O Barco de Valdeorras

Can you build a house on rustic land?

Galicia allows a new house on rustic land only when a farm needs it. Otherwise it has to go in a village, or restore a building.

Ley 2/2016, arts. 35 y 39. A town plan can be stricter.

Plan in force: Plan General (a full town plan), from 2003. The region's planning viewer ↗

The national urban information system (SIU) maps the land class for 100% of the municipality.

Only the town hall can confirm it, in writing: ask for a certificado urbanístico.

Is there water?

IGME records 2 wells and boreholes in O Barco de Valdeorras. Half of the 2 with a depth found water at 12–140 m.

Ground: 85% practically impermeable; 7.6% low permeability, local groundwater only; 6.3% porous aquifer, high productivity.

Choosing where to drill takes a hydrogeologist.

What to watch for

• 7 fires since 2016 reached the municipality: 50,993 ha in all, the latest in 2025.
• 4.2% of the municipality lies in the 100-year flood zone; 4.2% in the 500-year one.
• 3.5% of the municipality is preferential flow zone, where new building is generally banned.
• Radon zone I: new and restored homes need radon protection by law.

Living here

• 4G reaches 100% of homes; fibre 86%. Averages for the municipality.
• Rain: 865 mm a year (1971–2000), about 764 by 2041–2070.
• Summer highs: 26.3 °C, about 30 °C by 2041–2070.
• Frost days: 63 a year, about 43 by 2041–2070.

Around it

Vilamartín de Valdeorras · Rubiá · Oencia · Petín · Carballeda de Valdeorras · A Veiga