It is located about 700 m east of the centre of O Ézaro, next to the Castrelo hydroelectric power station. It is accessed by going down some stone stairs next to the power plant, over the mouth of the water from the turbines and following a wooden walkway where you can see the waterfall of the Xallas river also known as the Ézaro river.
Its waters fall from about 80 m producing a deep eroded hole on the rock of the ground. Fray Martín Sarmiento made the following comment about this river:
“This river runs through the top of the mountains and as it cannot enter the sea horizontally, it makes a prodigious waterfall as it falls into the sea on the slopes of Mount Pindo and in front of Cape Finisterre”.
This river, Xallas or Ézaro, is the only one in the entire Iberian Peninsula and one of the few in Europe that flows into the sea, in this case into the Atlantic Ocean, as a waterfall. Since April 2011 it can be seen every day of the year and at all times, it always carries water.
The only schedule in force is in relation to its lighting. On Saturday nights in summer, from June 21 to September 21, it is illuminated from 11:00 p.m. to 00:00 a.m. In addition to some holidays throughout the year, it is best to check the lighting calendar.
In winter, if it rains a lot and the reservoir levels are very high, the floodgates open more than usual and you can see a spectacular waterfall, multiplying its usual flow. This river, despite not being very long, just 66 km long, is the most used for the production of electricity in all of Galicia. It has four reservoirs and five hydroelectric power plants.
So if you want to come and see it, you can do it any day of the year and at any time. In addition, its visit is free.
In addition, in summer I was able to enjoy the activity “Fervenza en Kayak”. For only seven euros you can tour, with a monitor, the mouth of the Xallas or Ézaro River at the foot of Mount Pindo; in addition to being able to experience in the front row the spectacular 40 meters waterfall jump when it falls into the sea. The price includes kayak (single or double), vest and paddle. It also has a bathroom and showers.
