Every year at the beginning of September, residents from various Spanish cities, including Ourense, Madrid, and Barcelona, gather in the Serra Seca mountains. Here, amid the highlands and the Invernadoiro Natural Park, a chapel and cemetery remain, where descendants of former settlers return to honor their ancestors and celebrate the feast day of the patron saint.
Veigas de Camba, once a thriving village, was flooded in 1974 after the construction of the Embalse das Portas reservoir. Despite the passing decades and changes of generation, the connection to their homeland endures. People continue to visit one another, take part in festivities and funerals, and uphold traditions handed down through generations.
During rare periods of drought, when the water level drops, remnants of the old landscape resurface: trees, gardens, and sometimes the ruins of the house known as Casa do Avelino. However, most of the buildings, including the medieval church, remain submerged. This became possible after the Camba River — a tributary of the Bibei, and later the Sil and Miño rivers, which flow toward the Atlantic — was dammed.
Before the flooding, the remains of the deceased were moved to a new cemetery, and the company Iberduero built a new chapel on the hill. It is here that religious and family gatherings are held every year, bringing together former residents and their descendants despite distances and years apart.
Many of those who were forced to leave Veigas de Camba still recall life in the village fondly. Memories of friendship, open doors, and children playing together remain an important part of their identity. The relocation process was difficult, especially for the elderly who had to leave behind their familiar way of life.
Now, half a century later, the memory of the submerged village is preserved not only through family gatherings, but also thanks to initiatives by researchers and cultural organizations. This year, the region will host a special tour and a series of lectures dedicated to the history of Veigas de Camba, the legal battles over expropriation, and the construction of the dam, which involved thousands of workers.
The Embalse das Portas reservoir, nicknamed the “inland sea of Ourense,” flooded more than a thousand hectares of land. Its dam, at 141 meters high, is considered the tallest in Galicia, and the water volume reaches 536 million cubic meters. In February 1974, when the water began to rise, residents still remained in their homes, but were soon forced to leave, selling their livestock and belongings to start new lives elsewhere.
Although Veigas de Camba has disappeared from the map, its story lives on in photographs, memories, and family archives. Thanks to the efforts of descendants, including the creation of online albums and blogs, unique images and stories of life in the village before it was flooded have been preserved. For many, this is not only a memory of the past, but also a symbol of the community’s resilience and unity.
The residents of Veigas de Camba were engaged in agriculture, livestock farming, hunting, and charcoal production. With the disappearance of the village, an entire way of mountain life vanished. During relocation talks, the company offered to build a new settlement in another region, but most preferred to stay closer to their homeland, even if it meant moving to different cities.
