One Xeodestination, three Biosphere Reserves

1. Biosphere Reserve Os Ancares Lucenses and Mountains of Navia, Cervantes and Becerreá

Singularity

Biodiversity: Habitat of protected species such as the brown bear or the wolf in an environment that combines native forests, meadows and high mountain areas.

Cultural heritage: Ancares has numerous traditional villages with important vestiges of religious and civil architecture. It preserves unique constructions such as pallozas, which represent a pre-Roman way of life perfectly adapted to the environment. Other testimonies of the past stand out, such as the numerous forts, fortresses, ancestral homes, pazos, hórreos or mills; all of them are vestiges of a past, not so distant, in which these mountains were populated and the territory anthropized. This anthropic past is what has given rise to many of the values that are protected today.

This territory is crossed by communication routes that had a past that reaches our days as the Via Romana XIX or the Via of the German monk Hermann Künig, a medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago. This route, which is in the process of becoming an official Way, adds a unique historical and cultural dimension, connecting this Reserve with the Jacobean legacy.

How to visit

Visiting this Biosphere Reserve provides an immersive experience of nature and tradition.

We propose a weekend experience for you to get closer to the biodiversity, geology and traditions of the Reserve.

Your visit would start on Friday afternoon in the town of Becerreá, where you can visit the Os Grobos Forest, the Cruzul Bridge, the Cistercian Monastery of Penamaior or the Church of O Santo Ecce Homo. These religious buildings, surrounded by bucolic landscapes, not only stand out for their monumentality, but also for their historical role as centers of spirituality and development. If you want to visit the classroom of the Biosphere Reserve you will have to request the opening at the town hall. You can spend the night in Becerreá in one of the certified ecotourism lodgings.

On Saturday we suggest you go to Navia de Suarna, where you can visit a beautiful village, discover the fluvial areas of the Navia River or arrange guided tours to learn more about Navia de Suarna.You will also have the chance to learn from a beekeeper how honey is produced in the domains of the brown bear while enjoying beautiful landscapes or visit a traditional sausage workshop. You can spend the night in a splendid cabin overlooking the mountains of Ancares, in a rural tourism house, in a hotel or in a palloza.

On Sunday you will continue your route through the Ser River Canyon to Piornedo, the most emblematic village of the Reserve with its magnificent pallozas, constructions of pre-Roman origin, which stand as witnesses of a way of life perfectly adapted to the mountainous environment. You can do one of the hiking trails offered by Piornedo Anda on Sunday mornings, or any of the hiking trails that take you to the mountain or to know the paths of the transhumant shepherds. On the way back you can enjoy the homemade village food in Piornedo and complete your immersion by walking around the village with the QR codes that the association of neighbors of Piornedo has placed in the most interesting points of the village.

The return to the A6 will be done driving slowly through scenic roads; you can do it passing by the fortress of Doiras, or by San Román and see the ethnographic complex integrated by traditional constructions such as pallozas and hórreo.

2. Terras do Miño Biosphere Reserve

Description

This reserve is partially included in the Xeodestino and represents one of the most outstanding examples of the interaction between nature and human activity in Galicia. The municipalities of Baralla, Láncara, Meira and Pol are part of the protected area within the Xeodestino and are examples of the traditional agrosystems that are protected in this space. Leafy forests called fragas, fluvial islands such as Isla de Cuba in Láncara and the agro-livestock mosaic itself make up a very valuable ecosystem rich in biodiversity.

It houses a rich ethnographic heritage with elements closely linked to life in the river courses such as mills, mallets, blacksmiths, forges and even small boats used as transport between banks.

Singularity

Miño river system: The most important river in Galicia has its source in Pedregal de Irimia, belonging to the municipality of Meira, a place of great symbolism and natural beauty. This river has had a great relevance in the literary creation of the poet Avelino Díaz.

The meadows of this rich fluvial system are the base of numerous herds of Ternera gallega suprema which is one of the outstanding products in the cuisine of ancares Terras de Burón. Horticultural products such as turnip greens give rise to the famous Galician broth which is one of the most valued products of this village cuisine.

Historical heritage: Ancient mills, Romanesque churches and medieval bridges that reflect the history of human interaction with the natural environment.

How to visit

We recommend two days; one of them to visit the municipalities of Meira and Pol and the other one to visit Baralla and Láncara.

In Meira you can visit the impressive Monastery of Santa Maria where you can take a guided tour. We recommend you to make the route to Pedregal de Irimia and know the source of the Miño River, climb the Sierra de Meira from where you will have magnificent views of the eastern mountain where the Xeodestino extends. You can tour the river areas around the Miño River and enjoy the many cultural activities offered by the town meirega, If your visit is on a Sunday can be found on alternate Sundays.If your visit is on alternate Sundays you will find a fair of yesteryear that continues to be held in all its splendor in the village and of course, taste the famous octopus á feira, star of all the fairs of the mountain. The Cistercian monastery of Santa María de Meira is a true landmark of the cultural heritage, and linked to it is the small sanctuary of San Bernabé, the border of the municipalities of Pol and Meira.You can approach it on a pilgrimage route on foot from Meira and win the Jubilee, as it is one of the sanctuaries designated by the Diocese of Lugo for this purpose.

