What to see?
Natural paradise between two countries
The area around the Limia-Lima River will surprise you with a multitude of natural and cultural elements, as well as a great offer of routes and activities linked to its environment. In the following map you can see in blue the 15 municipalities crossed by the river, from the forest of Sarreaus hill (1) and Xinzo de Limia (2) through the main territories of A Baixa Limia, such as Bande (7), Muíños (8), Lobeira (9), Lobios (10) and Entrimo (11) , until Ponte de Lima (14) and Viana do Castelo (15), in Portugal. In green you will also find the places of interest that can be found during the trip, highlighting the heart of the cross-border territory, the Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés Natural Park which shares space with the Peneda-Gêres National Park.
Interesting places
Gerês Xurés: Cross-border Biosphere Reserve
Couto Mixto: a village with history between Calvos de Randín and Baltar
Aquis Querquennis - Impressive Roman archaeological remains
The 15 municipalities crossed by the river
Sarreaus: where the river begins
The Limia River is born in the Talariño forest, in the parish of Paradiña in the municipality of Sarreaus. Here one will find a privileged place to walk around valleys and mountains. Soon more details and places of interest about this territory will be shared.
Xinzo de Limia: historical nature
To start discovering the natural and cultural heritage that surrounds the Limia-Lima River it is necessary to visit the Galician territory that carries its name, located 40 km from Ourense. In Xinzo de Limia you will find magical spaces, nature and an attractive old town. Here you will find the Antela lagoon, which was one of the biggest fresh water lakes in the Peninsula until it was finally dried out in 1938, and the A Pena and Alto de A Medorra woodlands. On the penultimate weekend in August, the Festa do Esquecemento is celebrated, commemorating the crossing of the Limia River by the Roman troops.
Here you can also enjoy the Toural Park, on the banks of the Limia River. The river walk has benches, rest areas and interesting routes through the surrounding nature. Besides, not far away, you will find the Museo Galego do Entroido, where you can discover a sample of the most ethnographic, traditional and artistic carnival of Galicia: the popular Entroido de Xinzo de Limia. This is a must, since the Entroido (carnival) of Xinzo de Limia has been declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest.
Sandiás: in the Antela's heart
. The municipality of Sandiás stands out for its cultural and natural heritage, including the Tower of the medieval castle of O Castro, the Gothic-Renaissance church of Santo Estevo de Sandiás, with its beautiful Manueline-style façade, which this year celebrates its 500th anniversary (1520-2020), as well as the milestones of the Vía Nova in Vilariño das Poldras and Zadagós, witnesses to one of the most important Roman roads in the northwest of the peninsula, which linked the cities of Braga and Astorga. Likewise, there are elements of popular and traditional architecture, such as the Pazo do Telleiro in Couso de Limia.
In the natural heritage, we can highlight the old sandboxes that were artificially recovered, after the end of the extraction of arids, by means of actions designed to give shelter to a small part of the fauna and flora that one day occupied the old Antela lagoon, dried out in the 60s and 70s. It has fauna observatories at various points in the protected areas.
Vilar de Santos: mandatory stop at the Limia Museum
The municipality of Vilar de Santos, together with Rairiz de Veiga, A Bola and Allariz, located in the southeast of the province of Ourense, were declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2005. The Ethnographic Museum of Limia is an unavoidable stop in this place, where ethnographic pieces from all the region of A Limia are exhibited, most of them donated by the local people. You will be able to discover, among other things, settings about traditional houses and rural life.
Rairiz de Veiga and Porqueira
The Limia River also runs through the municipalities of Rairiz de Veiga and Porqueira. From these territories we can highlight the richness of the landscape, which in the case of Rairiz de Veiga, preserves an abundant and varied native vegetation. Images, routes and more information about these municipalities will be published soon.
Bande- Aquis Querquennis – Impressive Roman archaeological remains
The most outstanding feature of this municipality is located in Puerto Quintela, only 8 km from the municipality’s capital, where the Aquis Querquennis Roman archaeological complex is located, in the heart of the Baixa Limia Serra do Xurés Natural Park. There are abundant archaeological remains here, including numerous dolmens and the castros of Lebosandaus, Sarreaus and Rubiás.
Visit Calvos de Randín to discover more about Couto Mixto's history
In Calvos de Randín is located the interpretation centre dedicated to the history of Couto Mixto, a unique geographical, political and human space that for centuries has survived as a real singularity within the region. Among the places of interest in Calvos de Randín you can also find the Parish Church of Santiago de Calvos, the Church of San Juan, the Pazo de los Tejada and the Randín Oven. Here you can consult more information about the territory and its inhabitants.
Muíños: an example of responsible water use
The great protagonist of this municipality is water, as it is a resource that has been used throughout history to build mills, bridges, fountains and canals. Currently its use has been extended, focusing on its sports and recreational use in the O Corgo Complex.
In Muiños, the O Corgo Tourist Complex stands out, which has a campsite, bungalows and a centre for water activities. The Outeiro da Cela Park is also located here, where there is a plantation of 30 trees that are the native species of the Xurés. It is essential to visit the fluvial beach of O Corgo taking advantage of the As Conchas reservoir.
Muíños has areas of mamoas and dolmens. The Necropolis of Outeiro de Cavaladre and the Maus de Saldas is a compulsory stop.
