Mountain Route

This route travels along Zamora province’s most uneven and abrupt district, Sanabria-Carballeda, the home of the ‘Lago de Sanabria’ Natural Park and Peña Trevinca in the Segundera mountain range – the province’s highest mountain at 2,127m high. Nature lovers will witness a rich natural landscape, with a range of rural and adventure tourism options, from rambling, horse riding and mountain biking to birdwatching and discovering local flora.

VISITS

• Puebla de Sanabria: The place that gives its name to the district has been declared a historical-artistic site. Take a walk through its stony streets, where medieval life lurks around every corner. Its castle, which is now home to a visitor centre for fortress towns and the tourist office, along with its church, are worth a visit. The village also has an unusual museum dedicated to the ‘Gigantes y Cabezudos’ – large costumed figures whose names are literally translated as ‘Giants and Big-Heads’.
• El Puente de Sanabria: the district’s main shopping area and the location of a local market on Mondays.
• The waterfalls of the picturesque village of Sotillo constitute one of the most interesting walking routes, providing the spectacular sight of water falling between oak, chestnut and holly trees.
• San Martín de Castañeda: a magnificent location on the lake, a factor that influenced the decision to build of the old Cistercian monastery in this location. What is left of the building is today home to the ‘Lago de Sanabria’ Natural Park Visitor Centre.
• Ribadelago Nuevo and Ribaldelago Viejo, two well-known villages due to the tragic story of the bursting of the Vega de Tera dam. In summer, the two villages are lively locations and the starting point for a range of walking routes, such as the one that heads up the Tera River gorge.
• Vigo de Sanabria and Robleda are examples of traditional architecture.
• Rábano de Sanabria: Traditional architecture with a magnificent 17th-century stone cross and the 16th-century Alcobilla sanctuary, restored in the 18th century.
• From San Ciprián, walkers can head out on an interesting excursion that climbs the right bank of the Carambilla stream up to Pico Faeda (2,024m).
• The ‘Lago de Sanabria’ Natural Park is home to the biggest glacial lake in Spain.
• Requejo: the starting point of a walk that leads to Tejedelo Forest, home to an yew reserve of considerable environmental value.
• Lubián: Here you may visit the Castro de las Muradellas hill fort, ‘el cortello dos lobos’ (an old wolf trap) and the Tuiza chapel.
• Hermisende: This village has a beautiful governor’s house, a parochial house and some old hill forts.
• Rionegro del Puente, in Carballeda, is home to the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Carballeda.
• Muelas de los Caballeros and Donado both have splendid examples of traditional architecture, which includes small manor houses.
• Mombuey: An unusual 12th-century Romanesque-style church with a curved spire.
• Robledo: Home to the Iberian Wolf Visitor Centre.