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The river Miño is born in the Pedregal de Irimia [1] of the Sierra de Meira, at an altitude of 750 m, in the municipality of Meira, in the northeast of the province of Lugo, from where it flows underground until it emerges in the «fonmiñá »(Pastoriza), located in the province of Lugo, 600 meters above sea level, this being historically considered as his birthplace. The Miño is in the Galaico massif and between the Cantabrian mountain range and the León mountains, two of the rainiest areas of the Iberian Peninsula, being one of the main rivers of the Atlantic slope.



Its entire upper course is declared a Biosphere Reserve. The Miño River runs its first forty kilometers through the Lugo plateau (Terrachá), a peneplain whose altitude ranges between four hundred and fifty and six hundred and fifty meters above sea level.



It serves, in its last 76 km, as the border between Spain and Portugal, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean forming an estuary between La Guardia (Pontevedra) and Caminha. It is navigable in its last 33 km, until Tuy.



Between Lugo and Orense, the Miño has three reservoirs (Belesar, Peares, Velle) and between Orense and the border with Portugal with two more reservoirs (Castrelo and Frieira).



The Miño passes through the cities of Lugo, Orense, Ribadavia, Francelos, Tuy and Portomarín among others.



Its main tributaries are the Sil, Neira, Avia, Barbantiño and Búbal rivers.

Main category: Tributaries of the Sil







Legends, traditions and superstitions



Oral tradition tells that Galician mythological characters lived in the Miño river basin, such as feiticieras who lived in the same river, the Xarcos who lived in wells located throughout the basin and fish-men who were amphibians with the possibility of living both in the land as in the water.



There is a legend that says that when you were navigating the Miño around Arbo you had to carry a stone in your mouth to prevent it from being possible to speak during the journey, otherwise the feiticieras would mess with you.



In Santa Marta de Ribarteme there is a curious pilgrimage, which consists of those who have been cured by the saint, go out in procession, placed in the coffins with which they would have been buried if the saint had not interceded.



When the Romans arrived on the Peninsula they thought that the Miño was a haunted river. They believed that behind him, hidden in the mist, was the end of the Earth (finis terrae), a huge cliff that would send them into the void.

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