Villadepalos: Trails, Suspension Bridge and Local History

Villadepalos offers practical starting points for planning a trip, including hiking routes, rural architecture and local history. If you are looking for a hotel in Villadepalos, you can consider whether circular trails, the landscape along the Sil or the history of individual buildings should be the focus of your stay. Two circular trails have precise distance measurements; there is also a traditional footpath to Peón de Arriba and a route that passes through Villadepalos on its way towards Las Médulas.

Compare trails and distances

The circular Ruta de los Puentes Colgantes is 11.88 kilometres long and can start at Colegio de Villadepalos. The circular route from Villadepalos to Peón de Arriba also starts at the same school and is 8.49 kilometres long. The Peón loop is therefore 3.39 kilometres shorter. The traditional footpath from Villadepalos to Peón takes 25 minutes through a large oak forest and crosses the Sil via a suspension bridge. The 25 minutes refers to the walk through the forest, while the distances in kilometres describe the two circular routes. It is worth checking local trail conditions before setting off.

Routes along the Sil and to the suspension bridge

The route from Carracedo Monastery to Las Médulas passes through Villadepalos and over the village's suspension bridge. The Ruta de los Puentes Colgantes de Villadepalos y Villaverde de la Abadía runs from Villadepalos along a path parallel to the Sil to Villaverde de la Abadía. On the Villadepalos section of the Ruta de los Puentes Colgantes, you can see traditional mills. A viewpoint lies between the Campañana Reservoir and Lago de Carucedo. The different routes therefore lead to different landmarks: the Sil, the bridge, the mills and the two bodies of water.

Suspension bridge and local history

The suspension bridge is also called “Puente de la Barca.” A crossing of the Sil by barge used to operate at the same location. There is a bathing spot near the suspension bridge and the football pitch; conditions can vary seasonally. The former barge crossing, the bridge and the bathing spot are all specific local features around this crossing point.

Rural architecture and historical traces

Examples of rural architecture in Villadepalos include ovens, wine presses and houses. The Church of Santa María de Villadepalos is a modern building; its predecessor was deliberately burned down in 1936. These architectural forms and the history of the church building offer different ways to explore the village's cultural heritage, from rural architecture to a specific historical turning point.

The village's former fishing industry is also part of its history: Villadepalos was once a fishing village. Residents caught fish with nets; the women then pickled the catch to preserve it. This historical practice complements the architectural themes with a glimpse of the way people used to live.

In the 2024 and 2025 editions of Trail Peón de Arriba, the start and finish were at Plaza de la Cruz in Villadepalos. If you want to include an event in your travel plans, check the information for the relevant edition.

Discover more destinations: Carracedo Del Monasterio.

Return to the main travel overview: Carracedelo.