What to do · Las Médulas
Reirigo Trail, from Las Médulas to Carucedo
Information
- Price
- Self-guided · free
- Duration
- 3 h
- Distance
- 5.4 km
- Season
- Spring and autumn
- Who it's for
- Regular walkers
The Junta presents it as one of the most beautiful and distinctive routes in the Natural Monument: 5.4 km linear, about three hours, from Las Médulas to Carucedo along a ridge with remains of the Roman mine and views of the pinnacles and, at the end, of Carucedo lake. The difficulty is medium-high because of the slopes. As it is linear, leave a car in Carucedo or allow for the return by the same path.
What you will see
Las Médulas was the great Roman gold mine of the north-west, now a World Heritage Site. To get the gold out, the Romans dug more than 400 km of channels and brought down entire mountains with water; the result is the peaks and walls of reddish sand you see among chestnuts and oaks. The Reirigo trail runs along them from above, on a ridge between the mine and the lake, with several viewpoints over the pinnacles.
At the end, on the way down, Carucedo lake appears, which gives its name to the Las Aves route.
How to organise it
Start in the village of Las Médulas, where the entrance car park is and, 400 metres away, the Visitor Reception Centre: there they give you the trail map and tell you what condition they are in. The finish is Carucedo, on the shores of the lake, where the Park House is.
If there are two cars, leave one in Carucedo. If not, the return by the same path doubles the day. Allow three hours one way with stops for photos.
Difficulty and season
The Junta rates it medium-high: there are steep climbs and descents. Wear mountain footwear, and bring water and sun protection: in summer, on the ridge, the sun beats down. The best time is spring and autumn, when the chestnut trees are green or golden. With children, better if they already walk well for several hours on sloping terrain.
To round off the day
If you have energy left, go round Carucedo lake on the flat Las Aves route, 6.5 km. Before starting, the Valiñas amphitheatre from the village of Las Médulas is worth seeing, and the Orellán viewpoint gives the view from the other side. For eating in the village, see Agoga or the Medulio restaurant; for sleeping in Carucedo, La Peregrina.
With teenagers
