O Candan Hill: the best kept secret

Discover beautiful native woods, meadows, rich fauna, and the old villages in this mountain range in the heartland of the province of Pontevedra

Do you want to climb up to one thousand metres high and feel the air lifting you up? You can experience it in O Candán Hill, in the border between the towns of Lalín, Silleda and Forcarei. It is one of the most extensive hills in the province of Pontevedra and is particularly interesting

don´t miss...

  • Villages of Grobas
  • Villages of Bustelos
  • Fluvial system Ulla-Deza
  • Cascade Fervenza das Minas
Serra do Candán
Aldea de Groba

The echoes of old villages

Walking down to the village of Grobas in the middle of an unexplored mountain is a wholesome experience that no one should miss. There, you will hear the chirping of birds or the sound of a stream, or smell the refreshing scent of wet soil after the rain, observe the green shades of plants, enjoy a valuable architectonical heritage and evoke life in the Galicia of ancient times through the stones of old houses. An adventure in contact with pure nature.

The Lérez River, the Umia River and several tributaries of the Deza River rise here. Its peak is dominated by thickets and big rocks and, at its foot, you will admire extensive oakwoods, meadows and important examples of popular architecture. Get ready!

The top of Saint Bieito offers us a stunning panoramic of the valley of the region of Deza

A medium-difficulty circular hiking trail of about 12 kilometres runs through O Candán Hill. The route stands out for its diverse flora, with birches, oaks and Pyrenean oaks, and its fauna, since it offers the possibility to see some eagle-owls or peregrine falcons, which are difficult to spot in other parts of As Rías Baixas.

Serra do Candán
Aldea de Ventosela

This amazing itinerary starts at the village of Bustelos. A paved pathway beckons us to walk for about two kilometres until we arrive to the abandoned village of Grobas, an enigmatic place where we can contemplate the riverbank wood that shelters it.

Here begins the ascension to the top of San Bieito, which offers a stunning panoramic over the valley of the region of Deza. Walking by the edge of the mountain will make you vibrate with emotion just before descending to Ameixedo, stepping on the fallen leaves of a wood of chestnut trees and oaks.

You follow your trail between meadows until we arrive to Porto Marín and see the wooden bridge of the Deza River. At this point you turn round towards the forest to cross the river Rego das Grove, near the village of Grobas, through a stone bridge.