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There are quite a lot of monasteries in this area. Among the most outstanding, CARBOEIRO MONASTERY, an old Benedictine monastery founded in the 10th century, whose architectural work reflects Galician medieval art. It is located in the municipality of Silleda, coterminous with A Estrada.

Another medieval romanesque monastery is ACIVEIRO MONASTERY, founded in the XIIth century and regarded as a monument of Historic and Artistic interest, has recently been refurbished and turned into a Monument-Hotel. It is located in the Municipality of Forcarey in the hamlet of Aciveiro, close to the protected natural area of Sierra do Candán, almost 1,000 metres high.

 

 
As regards “Pazos” (similar to manor house), we have the privilege of boasting one of the most outstanding pazos in our country: PAZO DE OCA, with its masterful baroque arquitecture, it is also known as the “Gallician Versailles” due to the beauty of its garden designs and the presence of numerous ornamental century-old plants, such as palm trees, camellias, rhododendrons, etc.

 

 

 
To conclude, in this rural setting we can discover numerous romanesque churches, either within the limits of our municipality or in the adjacent areas, such as Trasdeza Romanesque Route; some of them located in the Mozarab Way (Vía de la Plata).

It is one of the most charming places in our surroundings: the suspension bridge of Xirimbao, a pedestrian bridge suspended by cables which crosses river Ulla and connects two provinces: Pontevedra and A Coruña. It also has a recreational area for picnics or fishing activities since this is one of the three salmon fishing preserves of A Estrada: Couso, Sinde and Xirimbao.

Another leisure area worth mentioning is A Carixa in Villa de Cruces, on the banks of the river Deza. It includes a playground, recreational venues and a natural swimming pool.

Some minutes away from our house there are numerous streams with waterfalls which used to be exploited in the past to install mills, some of which still exist after having been restored, e.g. Pincho de Currantes, Fervenza de Callobre.

Of greater importance is the River Toxa waterfall, known as DA TOXA WATERFALL. With a height of 60 metres, it is located in the Ulla-Deza River System, a unique natural environment. Within the varied surrounding vegetation there are species like oak, pine or Scotch broom. The water, falling strongly, forms a kind of hazy which you must take into account if you want to take pictures. In order to reach that area you have to follow a picturesque path in a unique, breathtaking natural environment off the beaten path.

This one our most recommended day trips.

For Prehistoric Art lovers, we can offer you a visit to the PREHISTORIC ROCK ART area located in Campo Lameiro with more than 21 hectares, where you can find rock carvings in an excellent state of preservation, petroglyphs and the recreation of a small village of more than 4,000 years and , in addition, an interpretative centre-museum.

Pure enjoyment!

Another interesting place to visit is PEDRE in the municipality of Cerdedo. Pedre, also called the “inland Combarro”, is a place where there are many granaries (old stone constructions for storing grain) in the so called “eira grande”.

These granaries, 22 altogether, dating back from the year 1899, were used to store corn and are insulated from the ground by several blocks of stone. From the Eira Grande you can go to the romanesque bridge of Pedre, over the river Lérez.

There are numerous hiking itineraries in the vicinity with a medium level of difficulty. They cross streams, oak forests, semi-abandoned hamlets … The feeling of going back to the past which it provides leaves nobody indifferent.