O Ribeiro, located around the middle course of the Miño River, in the west of the province of Ourense and bordering Pontevedra, offers visitors a varied repertoire of cultural, landscape, and gastronomic attractions that make this area one of the most interesting in inland Galicia.
The most important town is Ribadavia, well connected by highway to Ourense and Vigo, which are 25 and 65 km away, respectively.
Water, both from its rivers, spas, and reservoirs, plays a fundamental role in the region's identity. As they pass through these lands, the Miño rivers, Arnoia and Avia create successive calm areas and gorges, thus shaping the emblematic landscape of Ribeiro. Most of the population is settled in the river valleys. The terrain appears gentle to the eye, with the Faro de Avión, at 1155 meters, being the highest point. Although there are no great heights, nature has endowed this area with several viewpoints from which to admire the landscape of vineyards and gardens typical of this region. There are many natural areas of great value, such as Pena Corneira and the banks of Miño, Arnoia and Avia.
Its location in the southern part of Galicia, sheltered from Atlantic storms and also away from the rigours of the mountains, gives this area a transitional oceanic - Mediterranean climate.
Vegetation is the result of combined action of nature and human activity. The former provided the necessary conditions of fertile soil and mild climate, while the latter gradually adapted the environment to its needs. Lush forests accompany the river channels. Among all the crops in the region, often arranged in picturesque terraces, the vine stands out. The various grape varieties have given the wines of this region a reputation for quality recognized since Roman times.
The passage of centuries has left a great monumental wealth in the form of medieval towns, monasteries, churches, convents, and bridges. Numerous archaeological remains indicate the presence of humans since ancient times. During the Middle Ages, Ribadavia hosted a large Jewish community, whose influence can still be felt today in the region's cuisine. In fact, the town belongs to the SEFARAD Network of Jewish Quarters. At present, O Ribeiro offers a complete leisure package that includes cultural events, gastronomy, recreational activities in contact with nature, thermalism, and wine tourism.
We propose a low difficulty route, with the help of a vehicle, making short journeys on foot, suitable for all audiences and ideal for family activities. The estimated duration is three days. The distribution of time should be taken as an example, as each person can adjust it according to their preferences.
The first day of our route will be dedicated to exploring the numerous tourist attractions of Ribadavia. This town, capital of Ribeiro, is located at the confluence of the Avia and Miño rivers. The surrounding landscape is one of river valleys, vineyards, and gentle hills.
It was capital of the Kingdom of Galicia with King Don García I in the 11th century. In the 12th century, it began its period of commercial and demographic expansion, taking advantage of the momentum from the monasteries of San Clodio and Melón. In 1164, it received the Royal Charter, and in 1375, it became the seat of the Adiantado Maior of the Kingdom of Galicia. In 1476, it became a Countship. Its economic life, very prosperous between the 15th and 17th centuries, has always been linked to wine. Its wines have been recognised in Europe since ancient times and were even exported to America.
So many centuries of history have left Ribadavia with a rich artistic and cultural legacy that earned it the designation of Historic-Artistic Complex in 1947. We can start our walk at Praza Maior, where we will find the Municipal Tourist Office (https://turismoribadavia.gal/) which will provide us with a map of the town and any other information we need about the surroundings. It is located in the old Pazo Condal, a baroque building from the 17th century.
The list of monuments to visit is very long. Among the civil constructions, we highlight the Castle of the Condes de Ribadavia, which can be visited, the Galician Jewish Information Centre, or the old Inquisition House. Wandering through its narrow streets, we will discover the Jewish Quarter, the remains of the walls and several of its gates, as well as the main temples of the town, several of which are Romanesque gems such as a Church of Santiago and the Church of San Xoán. If we leave the old walled enclosure, it is worth visiting the Church and Convent of San Domingos, and the Nosa Señora do Portal, the patron saint of Ribadavia.
Apart from architecture, Ribadavia has many other cultural attractions. The Ethnological Museum, housed in the 18th-century Pazo de Baamonde, possesses an excellent collection and one of the best bibliographic resources on historical topics in Galicia. It's also worth visiting Santo André de Camporredondo, located 6 km away, to see the Galician Wine Museum, situated in a priory of the monastery of San Martiño Pinario from Santiago de Compostela, which later became a rectory. Here, you can learn more about the world of viticulture in our country.