In the neighboring municipality of Pol you can arrange the route of the ovens and learn from the women how traditional bread and other homemade preparations are made in a wood oven. It is a hiking route that passes through 6 ovens and the most representative places of Pol as the Caballeara de Mosteiro or the chapel of As Neves.

Baralla and Láncara invite you to walk or cycle along trails along the Neira river and its tributaries that make up the southeastern basin of the Miño. The river area of Baralla is a delight to refresh and stroll, with sports facilities for children and adults. If you do caravan tourism, Baralla is your reference point. In Baralla you can follow a section of the Route of the German monk Hermann Künig, a medieval itinerary of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, which is being proposed as an official pilgrimage route.

In Láncara you can visit the Museum of Agricultural Locomotion, a collection that reviews the history of agricultural mechanization. Another interesting visit is the House Museum of Fidel Castro that reveals the past that united this municipality with the Island of Cuba.

The Camino Real de Castilla has numerous vestiges that can be visited in the municipality of Láncara. You can stay in one of its magnificent houses such as Casa Toirán or Casa Grande de Láncara, participate in workshops on bread making, introduction to beekeeping or fishing or visit some of the livestock farms that are located in the agrarian mosaic of the Reserve.

3. Oscos Eo Terras de Burón Biosphere Reserve

Description

This reserve is located in two autonomous communities, Galicia and Asturias. In the territory of Montes e Vales Orientais there are 5 municipalities belonging to this RB: A Pontenova, Ribeira de Piquín, Baleira, A Fonsagrada and Negueira de Muñiz. It is a territory where water and mountains form landscapes of extraordinary beauty and ecological richness.

Singularity

The Eo River is the backbone of this reserve, marking with its course the connection between Galicia and Asturias. Its source is in Fonteo, in the municipality of Baleira, and from there it collects the waters of the numerous streams and brooks that descend from the mountains of the Xeodestino Ancares Terras de Burón. The upper basin of the Eo is a refuge for emblematic species such as the otter, waterfowl and a rich flora associated with river ecosystems. Its crystal clear waters, surrounded by native forests of oak, birch and chestnut trees, create an essential habitat for the conservation of biodiversity in this region.

The Eo connects the Galician mountains with the Asturian valleys, generating an environment of great visual and ecological richness. The municipalities of the Xeodestino are not only a fundamental part of the upper basin of the river, but also represent the natural transition to the Asturian side, reinforcing the historical and cultural relationship between the two regions.

Rural heritage: The banks of the Eo are home to traditional mills and historic canals used for irrigation and agricultural production. These infrastructures, combined with the characteristic pallozas and apiaries, reflect the adaptation of human communities to an environment marked by water and mountains.

The territory of the municipalities of the Acares Terras de Burón Xeodestino, which are part of the reserve, is a natural boundary that rises in the mountains to give way to the Asturian lands. This border character not only defines a unique high mountain landscape, but also translates into a rich mix of cultural influences and shared traditions, which are reflected in the daily life of the local communities.

How to visit

We recommend you to discover calmly the five municipalities of this Reserve that are part of Xeodestino Ancares Terras de Burónla association Montes e Vales Orientais. It can be discovered in a getaway of several days or in stages, which will take you through landscapes, stories and unique flavors.

You can start your visit in A Pontenova, where the waters of the Eo, coming down from the mountains, begin to feel the sea. In this municipality you can discover its mining past, jump on a zip line, learn about its fishing tradition in the Salmon Museum, go on routes on foot, by bicycle or quad, taste the gastronomy of the territory and stay in an ecotourism establishment.

You will continue your way up the Eo towards Ribeira de Piquín where you can learn about the breeding of trucas in the river waters, walk along the river paths that border the river or climb to the viewpoint of Barangón to enjoy landscapes that combine the mountains and the crystal clear water of the river.

You will continue your ascent towards A Fonsagrada, leaving behind the Eo valleys to approach the mountain. In the town of A Fonsagrada you can visit the Ethnographic Museum and discover how the rural life of the mountain used to be through its rich collection of ethnographic and archaeological pieces. In this municipality you will find several establishments where you can taste the traditional cuisine of the territory. Among many of its natural resources are the waterfalls of O Queixoiro or Vilagocende.

Continue to the bordering Asturian lands discovering the wine tradition of the municipality of Negueira, visit the local wineries, taste the unique wines of this area, you can visit the honey museum and contemplate the landscape marked by the reservoir, which creates a picturesque and serene environment.

Spend another day to know the municipality of Baleira, where you will have hiking trails, you can know the source of the Eo and the famous area of Cortevella ideal for connecting with nature in its purest form .