In Pardollán, you can combine a hike with a visit to a Romanesque hermitage: the Ruta de la Ermita de Santo Estevo is a 6 km circular route from the picnic area in the village to the hermitage and back. The route is listed as taking 3 hours. This gives your trip planning a specific focus that brings together trails, landscape and architectural history.
Hiking between Pardollán and the Hermitage
From Pardollán, the Ruta de la Ermita de Santo Estevo passes through holm oak forests to the hermitage. On the return, it goes via the viewpoint opposite Penarrubia and then heads towards Pardollán. The route therefore combines stretches of forest with two clearly named landmarks: the historic destination and the viewpoint on the return loop.
The equipped Pardollán viewpoint is at an altitude of 540 m. From there, you can look out over the Sil Valley near Penarrubia and Pardollán. The second hiking route follows the sequence Biobra–Covas–Vilardesilva–Pardollán–Biobra and runs through the Serra da Enciña da Lastra Nature Park. The two routes offer different highlights: one leads to the hermitage and returns via the viewpoint, while the other connects several villages along a named route.
Romanesque architectural history
The Ermita de Santo Estevo de Pardollán dates from the 11th–12th century and is one of the few Romanesque examples in Valdeorras. Its local stone masonry and main portal define its architectural character: the portal’s round arch is framed by distinctive red stone from local quarries. Its date, construction and materials give the site a cultural significance beyond its hiking routes.
Landscape in the Nature Park
Pardollán is one of the villages in the Serra da Enciña da Lastra Nature Park. Extensive ancient chestnut groves, with centuries-old trees still standing, surround the village. The chestnut landscape adds another distinctive natural setting to the holm oak forest along the Ruta de la Ermita.
The caves also extend beyond Pardollán: the parishes of Covas, Pardollán and Biobra contain most of the caves recorded in Galicia. There are around a hundred caves in total, with stalactites and stalagmites. This regional context adds a geological aspect to the experience of the landscape around the village.
Mining and lime kilns
The Mina de Ocre de Pardollán is an open-pit mine. Its excavation is 10 m deep, an average of 25 m wide and 150 m long. The mine contains reddish-brown, limonite-rich earth with an iron content of around 50 percent. The ochre-coloured limonite earth was used to make paint, which is why the mine was popularly known as the Mina de las Pinturas. Its dimensions, materials and former use tell a different story of local heritage from the Romanesque hermitage.
The Caleira de Pardollán consists of former lime kilns. Features inside one of the former lime kilns include a large chimney, bricks and a grate. Together with the open-pit mine, the Caleira reveals further historic traces of local raw-material use.
Getting to Pardollán
If you are travelling from O Barco de Valdeorras, take the N-120 towards Ponferrada in the province of León. After 9 km, turn right onto the local road OU-0807. Check the road conditions before setting out. This lets you plan your journey using the specified roads and turn, while the hike itself offers a separate time reference with its stated distance and duration.
Discover more destinations: Porqueirós, Ourense, Riós, Xares, Vilar De Barrio, Esgos, Xinzo De Limia, Vilariño
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