The Serra da Enciña da Lastra Natural Park owes its name to the holm oak a species that covers one third of its area. It has more than 25 species of orchids, more than half of those recorded in Galicia. For details, see the website of the Department of Environment of
the Xunta de Galicia.
It was declared to be a natural park in 2002. It has an area of 3,151.67 hectares. It features forests containing Mediterranean species, such as the holm oak, arbutus or strawberry madrone, and wild thyme, as well as protected species, including the marguerite daisy
and santolina. A great place for amateur ornithologists is Pena Falcueira, where raptors like the golden eagle and peregrine falcon can be seen. Its fauna includes a bat colony, one of the most varied in Galicia with nine different species. Other species of protected mammals are the otter and Pyrenean desman. It is also inhabited by amphibians and reptiles that like a dry, rocky environment. Among the invertebrates are butterflies, the stag beetle and the Atlantic stream crayfish, which is only found in a few places in the provinces of Lugo and Ourense. Some of the fish in its rivers are protected, such as the Iberian nase and bermejuela.