Puntos de Interés
Hydrography
River Seco
The River Seco is a small yet intriguing tributary of the River Cuíña, which plays a key role in forming the River Ancares when it joins the River de la Vega. Its waters ultimately flow into the River Sil, forming part of the Miño-Sil hydrographic basin, one of the most important in the northwest of the peninsula.
Its source lies at over 1,400 metres above sea level on the southern slope of Verdies Peak, and it runs for 5.5 kilometres through a mountainous landscape, carving a narrow course over local siliceous rocks such as quartzite, slate and sandstone.
The flow is maintained by rainfall and snowmelt. Consequently, in summer, when rainfall is lower, the river flows partially underground, reappearing in the village of Candín. This phenomenon gives the river its name, as it appears to be dry. During Roman times, this river was exploited for gold extraction by means of hydraulic mining. This process consisted of infiltrating water into rock fractures to cause the mountainside to collapse. The resulting sludge was channelled to a washing area to extract the gold. The impact of this process can still be seen today in the form of pits, canals and excavated structures that have become integrated into the landscape. There is even an old canal almost 3 kilometres long at an altitude of over 1,400 metres, built to transport water to mines on the opposite side of the mountain.