the metasediments of the Santa-Eufemia Formation; their twins stand out in relief through weathering, creating the appearance of a chicken's foot.

The two mountain streams and the nearby reservoirs around Losacio support a rich variety of flora and fauna, including the Iberian wolf.

Culture

El Molino de Losacio has fully restored machinery that makes it possible to observe how this example of industrial archaeology worked. The original grain mill building was constructed around 1890 and operated until 1971.

Losacio granite was used both in the Ermita de la Virgen del Puerto and in the parish church of San Pedro in Losacio. The hermitage preserves a Late Romanesque portal decorated with nail-head motifs on the imposts and the third archivolt.

Traditional architecture in the area around Losacio uses stone, wood and slate.

Customs

The Romería de la Virgen del Puerto takes place every year on the first Saturday in May at the Ermita de la Virgen del Puerto. It is organised by a brotherhood whose statutes date back to the 18th century.

The pilgrimage includes a procession around the threshing floor followed by an auction. The traditional rosquillas made for the celebration of the Virgen del Puerto are prepared with wheat flour, eggs, yeast and a sweetener.

For the Cruz de Mayo, large, whitewashed trees are renewed in Losacio; according to the local priest, they symbolise the tree of life.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Losacio, you can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions side by side on accommodation offer pages. These three details help organise the comparison of different accommodations according to your own scheduling and practical priorities, keeping the selection clear.

Routes

Losacio is a stop on the Ruta Centro – Etapa Tierra del Pan. The sections of varying lengths can be considered separately if you would like to assess the route in advance.

The Ermita de la Virgen del Puerto can be reached from Losacio by travelling approximately 450 metres north-west along the road, then about 135 metres westwards on the ZA-902, and finally along a path approximately 125 metres long in a south-easterly direction.

To the overarching travel overview: Zamora.