Parque Natural de Enciña da Lastra

The Parque Natural Serra da Encina da Lastra covers 3,151 hectares in the municipality of Rubia, in southeastern Ourense province within the Valdeorras comarca. Declared in 2002, it is the youngest of Galicia's six natural parks and the most atypical: its limestone and dolomite landscape contrasts with Galicia's usual granite terrain, creating a markedly Mediterranean ecosystem in a region where Atlantic climate predominates. The Sil river divides this mountain range, carving a canyon with steep slopes that separates the park's two main massifs.

The karst relief is the defining geological feature. The limestone rock, estimated at 470 million years old, has been shaped by water dissolution over millennia, forming Galicia's largest network of underground cavities: roughly two hundred recorded sinkholes and caves. The caves are called "palas" locally, a term of pre-Roman origin. The most notable include Cova da Zorra (600 m in length), Pala de Xilberte, Pala do Pombo, Trasmonte and Pala de Tralapala. Many of these caves remain in pristine condition and host Galicia's richest bat colonies, with at least 9 confirmed species.

The flora has a Mediterranean character that is singular within Galicia. Holm oak and strawberry tree forests coexist with wild thyme scrub, and over 25 orchid species grow in the clearings and limestone meadows. The holm oak that gives the park its name is the dominant tree on sunny slopes, while chestnuts and oaks occupy the shaded areas and gullies. In the cracks of the limestone outcrops, rock-dwelling plants adapted to poor, dry soils survive — species rarely found elsewhere in the autonomous community.

The vertebrate fauna includes 39 confirmed mammal species, one of the most complete lists in Galicia. The native white-clawed crayfish inhabits the park's streams, representing one of the few remaining populations in the provinces of Lugo and Ourense. Birds are among the park's principal assets: over one hundred nesting species have been recorded thanks to the high habitat diversity. Nesting raptors include Egyptian vulture, golden eagle, short-toed snake eagle, booted eagle, peregrine falcon and eagle owl, which occupy the limestone cliffs of the Sil canyon.

Cave exploration requires prior contact with local speleology associations, as the caves are not set up for tourist visits. Signposted trails within the park run through holm oak forests and along Sil canyon viewpoints, with routes ranging from 5 to 12 km. The municipality of Rubia, with its winemaking heritage linked to the Valdeorras DO, offers rural accommodation and dining based on godello and mencia wines, octopus, chestnuts and Galician pie. The proximity of Ponferrada (30 km) and Ourense allows combining the visit with El Bierzo or the Ribeiras do Sil.