Faladoira and Xistral Mountain Ranges
Walking or bicycle routes
Monseiván (Vilalba): Montouto - Vacariza - A Arca - La Celaya wind farm - Monseiván wind farm and return
Level of difficulty: medium.
Duration: 4-5 hrs.
Basic information: route through medium-mountain area, including the two wind farms that break up the peat bog and scrubland area with copses of Scots Pine. In summer it is common to see vultures (Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus). Passerine birds of interest (Carduelis spinus, Anthus spinoletta, Loxia curvirostra). Wintering waders (Pluvialis apricaria, Vanellus vanellus). Sightings of Coracias garrulus.
Riobarba (Viveiro/O Vicedo): Silvarrosa mines - Hirgos - Espido - Chan do Tenón wind farm - O Sixto - Silvarrosa mines
Level of difficulty: medium.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: forested area in medium-mountain area, with extensive meadowlands. Presence of breeding (Lanius collurio, Emberiza citrinella, Anthus trivialis) and wintering passerines (Anthus spinoletta, Anthus pratensis).
Cadramón (O Valadouro/Alfoz): O Rego da Furna bridge - path west (climb) - crossroads - O Cadramón wind farm - crossroads - Monte Rubio - As Folgueiras - O Rego da Furna bridge
Level of difficulty: medium-high.
Duration: 3-4 hrs.
Basic information: high route, reaching up to 1056 metres above sea level (Cadramón). Blanket bogs. Copses of Scots Pine. Interesting passerines (breeding Carduelis spinus, Anthus spinoletta, Anthus trivialis).
Ambosores (Ourol/Muras): Caraceiro - Soaschousas - O Carrusco - Pé da Veiga - Espenuca - Ambosores - Pena do Mouriscón - O Rego - Caraceiro
Level of difficulty: medium.
Duration: 3-4 hrs.
Basic information: route through medium-mountain area, offering the chance to see interesting passerines (Anthus spinoletta, Loxia curvirostra, breeding Carduelis spinus, Emberiza citrinella). In the summer there are vultures and other birds of prey
SPECIES OF INTEREST No. of recorded species: 106
Iberian public (N): Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus, Serinus citrinella, Carduelis spinus, Plectrophenax nivalis
Iberian public (C, S & E): Serinus citrinella, Emberiza citrinella, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Phylloscopus ibericus, Phylloscopus collybita (breeding), Anthus trivialis, Plectrophenax nivalis
European public (N): Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus, Emberiza cirlus
European public (C, S & E): Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus, Emberiza cirlus
Occasional visitors: Neophron percnopterus, Aegypius monachus, Coracias garrulus, Ciconia nigra
Best times: Nesting from April to July and post-mating migration, August and September
Level of difficulty: medium.
Duration: 4-5 hrs.
Basic information: route through medium-mountain area, including the two wind farms that break up the peat bog and scrubland area with copses of Scots Pine. In summer it is common to see vultures (Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus). Passerine birds of interest (Carduelis spinus, Anthus spinoletta, Loxia curvirostra). Wintering waders (Pluvialis apricaria, Vanellus vanellus). Sightings of Coracias garrulus.
Riobarba (Viveiro/O Vicedo): Silvarrosa mines - Hirgos - Espido - Chan do Tenón wind farm - O Sixto - Silvarrosa mines
Level of difficulty: medium.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: forested area in medium-mountain area, with extensive meadowlands. Presence of breeding (Lanius collurio, Emberiza citrinella, Anthus trivialis) and wintering passerines (Anthus spinoletta, Anthus pratensis).
Cadramón (O Valadouro/Alfoz): O Rego da Furna bridge - path west (climb) - crossroads - O Cadramón wind farm - crossroads - Monte Rubio - As Folgueiras - O Rego da Furna bridge
Level of difficulty: medium-high.
Duration: 3-4 hrs.
Basic information: high route, reaching up to 1056 metres above sea level (Cadramón). Blanket bogs. Copses of Scots Pine. Interesting passerines (breeding Carduelis spinus, Anthus spinoletta, Anthus trivialis).
