Walking the Camino Natural del Río Barbantiño

We walked the Camino Natural del Río Barbantiño on a morning we had free, near Punxín in the province of Ourense. It is not a long route, and it does not need to be. The trail follows the Barbantiño river through the municipalities of Punxín, Amoeiro and Maside, staying close to the water for almost the whole way.

The path starts near A Forxa, at a spot called O Bañiño, where there is a small natural thermal spring with warm sulphurous water. We did not go in, but it is there if you want to. From there the trail follows the river upstream, past old stone mills. Some are ruins, others still have their walls standing. The path runs mostly through forest, alder and ash and willow along the water.

Halfway along the route there is a waterfall, the Fervenza do Barbantiño, also called Catarata do Cachón. A metal walkway takes you right up to it, close enough to get a good photo. The water drops around fifteen metres onto granite rock, into clear pools below.

On the way back we took the other side of the river. There is an old watermill with picnic tables next to it, where we stopped to rest for a while and look around before continuing.

The full route is a little over eleven kilometres, about three hours at a normal pace, with not much climbing involved. It is a good half day walk if you are in the area and want to be outside without committing to something longer.