Travel Guide Gorges Du Sil - Ribeira Sacra

The "Sacred River" is cut by the Sil Gorge, which naturally delimits the border between the provinces of Ourense and Lugo. The landscape is mainly shaped by vineyard slopes and steep granite cliffs crossed by the waters of the Sil. The climate, almost Mediterranean, favours the existence of olive trees. This territory of 5,914 ha contains numerous monasteries, convents and hermitages, which were built there from the5th century. The Benedictine monks of Cluny, mainly, and later the Cistercians, favoured these places to withdraw and meditate. They also initiated wine production here. The Ribeira Sacra had its golden age from the 12th to the 13th century, and the name of rivoyra sacrata was first mentioned in 1124. This region is one of the most beautiful in Galicia, with its unique landscapes, its countless examples of Romanesque art and its charming villages.