The Sierra de O Courel, crossed by the river Lor, is a natural paradise of immense beauty, uniquely captured by the poet Uxio Novoneyra in his writings. Its highest peaks are Formigueiros, Montouto, and Pía Paxaro, making it an ideal destination for hiking and enjoying nature in its wildest and most vibrant form.

The rich and abundant vegetation of the area is covered with heather and oaks, and forests of holm oaks and other native trees are found in the more elevated areas. The valleys are surrounded by chestnut forests. O Courel boasts meadows like the Rogueira, one of Galicia's most beautiful and botanically rich areas.

The small villages in the mountains, with their slate houses, are charming and picturesque. Visitors can still see several traditional palloza huts in these villages.

A journey through O Courel is a trip back in time, offering a glimpse of a vanishing Galicia.

The chestnut tree holds significant importance in this natural landscape. Its fruit has long been a staple food for the local inhabitants, featured in many dishes such as chestnut soup, chestnuts with bacon, or milk with chestnuts. Every part of the tree was used: the leaves for animal bedding, the wood for construction and the flowers for honey production.

Route

Three days is recommended to explore the Sierra de O Courel. The driving route includes some local roads, so you'll need to pay attention to traffic. We recommend two short hikes to fully appreciate the enchanting rural landscape where nature flourishes. The suggested time distribution is flexible according to personal preferences.

How to get there

  • From the city of Lugo, take the CG-2.2 to Sarria, then the LU-633 towards Samos.
  • From the A-6, at Pedrafita do Cebreiro, turn off towards O Cebreiro on the LU-633, which will take you to Samos.

Day 1

The route through Serra do Courel starts from either Samos or O Cebreiro, depending on the traveller's preference. We recommend starting in Samos, where you can visit the beautiful Monastery of San Xulián, founded during the Visigoth period by Saint Martin of Dumio, and built in different eras with Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque structures.

Ten kilometres from Samos, towards O Cebreiro along the French Way, is the town of Triacastela, where you can visit the Church of Santiago This Romanesque church underwent significant renovations in the 18th century. Eleven kilometres from Triacastela, you’ll find Fonfría and its parish church of San Xoán, built in the 16th century with major later renovations.

Continuing along the LU-633, you’ll reach Alto do Poio, a scenic spot surrounded by forests. From this viewpoint at 1,337 metres, you can see the Serra de Rañadoiro and the valley below. Another notable spot is the monument to the pilgrim at Alto de San Roque, at 1,270 metres.

Twenty-three kilometres from Triacastela is the O Cebreiro. Here, a must-see is the Sanctuary of Santa María A Real founded by Count Aurillac in the 9th century and later renovated.

Also worth visiting is the Ethnographic Museum, housed in pallozas that retain their original structure. O Cebreiro is famous as the starting point to the French Route in Galicia, for its monuments and landscapes and for its cheese. Every year a fair is held in Piedrafita to celebrate its cheese. O Cebreiro offers a variety of accommodation and dining options, making it an ideal place to end the day.

Day 2

On the second day, head towards Seoane do Courel. From O Cebreiro, return via the LU-633 towards Samos. Shortly after passing Alto de San Roque, turn left onto the LU-651 into the village.

Upon reaching Seoane do Courel, about 18 kilometres from O Cebreiro, you will see a sign on the left for Visuña and Romeor. Follow the signs, and 4.8 kilometres from the junction, take the road on the right towards Visuña and Ferramulín. If you continue straight past Millares, you will arrive at to the village of Romeor and the Roman tunnel-aqueduct.

From here, continue on foot along a route of medium difficulty. Three kilometres runs along a fairly strong stream, so it is recommended to bring boots and a torch since about 200 meters of the route, until reaching the other side of the mountain, is almost in darkness. To return to Millares, pass through Mostaz, and then turn towards Visuña - Ferramulín. Along the way, you will come across the ruins of the Castle of O Carbedo, also known as San Roque In the area, you can enjoy the majestic and spectacular view of the Monte Cido wall, which in some points can reach 950 metres before gently descending.

