Río Anllóns

Río Anllóns is the principal river of the Bergantiños region on Galicia's northwestern coast, flowing through several municipalities including Coristanco. It rises in the Sierra de Montemayor mountain range, within the parish of Soandres in the municipality of A Laracha, at an altitude of roughly 480 metres above sea level, before beginning its journey of more than fifty kilometres toward the Atlantic.

How long is the river and where does it flow?

The Anllóns runs a total of 54.4 kilometres and descends around 420 metres along the way, giving it a gentle average gradient of about 0.77%. Its channel has a sinuosity index of 1.43, which classifies it as a distinctly meandering river, a trait most visible in its lower course near the estuary. Along its route the river successively crosses the municipalities of A Laracha, Cerceda, Carballo, Coristanco, Ponteceso and Cabana de Bergantiños before its waters finally merge with the ocean in the Ría de Corme, at the foot of Monte Branco, within the municipality of Ponteceso.

What does the name Anllóns mean?

The river's name is believed to derive from the Latin word angulus, meaning "angle" or "bend," in its augmentative form angulones. This etymology points directly to the numerous meanders and turns the river forms along its final stretch before reaching the sea. The Anllóns is one of the best-known rivers in all of Galicia and the main watercourse of the Bergantiños comarca.

Why does the river matter to Coristanco?

The municipality of Coristanco is often called the "garden of Bergantiños" for the fertility of its land, crossed by countless streams that eventually feed into the Anllóns. These waters irrigate part of the fields where the area's famous potato, protected under a Geographic Indication (IGP), is grown. The river valley around Coristanco also holds scenic spots such as the Refuxio de Verdes in the village of Cereo.

Is the river valley a protected area?

The Anllóns valley was designated a Site of Community Importance (LIC) under the European Natura 2000 network in 2004, and it received Special Area of Conservation (ZEC) status in 2014. The protected area covers more than one hundred hectares across the Bergantiños comarca and extends through the municipalities of Carballo, Coristanco, Ponteceso and Cabana de Bergantiños, taking in locations of considerable landscape value along the way.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the Río Anllóns rise? In the Sierra de Montemayor, within the parish of Soandres (municipality of A Laracha), at about 480 metres above sea level.

Where does the river reach the sea? In the Ría de Corme, at the foot of Monte Branco, in the municipality of Ponteceso.

How long is the river? 54.4 kilometres from source to mouth.

Which municipalities besides Coristanco does the Anllóns cross? A Laracha, Cerceda, Carballo, Ponteceso and Cabana de Bergantiños.

Is the river valley under environmental protection? Yes, it has been a Site of Community Importance since 2004 and a Special Area of Conservation since 2014, as part of the Natura 2000 network.