Xestoso Moorlands (Brañas de Xestoso) are located in the mountains that mark the natural transition between the Tabeirós and Deza regions, an area characterised by extensive wet plains in its higher elevations. Traditionally, these spaces remained flooded for much of the year, creating a landscape dominated by marshes, waterlogged soils and areas of high humidity, forming a landscape of great uniqueness within inland Galicia. Within this environment, small areas of high natural value are preserved, including peatland zones and rain-fed floodable surfaces. Among them stands out the Sacra de Olives lagoon, located in a slight depression of the terrain at about 650 metres above sea level. It is a seasonal lagoon, as it usually retains water for most of the year and only dries up during the summer months when rainfall decreases. One of the most distinctive elements of the landscape is the stone walls that delimit the floodable area of the lagoon. Their origin is surrounded by local oral tradition: according to legend, these structures were built to prevent the profanation of bodies that, after an ancient battle whose memory has been lost over time, were thrown into its waters. This popular story, together with the environmental value of the place, reinforces the symbolic character of this site, where nature, memory and tradition intertwine in a landscape of strong identity.