Lobeira: fluvial richness and a privileged natural environment to discover
This municipality is located in the Baixa Limia region, reaching an altitude of 1,300 metres and descending from the western part to the Limia. The territory covers the basin of the Grou or Aveleda river, which collects a series of watercourses born in the Serra do Leboreiro, on the border with Portugal, and which flows into the Limia River.
Lobeira is immersed in an exceptional natural environment, with remarkable archaeological findings. We recommend visiting the Ruins of the Cabaleiros Monastery, the Fragoso River Mill, the Casa de Xocas or the Church of Nosa Señora do Viso, among other points of interest. The privileged environment invites to take a walk on the banks of the Fragoso river.
Lobios: the treasures hidden in the Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés Natural Park
This municipality stands out for its thermal baths and trails surrounded by nature. The routes that can be taken in Lobios have an important landscape, geological and architectural value. With the thermal baths and the spa on the banks of the Caldo river, a small affluent of the Limia, the place has a high quality thermal complex.
Entrimo: idyllic natural spaces between rivers and villages
At Entrimo you cannot miss places like the Olelas reservoir and the Laboreiro river (International river reserve). You will find impressive waterfalls like those of As Pozas do Mallón and a walk with a viewpoint that borders the river to the pools.
The Recreational Area of As Perdices is a place where you can enjoy nature and its river beach, with a picnic area and a nice walk where the trees and native flora are explained.
Ponte da Barca: a town of contrasts in the heart of the National Park
On the banks of the Limia-Lima River and integrated into the Peneda Geres National Park, stands this Portuguese village whose name comes from the boat that was used to cross the river before the bridge was built in the 14th century. It is a green village, with a small and historic old town, with pleasant walks and bicycle rides and excellent conditions for leisure and sports activities.
Ponte da Barca is a region of contrasts. You can visit one of the largest reservoirs in the peninsula and the largest hydroelectric producer in Portugal and one of the highest structures in this country: the Alto Lindoso reservoir.
The most significant monument next to the Lindoso reservoir is Lindoso Castle and at the foot of it, the largest concentration of hórreos (granaries) in Europe, called Espigueiros (62 granaries). Other monuments in the Concello are the Igreja Matriz (mother church), the Pelourinho, the Mercado Pombalino, and the churches of Mosteiros de Bravães, Crasto and Vila Nova de Muía.
The value of Ponte da Barca’s natural heritage is immense as it is located in the heart of the Peneda Gerês National Park: rivers, streams, waterfalls and a multitude of landscapes in contact with nature.
Arcos de Valdevez: key to Spain and Portugal's history
Behind this small town in the north of Portugal lies a great natural and historical heritage. The Reencounter of Valdevez between the troops of Alfonso VII of the Kingdom of León and Alfonso Henriques (the first King of Portugal) was the final push towards the consolidation of the Kingdom of Portugal. It is believed that the struggle was so fierce that the waters of the River Vez turned red.
Among the highlights to be visited are the Ponte dos Arcos and the Porta do Mezio park (one of the entrances to the Serra da Peneda). This adventure park is ideal for activities focused on family leisure. Don’t miss either the beautiful viewpoints you can find here and the most important tributary of the Limia River, the Vez River, where the most popular activity is feather fishing.
You cannot leave Arcos de Valdevez without visiting its most picturesque village: Sistelo, known as “the little Portuguese Tibet”.
Ponte de Lima: the oldest town in Portugal
The oldest village in Portugal hides deep roots and ancient legends. The bridge, which gave its name to this noble land, has always been of great importance throughout the Alto Minho, serving as the only safe passage from the Lima River, throughout its length, until the end of the Middle Ages. One of the main attractions of this territory is its gastronomy, and the most popular dishes are the sarrabulho rice, the “pica no chao” and the lamprey.
As far as the sport activities are concerned, canoeing stands out and a traditional boat has been recovered that runs along the Lima River. The protected landscapes of the Bertiandos Lagoons, Sao Pedro de Arcos and the Meseta dos Catro Abades are also worth mentioning. The Vale do Limia Equestrian Centre should also be highlighted.
Viana do Castelo: richness and activities between sea, river and mountains
Arriving at the mouth of the Limia-Lima River, we find Viana do Castelo, the northernmost Atlantic city in Portugal, located about 25 minutes from Porto International Airport. The river, the mountains and the sea give the city excellent scenic qualities.
One of the most beautiful landscapes in Viana do Castelo is the one that can be seen from the Sanctuary of Santa Luzia, with impressive panoramic views from the dome, located on the Santa Luzia Hill, where the pre-Roman ruins can be seen (Citania de Santa Luzia).
A visit to one of its best museums is recommended, the Gil Eannes hospital ship, built in 1955, which provided assistance for decades to the Portuguese cod-fishing fleet that fished on the banks of Newfoundland and Greenland.
The area has excellent conditions for sports such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, rowing and canoeing.
Fronteira Esquecida Limia-Lima is a project aimed at enhancing the natural and cultural resources of the Limia-Lima river and its surroundings
GalLERY
limia-lima RIVER
Project co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg V-A Spain-Portugal Programme (POCTEP) 2014-2020. www.poctep.eu