top of page

NATURAL INTEREST

live nature
Souto da Retorta
Closed for maintenance.
SOUTO DA RETORTA
​

Souto da Retorta houses the oldest centenarian eucalyptus trees in Galicia. It is a natural area located on the banks of the Landro River, it belongs to the Galician Network of Protected Areas.  It was part of the old weaving factory founded by J. Bassols & Co. (1849) and subsequently by the industrial complex Chavin Barro (1897-1981), as a factory for lights, upholstery, and bodywork for automobiles.

 

Souto da Retorta has a variety of tree species typical of Atlantic forests and riverside forests, in addition to large ferns.  This makes it a remarkably valuable botanical landscape without forgetting the riverscape.  In 1880 6 eucalyptus trees were planted with the intention of protecting one canal of the river Landro from continuous floods.  These eucalyptus reached rare dimensions; some of them exceed 70 m high, one of them named "O Avó" (Grandfather) which has a foot more than 2.5 m in diameter and a volume of 76 cubic metres.  It is considered one of the largest trees in Europe.

 

Souto da Retorta and O Avó are inscribed in the Galician Catalogue of Singular Trees and were declared Natural Monuments in 2000.

 

​
Monte San Roque
MONTE SAN ROQUE
​

From Monte San Roque you can enjoy the most famous tourist sight in Viveiro.  At 353 m. above sea level, it provides a magnificent view of the estuary, the estuary of Landrover and the port of Celeiro.

​

At the top, you can find a magnificent recreational area, a natural wildlife reserve (deer, ponies, donkeys and rhea birds) and the chapel dedicated to co-patron of Viveiro, San Roque, who rid Viveiro of "plague and evil" during the late Middle Ages.

 

A few meters from the chapel, between some boulders, there is a cave which is surmounted by a cross, where according to legend the saint of "Montpellier" appeared.

 

Nearby is the Penedo do Galo, 500 m. above sea level and from there we also have panoramic views of Viveiro's ria.

 

​
Pozo da Ferida
POZO DA FERIDA

Within the limits of the parish of Santa Maria de Chavin, bordering with the Local Authority of Xove is this spectacular waterfall over 30 meters high, the largest of the Lucense Marina, its fall forms a natural pool.  The river Xudreiro originates here, resulting from the union of Rego dos Monteiros and Rego de Cal Grande.
 
The vegetation, autochthonous trees and the remains of an old power plant highlight the beauty of this place.  In the upper part of this area is Loureiro's Manor, built on an ancient castro (fort) from the Iron Age.
A INSUA
A INSUA
​

In the ethnographic area of "A Insua", you may find the old loading bay for the Silvarosa Mines.  Currently, only remains of industrial archeology are left like chutes and the 5km long Bleichert bicable aerial tramway, which was used to transport the ore, taking advantage of the slope of the hillside to the sea.  The ore was stored there in large bins.  It was collected and washed through a tunnel to make it reach an iron structure that jutted into the sea where it was poured directly into the boats.   Once loaded onto the steam transport, it was sent to Germany, Holland, and England, especially in times of war, for the purpose of making cannons and firearms due to the hardness of iron.

 

In the ethnographic area of A Insua, you can observe magnificent views of Viveiro's ria, you can even look out from the old loading bay, part of its original length restored.

 

​

Rio Landro
PASEO FLUVIAL DEL RÍO LANDRO
​

The pedestrianised river promenade begins on the forecourt of the bridge variant, across the tracks of the railway tunnel that lead you to "As Aceas".  The route along the edge of the river Landro passes near Valdeflores Convent.  It is a very scenic route that allows and admires the wealth of its marshes (Xunqueiras).

 

The Landro estuary is declared a Site of Community Importance (SCI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), due to its natural value made up of important riverside vegetation and a reedbed that allows the existence of a large ornithological variety.  Furthermore, in its settings, we can find visitable places like Aceñas of Galcerán, Xunqueira's neighborhood, Valdeflores' Convent and the old tannery and current Regal Ceramics factory.

 

The total distance is about 7 km. in the incomparable settings of the river Landro

​

Fraga das Saímas
FRAGA DAS SAÍMAS
​

“Fraga” is the Galician word for forest. Fraga das Saímas is situated 15 km from Viveiro in the parish of St. Andrew, where an important mass of autochthonous forest and Atlantic forest can be found in Mount Lerín. It has a surface of 89 hectares made up of trees such as oaks, alders, birches, wild chestnuts, hazels, arbutus, ash, yew, wild pear, hawthorn, "sanguinea" and holly, as well as a variety of shrubs and plants.

 

Nearby, is a place called Curro de Candaoso, where every first Sunday of July they celebrate the traditional ‘Rapa das Bestas’ (where they gather wild horses and shear their manes).  Another area that stands out is the Buyo peatlands, which cover about 300 hectares of woods.

Cueva de la Doncella
CUEVA DE LA DONCELLA
​

Between Punta do Cabalo and Punta Insua there is a place called O Forno dos Mouros and in it is the Cueva de Los Encantos popularly known as Cueva de la Doncella.

​

Maiden's Cave

​

On the steep slope of a rock that advances over the sea, in the parish of San Juan de Covas, is this cave; popular fantasy locates in this cavern an interesting legend, which seems to have been devised by ancient smugglers, in order to drive the people away from that place and to be able to hide their caches with greater security; It supposes in her enchanted a most beautiful maiden, with blond hair and white clothes, who at dawn on the morning of San Juan, comes down from the cliff to bathe and untangle her abundant and silky hair with a gold and brilliant comb.

​

Area with high risk points

​
bottom of page