Monforte de Lemos, the unofficial capital of the Ribeira Sacra, has a river running straight through its centre, and it makes for one of the easiest short walks in the area. The Río Cabe curves through town on its way to join the Sil a little further downstream, and over the past century the town has built a proper walking path along both banks, right through the heart of Monforte.
We like this route because it needs no planning at all. There’s no need to drive out to a trailhead or check a complicated map beforehand; the walk starts in the town itself, at the Parque dos Condes, where there’s also plenty of parking if you’re coming from outside Monforte. From there the path follows the river, flat and paved the whole way, so it works just as well for families, for anyone with a dog, or for a slow evening stroll after a day of sightseeing.
The first stretch takes you past A Ponte Vella, the old bridge with its row of rounded stone arches, one of the most photographed spots in Monforte and a good point to pause and look back toward the castle. From there the path continues along the water, with the option to switch banks at several points if you want a slightly different view of the town. Following the river the rest of the way brings you to the Club Fluvial, a local sports and leisure complex built right on the water, with a terrace, pools, and in summer, direct river access.
Depending on where exactly you start and stop, the walk covers somewhere between two and three kilometres one way, which usually takes under an hour at an easy pace. It’s short enough to combine with a coffee stop or a visit to the castle afterward, and there’s no obligation to walk the whole stretch: since the path runs in a straight line along the river, you can turn back at any point without missing anything essential.
For those who want to keep going, the path doesn’t simply stop at the Club Fluvial. It continues out of town toward the small parish of Piñeira, turning the short in-town walk into a longer countryside route for anyone with more time to spare. In summer, the town also runs a rowing boat service from the jetty at Parque dos Condes, a pleasant way to see the same stretch of river from the water instead.
Route overview:
- Start: Parque dos Condes (parking available)
- Via: A Ponte Vella
- End: Club Fluvial Monforte
- Distance: roughly 2–3 km one way
- Terrain: flat, paved path along both riverbanks
- Good to know: boat rental available in summer from the Parque dos Condes jetty; the path continues further toward Piñeira for a longer walk