The town's festival calendar has several highlighted dates. One of them is the last Saturday of August, when the
A Festa da Istoria (History Festival) (Festival of National Tourist Interest). This celebration dates back to the 17th century, and was discontinued in 1868 before then being revived in 1989. During its celebration, Ribadavia reverts to medieval life. 21st-century clothes disappear, and medieval costumes and customs return. There are medieval dances and music, a market, craft stalls, Jewish weddings, etc. The maravedí even becomes the official currency. It is a member of the national federation of historical festivals and recreations and also belongs to the European Federation of Historical Festivals.
You should also mark late April to early May to attend the Feira do Viño do Ribeiro (Ribeiro Wine Fair), or mid-July to enjoy the Mostra Internacional do Teatro (International Theatre Show).
In both the town and the surrounding area, you have various accommodation options that can serve as a base for the following days.
On our second day of exploring the Ribeiro region, we will leave Ribadavia via the OU-504 road, heading towards O Carballiño. A little over 4 km away, we will take a left turn onto the OU-212 towards Beade.
After crossing the town, surrounded by vineyards, we will find the Santa María de Beade Church. This church once belonged to the Order of the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem, later becoming the Order of Malta. To the left, there is a famous vía crucis (Stations of the Cross), known for being drawn by Castelao, a Galician nationalist, politician, and artist of the 20th century. It consists of fourteen crosses representing the stations of Christ’s passion on the way to Golgotha, culminating in a Calvary that shows the Crucified flanked by two crosses representing the Good and the Bad Thief, distinguishable by their positions and facial expressions.
We will continue along the OU-212 towards Berán, in the municipality of Leiro. The turn-off for the spa is on the right, 1.8 km from Beade's parish church. A few meters further, we will access this temporarily closed building, known for its sulfurous waters recommended for dermatological problems. Less than two kilometres away, we will find the village of Berán, notable for its medieval layout and beautiful church Baroque facade and several nearby houses.
At 2.8 km from Berán, we will arrive in Leiro. Once there, we will cross the town and, after crossing the bridge over the Avia River, we will head towards the Monastery of San Clodio, converted into Hotel Monumento. It is important to note that the monastery church is only open for liturgical celebrations. Returning to the main road, we will head towards Ribadavia, where we will see a sign for the San Clodio Bride. We will leave the car before entering the village due to the narrow streets and walk to the medieval bridge.
Returning to Leiro, we can take a 4.5 km detour to Pazos de Arenteiro. It is advisable to leave the car before crossing the bridge over the Avia River due to the narrow streets. This village is an important monumental ensemble, notable for its Romanesque church and several emblazoned houses in a naturally beautiful setting. The walk along the Arenteiro River, from the medieval bridge to the so-called Pozo dos Fumes, is particularly lovely.
Returning to the centre of Leiro, we will follow a sign on the right indicating the villages of Lamas, Serantes, Paredes, and Lebosende. At 1.5 km, we will find the parish church of San Miguel de Lebosende. To the left, we will enjoy a beautiful view over Leiro and its surroundings, known as the Balcón do Ribeiro. At 3.2 km from Leiro is Paredes, home to numerous granaries and a set of six mills along the Faxón stream.
Continuing, we will then reach Serantes and take a small detour to the church of San Tomé. Dating from the 12th century, its charm lies in both the exterior, with beautiful decoration, and the interior, which still retains an interesting stone baldachin.
Back on the road, after passing Lamas, we will take a small paved path on the left to the church of Santa María, another example of Romanesque architecture in Ribeiro. From the nearby recreational area, we can walk to Pena Corneira, a huge granite boulder rising about 600 meters.
Upon reaching the intersection with the OU-212 road, if we turn a few meters to the left, we will see the large boulder of Pena Corneira. We can park and follow the steps of the Natural Path leading to it.
