GERÊS - XURÉS
Natural spaces
Location
Ourense
Bande | Calvos de Randín | Entrimo | Lobeira | Lobios | Muíños
Coordinates:
41º 51' 22.7" N - 8º 05' 45.7" W
Description
Granite horizons
The mountain range, with its granite colours, stands out against the heavenly blue of the horizon where the borders of Galicia and Portugal meet. Around this range, with its peaks which have been eroded over the centuries, lies an immense forest, Atlantic in its humidity, Mediterranean in temperature and semi-alpine in altitude. It is one of the greatest cross-border reserves in the EU. It has recently been recognized as a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO “for the variety of its forests and peat bogs ecosystems, as well as for its many endemic species under the joint influence of an oceanic and Mediterranean climate”.
Access to the Albergaría, do Cabril, do Beredo and Ramiscal thickets is limited in the Portuguese Natural Park. They are listed as some of the best peninsular forests, as is the forest of A Barxa, in the Galician Natural Park.
The mountain range, with its granite colours, stands out against the heavenly blue of the horizon where the borders of Galicia and Portugal meet. Around this range, with its peaks which have been eroded over the centuries, lies an immense forest, Atlantic in its humidity, Mediterranean in temperature and semi-alpine in altitude. It is one of the greatest cross-border reserves in the EU. It has recently been recognized as a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO “for the variety of its forests and peat bogs ecosystems, as well as for its many endemic species under the joint influence of an oceanic and Mediterranean climate”.
Access to the Albergaría, do Cabril, do Beredo and Ramiscal thickets is limited in the Portuguese Natural Park. They are listed as some of the best peninsular forests, as is the forest of A Barxa, in the Galician Natural Park.
Access
From Ourense, in the direction of Celanova
and Portugal, on the OU-540 road. From Xinzo
de Limia on the OU-301 local road to Bande.
There are several accesses by road in Portugal.
Inside the Portuguese Natural Park there are
car restrictions on some routes.
Situation
There are a total of eleven municipalities
included in the Biosphere Reserve. Six are in
Galicia: Lobios, Entrimo, Muíños, Lobeira,
Calvos de Randín and Bande, and five are in
Portugal: Melgaço, Arcos de Valdevez, Ponte
da Barca, Terra de Bouro and Montalegre.
Area
259,496 hectares (62,916 hectares in Galicia
and 205,580 hectares in Portugal).
Services
Accommodation: Yes.
Food: Yes.
Food: Yes.
Without missing
It isn’t difficult to find place names for almost
all the origins and villages in this region, as well
as the monumental and artistic remains that
they left us. The culture of the pre-Roman
settlements is represented by the impressive
dolmens scattered around the area. There are
important Latin monuments such as the Roman
camp of Aquis Querquernis, visible and open for
visits when the level of the waters of the
reservoir of As Conchas goes down. But there
are installations open all year round which
clearly explain the process of Romanisation, by
force of arms and words, of this outpost of the
Roman Empire. The church of Santa Comba de
Bande, a famous example of the Visigoth
architectural style, is also close by. For examples
of baroque architecture, the town of Entrimo
offers the magnificent façade of the church of
Santa María la Real. In every corner, folk
constructions like the mills, alvarizas, chivanas
(shepherds’ shelters in the mountain),
canastros in the Galician of the region and
espigueiros in Portuguese (raised granaries),
fountains, crosses, roads and walls whose stone
structures are examples of the profound and
rich folk creativity.
On the Portuguese slope, the most important
point of folk pilgrimage is the shrine of A
Peneda and its famous waterfall, especially
impressive in the rainy season, in the district of
Melgaço. Possible access routes go from the
Miño side or crossing the raia from Entrimo,
and also from the interesting hill-fort of
Laboreiro.
Information and facilities
Sede del Parque Natural Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés
Telephone: +34 988 448 048
Centro de Interpretación del Parque Natural
Telephone: +34 988 448 048
Telephone 2: +34 988 448 181}
Address: Lobios
Centro de Interpretación Arqueológica Aquae Querquennae - Via Nova
Telephone: +34 988 444 401
Telephone 2: +34 988 448 181}
Address: Porto Quintela (Bande)
Map
