In many landscapes in Galicia fresh water plays a leading role and hiking routes along the banks of rivers and streams become more attractive by the delightful landscapes in these places. The Water Trail in Zas is one of these. It has incomparable conditions with all the features that make up these natural places: water, vegetation, fauna, landscape, cultural items and an ideal setting for getting away from it all.
This route is on the headwaters of the river Porto, the main waterway in the district of Terra de Soneira. It is an approved, circular, 10 km hiking route (PR-G250). The waterfalls are its major attraction, but also of interest are the vegetation and the fauna that you will encounter, the watermills and the traditional architecture of the hamlets. You should also pay attention to the music provided by the water at different times along the way.
The route starts at the Sisto bridge, close to the village of the same name. In the first section you will already come upon several mills, which abound in the headwaters of the river Porto, both on the Parga branch, considered to be the main one, and on the Budián, as the channels of both run down a steep slope. After a kilometre, there is a fork in the trail. Take the left fork to Budián. In the hamlet, where you can see some interesting stone granaries, follow the path that leads to the waterfall, one of the great attractions along this route. Once there, the enveloping sound of the water will capture your attention for several minutes while gazing at this sensational natural spectacle. The depth of the pool into which the water drops gave rise to the legend that there is a golden harrow on the bottom, like in Riobó.
On the way back, take the trail to Parga, the next village encountered on the hike. There you will find some interesting popular architecture. After crossing the village and passing a mill and the ruins of a fulling mill, you will come to the Parga waterfalls, which are not as high as the previous falls but are wider.
The trail continues to slope down to Rabiñoso. The river water is still melodious because of the pronounced slope of its channel, leaping ever higher and passing over a series of falls until it comes to the little bridge on the old path from Moucos to Vilar Ramilo, which has been replaced by a road.
O Rabiñoso is one of the loveliest sites on the river Porto, less than 4 km from its source. The interlinked falls for more than 100 m, the mills on the banks, the riverside woods and the old bridge form a natural, architectural and ethnographic whole that is worthy of being admired and protected.
