A Gudiña is the south-eastern gateway into Galicia from Sanabria via A Mezquita and A Portela da Canda. Historically it was a transit point through which mule drivers, harvest workers and pilgrims had to pass. A Gudiña, close to the Portuguese border, thus became a dynamic town which welcomed travellers. With modern transport infrastructures, this is still true today.

The upper part of A Gudiña, retains its old layout of small streets centring on the Rúa Maior, along which the Vía da Prata passes. In the main square, beside the church of San Martiño and San Pedro, the Way divides: the southern route heading to Verín and the northern route towards Laza, along the Old Route or Verea dos Galegos.

After leaving A Gudiña the route runs through the Seca mountains, an isolated, windy spot with sweeping views of the valleys. The area contains fields, scrubland and a few chestnut trees, whose colours delight travellers in autumn. The route gradually ascends to Alto do Espiño, a pass situated at an altitude of around 1,000 metres.

Along the way there are a number of old inns in strategically placed small villages that grew up to serve the mule drivers and reapers travelling to the harvest in Castile. After passing Venda do Espiño, the route takes us to Venda da Teresa, where it leaves the Vía da Prata and turns towards Vilariño de Conso.

The Invernadeiro Natural Park’s fine green slopes contrast with the rocks on the mountain tops and the snow seen in the area’s harsh winters. The landscape is shaped by a series of furrows formed by the streams that run down to the River Camba, which flows into the As Portas reservoir here.

The turning to Pradoalbar leads into an idyllic world of groves and meadows at the entrance to the Conso valley. The streams and rivulets that flow down from O Invernadeiro form waterfalls (known locally as corgos) where they reach the river. The waterfalls at Gorbias, Val do Cenza and Suafraga are a magnificent sight in the distance.

Edrada, a small village perched on a slope by the River Conso, can justly claim to have one of the best conserved settings in Galicia, its buildings perfectly in balance with its natural surroundings of waterfalls, green fields and dense groves of trees.

Pradoalbar marks the end of the route, in a peaceful valley in the upper reaches of the river. It is notable for its church and the old stone enclosures on the irregularly shaped plots of farmland. It is the entry point to O Invernadeiro and its most secluded point.