A 20 km circular route in Lugo, notable for its woodlands, street art and rich wildlife. Ideal for walking and enjoying nature without leaving the urban area.

The Green Belt is the longest route of them all, and also one of the most highly recommended. It’s a way of discovering the natural splendour of the city of Lugo, practically without leaving the urban area of the municipality. Following the paths along the Miño and the Rato rivers, and completing the circuit through woods and parks, we’ll cover a circular route of approximately 20 kilometres (depending on the alternative routes we choose for certain sections). ROUTE The Green Belt route begins and ends at what could well be considered the ‘kilometre zero’ of Galician hiking: the Roman Bridge (1st century AD). In the neighbourhood of A Ponte, with two thousand years of history (where the Roman Baths are also located), we begin our walk along the beautiful Miño trail, heading upstream. We pass by the Fábrica da Luz, the Illas Canal, the Cheda recreation area, As Saamasas, the Los Robles recreation area and, subsequently, we walk along one of the most beautiful sections of Lugo’s nature trails: the oak groves, the riverside woods and the wooded areas along the Miño. Incredible as it may seem, along this stretch we can also enjoy examples of Lugo’s street art, such as ‘Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ by Leandro Barea, ‘The Rooster’ and ‘The Bear’ by Diego AS, and other details we’ll come across during the walk. Upon reaching a point on the Ombreiro road, we’ll leave the course of the River Miño for the first time, in order to complete the green belt. We’ll head up towards the northern part of the city through magnificent woodlands that connect us with the neighbourhoods of Abella and Piringalla. Either of the two routes is fine, and from there we’ll head to the Parque da Milagrosa. Along the way, we’ll be able to enjoy some of Lugo’s finest urban art, as this northern part of the city is home to the greatest concentration of graffiti and murals. In Parque da Milagrosa, we’ll have the chance to visit the Paseo do Cine de Lugo, the Interactive Museum of the History of Lugo and the entire Frigsa sports complex. It is at this point that we’ll rejoin the riverside paths, specifically in Paradai Park, where the River Rato is already flowing with some volume after its source at the Pozas das Gándaras. Sagrado Corazón Park, Chanca Park and the Rato promenade will be our next stops on our journey to rejoin the Miño. All this is known as a ‘heart-healthy park’ for good reason: we are in one of the main areas for walking and exercise for the people of Lugo. In Tolda Park, we return to the Miño promenade, where we began our walk, but almost 2 kilometres further downstream. On this final stretch of the Cinto Verde, we can enjoy one of the city’s most biologically diverse areas in terms of birdlife and wildlife, as it is very easy to spot numerous species here, such as herons, cormorants, otters, shrikes and trout.