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Penagache

Quintela de Leirado, Terra de Celanova, Ourense

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 2 Nature

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Penagache

Nature · Quintela de Leirado, Terra de Celanova, Ourense

A 1,213-metre summit in the foothills of the Serra do Leboreiro that close off the concello to the south; at these border heights, above a thousand metres, settlement disappears entirely. The mountain forms the boundary between the concellos of Verea and Quintela de Leirado. In the post-war years, many local residents turned to smuggling, taking advantage of its closeness to the Raya Seca (the "dry line" border): they crossed the sierra by night, often in snow, rain and wind, to reach Castro Laboreiro, in Portugal, loaded with coffee, lighter flints and salt cod. Because of this a Guardia Civil barracks was eventually built in the area, and before Spain's entry into the European Union, mayors and officials from the concellos along the Galician-Portuguese border met there every year to review the boundaries between Galicia and Portugal.

Photo: Finlaure (CC BY-SA 2.5 es)

What to see and do in Quintela de Leirado