Douro canyons are especially deep in the stretch shared with Portugal, as the erosion found better conditions to act than in previous zones.

The highlands, where towns are located, form an extended peneplain with successions of hills and valleys caused by streams that join the Douro and Tormes rivers.

Geologically, the most common terrain is composed by low-quality ground and many granite outcrops, with few areas of fertile floor around the streams.

One of the main Roman roads in the Iberian Peninsula, Vía de la Plata, touches the east of the comarca, and helped the trading and the husbandry.

Middle age passes by without any relevance and the isolation of Sayago begin to leave a deep mark in the character of the comarca.

Unfortunately, it was necessary to wait for a bad date, the Peninsular War between Spain and the Napoleonic France to have any kind of news about the comarca.

First it was attributed to the industrialization of Spanish cities, and now the lack of opportunities for young people is what makes them to move to urban areas.

Indeed, during 16th and 17th centuries some Spanish authors (Lucas Fernández, Sánchez Badajoz,) included the term "Sayaguese" to imprint rurality and coarseness to his characters.

In Sayago this is even a stronger phenomenon than in other counties, again because the geographical isolation that historically delays every forward from the urban areas.

For example, running water is a relatively new service, there's no gas pipelines supplying the area (people have to use electrical heaters) or the Internet has been really difficult to introduce.