Los Ancares and Sierra del Courel. 

              September 2004                  Select another language  Select spanish language    Selecciona idioma inglés  Select galician language

              Los Ancares

ntil recently Los Ancares was a remote region in the world, poor and forgotten until it was discovered for tourism that found in it a natural area of rare beauty. 

       Travelling to Los Ancares, in the province of Lugo, is penetrating deeper Galicia, where it is still possible to find places that captivate by the stunning  beauty of landscapes, by the fascination and magic of their forests, refuge of endangered species, and for the excellent preservation of the rural environment.

    Their villages, lost in secular isolation, are a true reflection of primitive life, permanent testimony of the struggle for survival of man.

It proved to be one of the trips that caused us the greatest impact.

     Los Ancares received the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation in 2006.

 

Way to Piornedo

   Palloza (ancient dwelling) in the village O Cebreiro
                                            Palloza in O Cebreiro

 

      Our journey began in O Cebreiro. This village, located in the Pilgrim's route (camino de Santiago), still retains some pallozas (ancient thatched dwellings) that were inhabited until well into the twentieth century. We travel northwards following a route parallel to the mountains of Serra dos Ancares, passing through the villages of Doiras and A Degrada, as far as Piornedo, located not far from the limits with the province of León.

 

(See map)

 

 

The mountains of Serra dos Ancares on the way to Piornedo
The mountains of Serra dos Ancares on the way to Piornedo.

 

    

  

       As you may have seen from our images, the vegetation covers almost the entire floor. We found extensive shady hillsides where autochthonous tree species such as ash, holly, oak, maple, hazelnut, walnut ...were abundant. And as it was autumn, many of them still retained the yellow and red leaves proper of this time.

     There is a great variety of animals that inhabit these hills. Raptors are abundant and we had the opportunity to see some of them as the goshawk and others not identified. The deer and chamois seem to be present and, as we were told, the bear was seen on occasion.

 

 

 

Piornedo

Group of pallozas in Piornedo A well-preserved palloza in Piornedo

                     Pallozas in Piornedo

      Piornedo has the largest number of pallozas which still remain in Galicia. Some of them inhabited well until the second half of the 20th century. 

     They are circular with thick stone walls and conical roof (teito) made entirely on rye straw supported on a wooden frame. The origin is pre-Roman and most probably celtic. It was the housing par excellence where people and animals lived together.

The palloza has no chimney and the smoke from the kitchen (lareira), which always had the fire lit, seeps out through the straw contributing to the conservation of the roof, protecting beams and drying the moisture from the straw.

      

The living corner with a small sideboard with books and other cooking utensils The loom.
Some tools to work flax Raincoat made of rush

       In Piornedo we had a chance to visit one of the pallozas-museum where several tools are still kept. In the pictures above, the living corner is at top on the left, the loom (tear) is at top on the right, tools to work flax (tasca, ripión and restelo) are below left, and the coroza, some kind of raincoat made of rush to protect from cold and rain, is below right.

    We return following the road that goes from A Degrada to Cervantes, following later the course of the river Navia as far as Becerreá. The fall was in all its splendor.

(See map).

 

Fall in the riverside Navia
                                       Fall in the riverside Navia. Just glorious!

An old tree The river Navia

                  An old tree (castiñeiro) covered with moss                                                         The river Navia

 

             

 Serra do Courel

    Serra do Courel extends southwards, the other hand of the main highway N-VI, from Pedrafita do Cebreiro as far as Quiroga, in the province of Lugo. Well known for its rich landscape, it presents the most rugged mountains of Los Ancares and deep valleys through which runs the river Lor tributary of the river Sil. It is an area that has a large number of botanical varieties offering refuge to many species of birds and mammals.

 

Fog deep in the valley with chestnuts dressed for autumn

Clic HERE to see this image at original size

The day chosen for our visit was cloudy. Deep in the valleys chestnuts, dressed for autumn, covered hillsides mingling with fog broken in shreds.

 

On the banks of the river Lor Villages with black slate roofs.

    Following the road LU-651, that lead us into Courel's heart, we stopped in Seoane, continuing thereafter as far as Folgoso do Courel, crossing hamlets and ancient villages with their black slate roofs and always accompanied by the river Lor and the numerous rushing cascades pouring on it. 

Clic HERE to see more images of Serra do Courel.

(See map)

 

Sugested links

In English:

                   Wild Spain- Serra do Courel

 

In Spanish:

                    Os Ancares

                         Serra do Courel