Ribeira Sacra
written by jelga
on December 1st, 2008
(1 vote)
The Ribeira Sacra is truly a magic place. This area of the North of Spain, located where the Sil and Miño rivers meet, is full of history and breathtaking natural landscapes. Especially worth mentioning are the spectacular Cañones del Sil, which one can admire navigating along the river or from one of the many observatories along the road.
Since Roman times, the steep slopes of the canyon have been covered with grape yards that produce the famous and rare wines of the region. As the legend has it, Ceasar himself was a great lover of these wines and had them sent all the way to Rome. True or not, it doesn’t really matter: the Ribeira is a place of legends, fairies, elf and other fantastic creatures that dwell in these woods of huge chestnuts and oaks. These oak yards were considered sacred by the ancient celtic populations and even today they are full of mystery and improbable beauty.
It is the best place to indulge in a long walk or bike ride, enjoy the calm and visit some of the many romanic churches and monasteries hidden among the trees, like Santa María de Rivas and San Pedro de Rocas. As a matter of fact, you can even stay at the Santo Estevo Monastery, which was recently restored and turned into a Parador Nacional (these are high standard hotels run by the State and normally located in buildings of historic and artistic value). As in the rest of Galicia, food is just great, both sea and land products will make you drool!
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribeira_Sacra
http://www.riosil.com/
http://www.ribeirasacrata.com/
http://www.parador.es/en/cargarFichaParador.do?parador=109
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