Invernadeiro Galicia - Natural area - Spain

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GALICIA Information - Natural Parks: INVERNADEIRO

LOCATION: The central massif or Ourense spreads over the municipalities of in the O Bolo, Castrelo do Val, Chandrexa de Queixa, Laza, Manzaneda, A Pobra de Trives, Vi ana do Bolo, Vilariño de Con so, Quiroga, Larouco and Montederramo. The Natural Park of O Invernadeiro belongs to the municipality ofVilariiio de Conso.
SCI "Bidueiral de Montederramo": Montederramo and Vilar de Barrio.

SURFACE AREA: Natural Park: 5,722 hectares; "Central Massif" SCI: 45,829 hectares (including the narrow mountain pass of the river Bibei); "Bidueiral de Montederramo" SCI: 1,984 hectares.

ACCESS: From Ourense, coming from the north, the C-536 road with turn-offs in Castro Caldelas or in A Pobra de Trives. From the south, the Rias Baixas motorway (A-52) or the N-525 with exits in Xinzo de Limia and Verín. From the east, in the direction of the mountain pass of Bibei in As Ermidas, Petín-A Gudiña C-533 where it is also possible to take a turn-off to the A-52 motorway. Access to the Natural Park from Verín, in the direction of Campobecerros through Castrelo de Val (OU-114).

SERVICES: In the villages of the SCI "Macizo Central".

M.A.N.: Nature Room in the N.P. "O Invernadeiro" and administrative permits to visit the park: Phone number. 988 386 376. Five guided routes. Wild Fauna Recovery Centre.
Alto do Rodicio.

The Central Massif covers a large mountainous area with no actual
population, which makes it possible to preserve important transition ecosystems. These sierras are perfect for wolves and their main preys: roebucks, deers and wild boars. There are also botanical surprises such as unique holly bushes and birches, with a vegetation often oriented towards the creation of pasture for cattle. Traditional pasture grazing is still used in the mountain villages. This is a land exposed to the slow changes of nature and tradition. For example, the century-old chestnuts that renew their sweet, tender fruits year after year, or
Roman bridges that can still be crossed by cars. This is what the inner province of Ourense looks like, with summits bringing together the rough enchantment of the stone and the sweetness of huge rounded volumes. The highest point of the Serra de Queixa is the only Galician winter sports resort, Manzaneda. To be more precise, in A Cabeza Grande (1.782 m). There are
some additional alpine landscapes in the Serra de San Mamede (1,619 m) and
o Fial das Corzas, where hills surround the O Invernadeiro Natural Park.
The rivers having their source in these hills are tributaries of the Si I northwards; of the Mino through the cheerful Arnoia westwards; and southwards, there are rivers that flow into the Douro (Duero), now in Portugal.

We can therefore say that this is an important water domain, but somehow contrasting: sometimes abundant and sometimes scarce, according to seasons, height and orientation. Located just under 200 kilometres from the coast, it is one of the areas that register the highest amount of waterfalls in the form of snow and rain. But the summers are dry. The yearly average temperature does not exceed 10". The river Bibei, which defines this massif up to its mouth in the Sil, creates a narrow mountain pass in classic Mediterranean style. Vine growing is typical of this landscape.

ROUTES
Any visit to the O Invernadeiro Natural Park requires an administrative permit, which allows daily access to thirty people at most, but there are also five excellent guided routes with excellent didactic opportunities. Roebucks and deers coming down to the river can be watched. Originally, it was a game preserve, but now it is often visited by school groups looking for contacts with nature.

The best way to approach the Natural Park is from Verín, through the road that leads to Campobecerros. Access is more difficult from Vilarifio de Conso, the municipality where the Park is located. But from here we can also walk through other paths. One leads to Chaguazoso, the highest hamlet in Galicia. Then, you can cross the river and, downstream, enjoy the view of a wild waterfall. A different walk will take you to Pradoalbar where a spectacular valley is bathed by the river Cerveira, whose name changes to Conso further on. If you want to walk arou~d the Central Massif sierras, the road from A Pobra de Trives offers wonderful footpaths. You can climb to the winter sports resort of Manzaneda. From this place, other tracks lead to the granite-shaped structures, or to the summit of A Cabeza Grande, and then to the abandoned hamlet of Prada, on an old glacier.

If, on the contrary, you walk to the municipality of Chandrexa de Queixa through Celeiros, the municipal head town with an ethnographical museum, there is a road that runs around the dam from which several turn-offs start, as well as a nice walk to the recreational area of Santa Cruz along the banks of the river Queixa. From here, you can also reach the "Bidueiral de Montederramo" SCI and have a look at the woody stronghold dominated by perfectlypreserved birches.

However, if you want to climb the Serra de San Mamede, we recommend starting on the other side. From the village of Arnuide, on the road from Maceda to Xinzo de Limia, a track which starts there will lead you to the hill where blueberry bushes grow.

On the other end, on the lands of O Bolo, the typical photo of the Bibei river mountain pass should include the baroque sanctuary of As Ermidas, which hangs from the mountain among slopes filled with vineyards. The mild climate even allowed the monks to have a mill for making olive oil.

FLORA: Oak woods (Quercus pyrenaica). Birch wood (Betula alba) in Montederramo, together with carballeiras. Holly bush (Ilex aquifolium) and European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia). On the summits, pasture lands of Festuca indigesta and broom such as Cytisus scoparius and C. purgans.

FAUNA: Wolf (Canis lupus), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Weasel (Mustela nivalis), Brown Partridge (Perdix perdix hispaniensis). In the O Invernadeiro Park, ungulated species: Roebucks (Capreolus capreolus), Fallow deers (Dama dama) and Deers (Cervus elaphus).

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