Ambosores (Ourol/Muras): Caraceiro - Soaschousas - O Carrusco - Pé da Veiga - Espenuca - Ambosores - Pena do Mouriscón - O Rego - Caraceiro
Level of difficulty: medium.
Duration: 3-4 hrs.
Basic information: route through medium-mountain area, offering the chance to see interesting passerines (Anthus spinoletta, Loxia curvirostra, breeding Carduelis spinus, Emberiza citrinella). In the summer there are vultures and other birds of prey
SPECIES OF INTEREST No. of recorded species: 106
Iberian public (N): Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus, Serinus citrinella, Carduelis spinus, Plectrophenax nivalis
Iberian public (C, S & E): Serinus citrinella, Emberiza citrinella, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Phylloscopus ibericus, Phylloscopus collybita (breeding), Anthus trivialis, Plectrophenax nivalis
European public (N): Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus, Emberiza cirlus
European public (C, S & E): Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus, Emberiza cirlus
Occasional visitors: Neophron percnopterus, Aegypius monachus, Coracias garrulus, Ciconia nigra
Best times: Nesting from April to July and post-mating migration, August and September
Routes by car
Long route: Abadín - Romariz - Montouto - A Balsa - Viveiró - A Gañidoira pass - Ourol (47 km)
Recommended between May and August.
The route begins in the town of Abadín (Emberiza citrinella, Delichon urbicum, Pyrrhula pyrrhula), then heads up through Romariz in the direction of A Arca (Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus, Emberiza citrinella) and Montouto (Cinclus cinclus, Lanius collurio, Emberiza citrinella). After taking the turning to A Balsa and O Viveiró (Gyps fulvus, Circaetus gallicus, Pyrrhula pyrrhula), from this town you head northwest up to the A Gañidoira pass (Anthus spinoletta, Phylloscopus ibericus, Emberiza citrinella) and down to Ourol, stopping beforehand at the turning for O Sixto (Gyps fulvus, Phylloscopus ibericus, Falco tinnunculus).
Short route: Ortigueira - O Caxado heights - As Pontes de García Rodríguez (35 km)
From Ortigueira and Cuíña, take the AC-101 towards As Pontes, climbing upwards until you reach the highlands of A Faladoira (Gyps fulvus, breeding Carduelis spinus, Anthus spinoletta), and then a little further up to the top of O Caxado. It is worth stopping in the pine forests on the way up to the radar station (Serinus citrinella, Emberiza citrinella, Loxia curvirostra). On the way down to As Pontes, you can look for waterfowl in the recently created (2010) Lago de As Pontes, above all in autumn and winter. Also see the ornithological tourism region (Fragas do Eume and O Forgoselo).
Recommended between May and August.
The route begins in the town of Abadín (Emberiza citrinella, Delichon urbicum, Pyrrhula pyrrhula), then heads up through Romariz in the direction of A Arca (Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus, Emberiza citrinella) and Montouto (Cinclus cinclus, Lanius collurio, Emberiza citrinella). After taking the turning to A Balsa and O Viveiró (Gyps fulvus, Circaetus gallicus, Pyrrhula pyrrhula), from this town you head northwest up to the A Gañidoira pass (Anthus spinoletta, Phylloscopus ibericus, Emberiza citrinella) and down to Ourol, stopping beforehand at the turning for O Sixto (Gyps fulvus, Phylloscopus ibericus, Falco tinnunculus).
Short route: Ortigueira - O Caxado heights - As Pontes de García Rodríguez (35 km)
From Ortigueira and Cuíña, take the AC-101 towards As Pontes, climbing upwards until you reach the highlands of A Faladoira (Gyps fulvus, breeding Carduelis spinus, Anthus spinoletta), and then a little further up to the top of O Caxado. It is worth stopping in the pine forests on the way up to the radar station (Serinus citrinella, Emberiza citrinella, Loxia curvirostra). On the way down to As Pontes, you can look for waterfowl in the recently created (2010) Lago de As Pontes, above all in autumn and winter. Also see the ornithological tourism region (Fragas do Eume and O Forgoselo).