This route departs from the centre of Castro Caldelas – a town worth visiting before setting off. The old quarter, declared a historic and artistic site in 1998, consists mainly of the streets going up to the Castle of the Counts of Lemos, which follow their mediaeval course, revealing interesting stone houses adorned with galleries and coats of arms.
We cross the city centre in the direction of the small village of Barreal to venture into the lush woodland of the Poboeiros Souto (chestnut grove), where we can find several specimens of centuries-old chestnut trees.
Nowadays, new trees and different plant species, above all oaks, grow alongside the majestic chestnut trees. On leaving the woodland, we continue pedalling towards the town of Poboeiros with its grandiose rectory, and then on to Boazo. We enter once again into dense Woodland until reaching a track from where we can enjoy the Abeleda Valley and an impressive view of A Teixeira. At this point of the route, there is a 2-kilometer link that allows us to get closer to the “Fábrica da Luz”, in the municipality of Parada de Sil to be able to enjoy the visit to the walkway of the Mao River and other bike routes of montaña that departs from this place. From the original route we go into the Mao Canyon and the Cristosende vineyards, rising parallel to the Sil Canyon. The route brings us back to the Abeleda Valley, which we cross through, passing the San Paio de Abeleda Monastery. Despite its state of neglect, it’s an interesting ensemble dating back to the 10th or 12th century, depending on the author.
We tackle the last part of this route by ascending through the thousand-year-old vineyards of the coast of Alais and a final stretch crossing the Edo Valley, the last few kilometres offering glimpses of Castro Caldelas in the distance