Our time in the Ribeira Sacra came all too quickly to an end. We spent our final day in this magical region meandering mountain roads, past improbable vineyards clinging to near-vertical hillsides. There really is something special about the area. I grew up in the natural beauty of a National Park, and the Ribeira Sacra has beauty to spare. Plus it has spectacular wines, which you’d never get in the north of England. I may just have found my ideal Spanish region.
We found it quite easy to get lost on the forested, winding roads above the Sil Valley. Passing through several small hamlets without signs of human habitation, we made our way to the market town of Castro Caldelas. Driving upwards around hairpin bends, we glimpsed the town’s most famous feature, the Castelo de Castro Caldelas, looming above us. The castle sits at the top of the town which, itself, sits on an easily defended hilltop.
The old part of the town surrounding the castle is a pleasant maze of cobbled streets and sturdy stone houses with wooden balconies. We pottered around and discovered the cemetery, which came with a pretty church and atmospheric old grave stones. It also came with views over the surrounding countryside. To get the best panoramas in town though, you have to pay the €2 fee to enter the 14th century castle and climb to the ramparts.
Not long ago, the Castelo de Castro Caldelas was little more than a ruin, its renovation is perhaps a sign of the growing reputation and tourist pulling power of the region. I appreciated the effort because the views are stupendous. We found our way to the car and headed back to Parada de Sil. Whether we liked it or not, in the morning we had an early start on our way to Galicia’s Atlantic coast. A journey that would take us through more beguiling landscapes.
Our destination was the small, historic port town of Cambados. We were desperate to see the ocean and splash around in the chilly Atlantic waters off the coast, but decided to visit the town of Ourense and the Romanesque Monastery of Santo Estevo en route. Leaving Parada de Sil in the sun, mist clung to the surrounding hills. We passed through wooded areas until an area of moorland near to Mirador de Cabezoás gave us amazing views.
The sun was also shining on the Santo Estevo Monastery, and the thick forests that surround it, when we arrived. Legend has it that the origins of the monastery date back to the 6th century, but what you see today was built over six hundred years between the 12th and 18th centuries. I suspect that the monks who lived in this magnificent building didn’t observe a particularly austere lifestyle. They’d probably feel at home if they returned today.
The monastery has been transformed into a luxurious parador. Judging by the cars in the car park, this is a retreat for the well-heeled. The cloisters and church are open to the public, and you can grab a coffee in the cafe, but there’s not much else to detain you. We were soon back on the road to Ourense. A friend had told us this was a lively and fascinating town, but after a short exploration of dirty streets rammed with traffic, we decided to keep going to the coast.
Notes from Camelid Country 
Woow, beautiful!
But sad that the monastery is now even more exclusive than it was when it was a monastery. We need another revolution!
Galicia has a active independence movement, so a revolution might not be too far away!