Game and Fish Route

This visit starts from kilometre 9.5 of the approved Morgallón-River Sor-Morgallón route (PR-G 8) that runs through a fishermen’s trail that is very popular among Galician and foreign enthusiasts due to the quality of its sea trout and trout. The Ribeiras do Sor reserve was created in 1956, and was established in the upper boundary with the A Tronca dam and its lower boundary with the Riberas bridge.

In addition to the beauty of the landscape, take a look at the remains of an old chair lift that was used for fishermen to cross the river! It is very curious!

The rich landscape of this small municipality is shown by its numerous rivers and streams, as well as in the mountains that surround it. This is an ideal place for outdoor activities, such as hiking, hunting or fishing. In fact, the local gastronomy is based on using and transforming the territory’s products into succulent river fish or game dishes, such as those of wild boar, roe deer, hare, etc. They are generally available on the menus in the establishments of the area.

During the Festival for Game, in December, try the wild boar and roe deer.

Rapids and the clear waters predominate in the highest part of the river Ouro with abundant small sized common trout, which are usually included in the menus of the local restaurants along with game dishes.

You can complete your stay in O Valadouro going along the Os Pozos route among oak and chestnut trees to reach the beautiful Pozo da Onza waterfall, which is almost 15 metres high and has a beautiful pond at its base. The Pozo de Torez is also worth a visit, which is an almost unknown waterfall embedded in the rock.

The route of the river Ouro will also reveal the wealth of floral and fauna that the waters and the banks of this natural jewel of the north of Lugo treasure. In addition to trout, here the increasingly scarce lampreys can also be caught. Although the river mussel is the most characteristic inhabitant of these waters, representing one of the very few Galician populations of this species.

Don’t leave without going to the O Escouridal waterfall, one of the largest in Galicia with its 70m height. It is part of the river Guilfonso, a tributary of the Ouro and works as a geographical boundary between Alfoz and O Valadouro. Another treasure of the natural heritage is the magical Pena Abaladoira, in the O Xistral mountain range.

In Mondoñedo, around the river Masma, one of the greats for salmon fishing in Galicia, there are many interesting routes due to its beauty and accessibility. On the way, you can visit the castro of Zoñán, near the Os Picos monastery.

On the first Sunday in May, the parish of Masma welcomes the Fisherman’s Festival which brings together a large number of enthusiasts. There is an important programme of activities as well as a catch and release competition (the specimens are returned to the river alive).

In Mondoñedo there is also the tradition of game dishes served during the season by local restaurants and bars.

A very appreciated fishing reserve due to its trout and salmon is the one that is next to the A Cazolga bridge (1796).

Look at this stone crossing over the river Masma. It was built by the Benedictine monks of Lourenzá to transport the materials with which to build San Salvador monastery; it is an example of Galician baroque. The Tovar fort, which has become a museum, is another of the architectural references of the municipality.

A complete tour that, without a doubt, will open the appetite to taste game and fish dishes in the local restaurants.

During the last stop on this route you will have the possibility of hunting and fishing. The river Eo and its tributaries enjoy very significant fish resources: salmon, trout, sea trout, lamprey, eel and elver that you can later taste in the restaurants of A Trabada as well as game dishes with wild boar and roe deer as the main ingredients.