Sanzo combines elements of its traditional rural structure with a carnival tradition and routes to the former workers’ settlement of A Paicega. This offers different points of interest for planning a trip: village culture through the Quema dos Antroiros and the Capilla de San Juan Bautista, as well as landscape views from the Mirador de A Paicega.

Carnival tradition in Sanzo

The Quema dos Antroiros is a tradition observed in Sanzo on Shrove Tuesday. Residents make two large figures from straw, old clothes and old shoes, and burn them. If your trip coincides with Shrove Tuesday, the custom offers a specific cultural point of interest.

Chapel and archaeological sites

Sanzo’s rural heritage includes the Capilla de San Juan Bautista, an 18th-century chapel in a vernacular style. Its rectangular floor plan, flat-ended chancel and square altar area describe its architectural layout. It also has a wooden entrance porch and a bell gable with a round arch and decorative finials. If you are interested in rural religious architecture, these features offer specific points of reference.

The tumulus necropolis “Necrópolis Tumular de El Coto” and the Roman mining site “Minería Romana de Penafurada” are also located in Sanzo. They broaden the cultural focus to include archaeological sites.

Routes and landscape

From Sanzo, a flat, well-maintained track runs to the former workers’ settlement of A Paicega. In 2025, a 1,320-metre section of path between Sanzo and A Paicega was repaired, providing access to the viewpoint by the reservoir. The PR-AS 169 is 7.82 km long, is laid out as a round trip from Pezós/Pesoz to A Paicega, and is classified in the “Families” category. Part of the route follows a quiet local road to the village of Sanzo. The flat profile is a specific point of reference for the track from Sanzo; the PR-AS 169 gives a published distance for the round trip. As trail conditions can change, check the current state of the route before hiking.

The climb on the route to Sanzo passes through a dense chestnut and birch forest. From Sanzo, there are open views over the valley. The Mirador de A Paicega is in the lower part of A Paicega; from there, views extend across the Navia River canyon and the surrounding mountain landscape.

A Paicega: workers’ settlement by the reservoir

A Paicega was built in the mid-20th century to house workers during construction of the Grandas de Salime reservoir. The former workers’ settlement is no longer inhabited. The surviving features include former barracks converted into homes, the church dedicated to the Virgen de La Luz, and remains of the cable car. These traces illustrate different aspects of the settlement: its former residential function, the religious building and the surviving remains of the cable car.

Discover more destinations: Argul

For the broader travel overview: Pesoz.