Integrated in the southern part of the Eastern Galician Mountains, the Courel destination encompasses the municipalities of Folgoso do Courel, Samos, Triacastela, and O Incio. From a geographical point of view, the landscape of the territory is dominated by the orography of the Oribio and Courel mountain ranges, highlighting the alternation between the succession of embedded river valleys (such as the Lor River valley) and elevations where the peaks of Formigueiros and Pía Paxaro stand out.

 

Regarding Natural Heritage, the territory is declared a Biosphere Reserve and is part of the Natura 2000 Network within the framework of the Special Conservation Area Ancares-Courel. Additionally, the municipality of Folgoso do Courel is integrated into the UNESCO World Geopark Mountains of Courel. Alongside natural habitats, including oak groves like Rogueira or Romeor, the territory also hosts semi-natural habitats of great environmental value, such as chestnut forests, or various types of hay meadow systems, which sustain the flora and fauna.

 

In terms of cultural heritage, archaeological sites linked to megalithism (such as the necropolis of Santa Mariña) and, above all, to Roman mining stand out, such as the castros of Torre and Vilar, or mines like A Toca.

 

Similarly, it is worth mentioning the unique population concentrations that are a representative sample of traditional life in the mountainous region of Lugo, such as the villages of Seceda, Foxán, and Ferrería do Incio, along with ethnographic heritage sites that demonstrate the close relationship between people and the natural environment: drying houses, chestnut drying facilities, traditional ovens, and ironworks.

 

The Camino Francés, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, acts as a structuring element of the territory, crossing the municipalities of Triacastela and Samos, where in the 6th century the monastery now Benedictine was erected, considered the oldest in the West. This religious heritage is complemented by churches like Santiago de Triacastela, Cruz do Incio, San Eufrasio, and San Pedro Fiz de Hospital, built in Romanesque style with marble and local limestone. Additionally, the literary legacy of poets like Uxío Novoneyra, with his museum house in Parada, and Fiz Vergara Vilariño, protagonist of a literary route in Lóuzara, should be mentioned.

 

Regarding intangible heritage, the Chestnut Festival of Courel and the Music Filandón are declared of Tourist Interest. These events are complemented by the chestnut stomping in Froxán or the pilgrimage of Santa Lucía in Cervela.

 

COUREL HIGHLIGHTS

  1. COUREL VILLAGES (SECEDA, FROXÁN)
  2. SAMOS MONASTERY AND CYPRESS CHAPEL
  3. SAN PEDRO FIZ DO HOSPITAL CHURCH AND FERRERÍA VILLAGE IN O INCIO
  4. TORRE CASTRO IN FOLGOSO DO COUREL
  5. CARBEDO CASTLE IN FOLGOSO DO COUREL
  6. ROGUEIRA OAK GROVE IN FOLGOSO DO COUREL
  7. SANTIAGO DE TRIACASTELA CHURCH
  8. HIKING ROUTES
  9. NATURE CLASSROOMS AND INTERPRETATION CENTERS (MEIRAOS CAVES INTERPRETATION CENTER, ROGUEIRA OAK GROVE NATURE CLASSROOM)
  10. WATERFALLS AND POOLS
  11. CAMINO FRANCÉS