From Romeor, where you left the car, we will return to the road that brought you from Seoane, to continue towards Visuña up to Alto do Couto. From this point starts a path on the right that will lead you on foot to the Devesa da Rogueira. At this point of your route you can admire the crown jewel of O Courel: the peak of Formigueiros. Continuing the route, you wil reach Visuña where, until recently, two of the mills in the area were still milling, and Ferramulín (203 km from Seoane). On the first ascent out of this town, just at a curve and looking to the right, you will see signs indicating the way to the Vieiros Waterfalls. After 1200 metres you will arrive at the village of Vieiros and another kilometre further on you will reach A Seara, one of the best-preserved villages in O Courel.

From A Seara continue through Soldón down towards Quiroga and passing by the Bustelo de Fisteus viewpoinrt which offers excellent views of the valley and its surroundings.

In Quiroga you can stop and visit its Ethnographic Museum and the Geological Museum to learn more about the O Courel Mountain Geopark.

Next, head towards the LU-651 road towards Folgoso de Courel, stopping at the geological viewpoint of Campodola, where you can observe the Campodola-Leixazós geological folding.

At kilometre 12, we reach Alto do Boi, 1061 metres above sea level. Here, there is a path to the right, unsuitable for cars, which takes you to pia Paxaro and a left turn that leads to Vilar. This path, 3.2 kilometres long, although paved, is considered dangerous due to its 16% slope. It is prohibited to drive down with vehicles towing trailers or buses.

Once in Vilar, you can explore the area, which boasts around ten terraced houses, some of them with very narrow streets and slate roofs. you will pass through the village and follow the hiking route of Froxán and Vilamor which will take you through a forest of centuries-old chestnut trees to the Castro of Vilar, a meander of the river Lor, and the small Hermitage of San Roque. Along the way, you will find a Way of the Cross with wooden crosses one metre tall. You can also visit the Casa do Ferreiro, which hosts a unique exhibition of “Instruments and Apparatus.” From Vilar the path continues towards Vilamor and Froxán. It is worth stopping at the Fervenza do Rexiu and visiting both villages for their traditional architecture, especially the latter. If you still have time, a few kilometres further ahead of Froxán, you will find the A Pena do Teso Grande viewpoint. Another option for this route would be to return to the Alto do Boi, via the LU-651 road, heading towards Folgoso do Courel, passing through Santa Eufemia and then taking the detour to visit Froxán and Vilamor. We can either end this second day in Folgoso do Courel or in Seoane do Courel, as both towns offer different accommodation options.
 

Day 3

Whether leaving from Seoane or Folgoso do Courel, via the LU-651, at the Mogoxe recreational area, take the turn-off towards Incio and Seceda, passing by the castro da Torre dating from the 2nd to 4th century A.D., located in the middle of a bend and just a few minutes on foot. In the same direction, you will reach Seceda, a town that underwent restoration thanks to a European Union programme.

Following the route along a winding road, at kilometre 14.2, you will come across Casela. The next stop will be A Ferrería (of Incio), a village built on cliffs that once had an important spa past. Unfortunately, the spa building is currently under renovation. You can also visit the nearby mineral-medicinal spring by taking a path to the left shortly after leaving the town.

The route continues through the parish of the Hospital and the church of San Pedro Fiz the only Romanesque temple in Spain built in marble. Almost two kilometres later, you will arrive at Cruz de Incio, the capital of the municipality. From this point, we must take the LU-641 road towards Samos and, after 8 kilometres, turn off towards the church of Santa María de Mao, where the pilgrimage of San Eufrasio is celebrated, a bishop native to Andújar, whose remains rest in the temple. The covered cemetery surrounding the temple is characteristic.

To conclude the route in Samos, you have two options: one passing through the villages of Vilamor, Cereixido and A Castiñeira, or retracing your steps back to the junction you left earlier and turning right. A few kilometres further ahead, as a point of interest, you will find, at the foot of the road, two statues of mammoths. If you still have time, just before entering the municipality of Samos, a trail to the right leads to the castro de Formigueiros. The LU-641 road connects with the LU-633 from Sarria to Samos, the final point of the route you began three days ago.

Arriba