Ourense

City of Hot Springs, Land of Wine

Ourense is Galicia's thermal capital—hot springs bubble up throughout the city at temperatures reaching 68°C, and Romans, Moors, and modern bathers have all soaked in its healing waters. The surrounding province produces Ribeiro wine, one of Spain's oldest denominations, and harbors medieval towns virtually untouched by tourism.

History

Auriensis: City of Gold and Hot Water

Roman Baths to Wine Heritage

The Romans named it Aquae Urentes (Burning Waters) for its hot springs. Ourense's thermal tradition spans two millennia, and its Roman bridge—rebuilt in the 13th century—still crosses the Miño. Medieval Ribadavia was home to Galicia's most important Jewish community and Spain's oldest wine fair.

Roman Thermal City

The Romans built bath complexes around the natural hot springs, establishing Ourense as a thermal destination that has continued for 2,000 years.

Jewish Ribadavia (11th–15th C.)

Ribadavia's Jewish quarter was one of the largest in medieval Galicia. The community managed the wine trade until the 1492 expulsion.

Ribeiro Wine Tradition

Ribeiro wines have been produced since Roman times and were exported to England and Northern Europe throughout the Middle Ages.

Legends

Ourense's legends steam like its hot springs—tales of healing waters, enchanted forests, and the spirits that guard the province's ancient thermal sources.

The Healing Springs of As Burgas

The main spring of As Burgas was believed to cure all ailments. Pilgrims traveled from across Spain to bathe in waters they believed were heated by underground fires tended by the Mouros (ancient spirits).

The Santa Compaña

Galicia's most terrifying legend—a procession of the dead that walks country roads at midnight, carrying candles. Anyone who sees them must join the march or die within the year.

Culture

Ourense's culture revolves around hot water, good wine, and the deep Galician traditions of communal celebration and supernatural belief.

Entroido (Carnival)

Ourense's carnival—one of Spain's oldest—features the peliqueiros and cigarróns, masked figures who chase villagers with inflated bladders in rituals dating to pre-Roman times.

Festa do Magosto

The November chestnut-roasting festival, where communities gather around bonfires to roast chestnuts and drink new wine—a Celtic harvest celebration that has survived millennia.

Natural wonders

Hot Springs of Ourense

Natural thermal springs emerging at up to 68°C along the Miño River, free and open to the public—a 2,000-year-old bathing tradition.

Up to 68°C • Free public pools • Riverside setting

Invernadeiro Natural Park

One of Galicia's most pristine natural areas—a restricted-access park of mountains, forests, and wildlife including wolves, deer, and wild horses.

Restricted access • Wolf habitat • 5,722 hectares • Pristine wilderness

Castles in Ourense

Monasteries in Ourense

Hidden villages in Ourense