Heading towards Avión, we will see the Avia River valley and the Albarellos reservoir on the right. About 6 km away, a detour leads to the Valderías River beach, where we can take a short walk along its bank. Back on the main road, just before entering Avión, we will find a track on the right going to Beresmo to visit the various granary complexes, especially the one next to the chapel of San Xosé.
From the municipal capital, where there is also a threshing floor of granaries in Cendós, it is worth ascending to the Serra do Suído and following the route of the huts. We will continue along the main road until we find the detour to Abelenda (which also has an important granary complex) and proceed to Rodeiro. Before reaching the summit, we can already see some of these constructions on the right. To see the others, we have to leave the car and walk through the mountains, as they are scattered around. These huts served as shelters for shepherds using the pastures during the more favourable months.
To return to Ribadavia, the endpoint of this second day, we must return to Avión and continue either through Beade or Carballeda de Avia, if we still want to make a short stop to see the small Romanesque church of Abelenda das Penas.
Our third day of visiting the Ribeiro region starts once again from Ribadavia. We will head out on the OU-801 road towards Cortegada. Just over a kilometre away, we will arrive in Francelos and we will the car on the road as the village streets are narrow. Entering the village, we will soon reach the chapel of San Xes de Francelos, a gem of Galician pre-Romanesque architecture. If we want to rest and enjoy the thermal waters that spring up in the region, we can continue along this same road to Prexigueiro which has a thermal establishment.
Back in Ribadavia, we will take the N-120 road towards Vigo, travelling just over 4 km until you reach Quins. On the right, we will see the church of Santa María which has several well-preserved images, such as San Bieito and San Bernardo. Upon arriving at the centre of the village, to the left, we will see a fountain-washhouse and several raised hórreos. From here, we will walk up and reach a field where the set of crosses that form the vía crucis is located. The calvary has the peculiarity that the two side crosses have the horizontal arm slightly inclined outwards from the composition.
Continuing in the direction of Vigo, we will find the link with the A-52 and soon after, on the right, an area where we can leave the car and begin the hiking route that will take us along the pools of the Cerves River to the Tourón waterfalsl.
We will then return to the N-120 and head towards Melón. In this town stands the remains of the former Cistercian monastery of Santa María, which consists of part of the cloisters and the church’s apse, now used as a parish church.
Before reaching our destination, we will find a peto de ánimas (Shrine of Souls) with the image of the Virgin of the Portal. A short distance from this point, we will find a right turn that leads to Vila Termal, a hotel establishment with a spa. Back on the road, we will pass A Laxa and A Paixón, where we will find a sign indicating the As Poldras Recreational Area, active in the summer as a river beach. Other attractions of this town are the parish church of San Salvador and the rectory house, now an attractive rural tourism accommodation. At the height of the bridge over the Arnoia, we will find the Inquiau Recreational Area around a mill.
We will continue towards Cortegada until we reach Meréns. In its streets, we will find a shrine of souls and one of the largest escudos armeiros (coat of arms) in Galicia. Before arriving at Cortegada, we can take a branch on the right to access the church of San Bieito de Rabiño, where we should visit the covered cross located at the back.
Entering Cortegada, we descend past the Town Hall along a very steep path that ends at the bank of the Miño River. There we will find the historic spa, dating from 1937. A few hundred meters along the path behind the building, we will soon reach the Coto da Pena viewpoint, which offers good views of the river and the spa.
From Cortegada, we will retrace our steps back to A Arnoia and continue on the OU-402 to the municipality of Castrelo do Miño, stopping at the dam to visit the parish church of Santa María. Just over a kilometre away, in Barral, is the nautical sports complex, which is particularly busy in summer.
The last visit we suggest before returning to Ribadavia, the starting point of this Ribeiro route, is the Parque Arqueolóxico do Mundo Castrexo de San Cibrao de Las (Archaeological Park of the Castrex culture of San Cibrao de Las). To get there, we can continue along the OU-402 road to the junction with the Rías Baixas Highway, crossing the Miño via this route and taking the exit towards O Carballiño. In Barbantes, we have the signposted detour that will take us to the castro, situated between the municipalities of Punxín and San Amaro, and to the interpretation centre, where we will learn more about this historical period of Galicia.
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