O Courel, with its high peaks looking out into the distance extends between O Cebreiro, entry point from the Way of Saint James in Galicia, and the river Sil to the south, but not touching it. It is one of the oldest lands on the Peninsula.
It has manifest geological interest: a multitude of caves and tunnels and the spectacular fold of Campodola (Quiroga), regarded as one of the geological monuments of Europe.