The Ribeira Sacra, an area shared by the provinces of Lugo and Ourense, refers to shelters for monks and hermits in the dramatic gorges of the Rivers Sil and Miņo from Suevian times. Numerous monasteries, hermitages and abbies were founded there from the 6th century onwards and although the monks who cultivated vineyards on the banks of the rivers, abandoned the monasteries in 1835, expelled by Mendizabal, the impressive buildings still stand in beautiful settings. From San Pedro de Rocas with a church dug into the rock to the best preserved San Estevo de Ribas de Sil, a trip around these monasteries and the area is a fascinating experience.