The Ribeira Sacra is most easily reached by car. From Ourense, the main access town with good rail connections, it is about 45 minutes to Monforte de Lemos on the A-52. From Santiago de Compostela, allow 90 minutes. Ourense is well connected by train to Santiago and Vigo, and by the high-speed AVE line to Madrid.
Monforte de Lemos has a railway station on the Ourense–Lugo line. Local buses connect Monforte to surrounding villages but are infrequent and not useful for reaching the canyon viewpoints or the monasteries. A car or a guided tour from Ourense is the practical choice.
The catamaran trips on the Sil canyon operate from seasonal jetties; check the current operators as these have changed over the years.