The first stop on the route taking us to the “10 unrivalled destinations in Galicia” is the Ribeira Sacra, home to the largest concentration of Romanesque churches and monasteries in Europe.
The Ribeira Sacra is a district marked by the River Miño and River Sil, which have shaped its spectacular landscape as they wind their way through the mountains. When this is combined with the faith and spirituality that can still be felt in the numerous monasteries dotted throughout the area, it means that this corner of Galicia cannot fail to appeal to all our senses.
Immerse yourselves in this magical atmosphere and discover a place as unique as Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil, a former monastery, now totally restored and part of the state-owned Paradores hotel chain. Another monastery not to be missed is San Pedro de Rochas, where the church has been hewn out of the living rock. When you go in, the feeling is just like entering a Stone Age cave. Surrounding the church you will find a series of anthropomorphic or body-shaped tombs, which the combination of stone, rainwater and lichen has endowed with a supernatural varnish. These are but two of the examples of the wealth of architectural heritage to be found in the Ribeira Sacra; many more such places await your visit along the banks of the Miño and Sil, such as the churches of San Paio de Diomondi and San Miguel de Eiré, or the Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil and Montederramo monasteries.