The village of Belesar sits where the dam crosses the Miño, about 12 km south of Chantada. The original settlement was largely flooded when the reservoir was created in the 1960s; what remains is a cluster of stone houses on the steep bank, with lanes too narrow for cars and the water at the bottom of every view.
Walk down to the small dock where the catamaran tied up when the river was high enough, and look across the gorge at the terraced Mencía vines climbing the opposite slope. Several small bodegas in the village above offer tastings of Ribeira Sacra wine — call ahead, as opening hours are erratic.