Ribadeo

Ribadeo is the first Galician town on the Camino del Norte, sitting on the south bank of the Eo estuary where Asturias ends and Galicia begins. The Puente de los Santos (Bridge of the Saints) crosses the estuary and marks the border.

The town has indiano mansions (built by locals who returned wealthy from the Americas), a pleasant main square, and good restaurants. Pilgrims will find albergues, hotels, supermarkets, ATMs, and a pharmacy.

The Praia das Catedrais (Cathedral Beach), about 10 km west, features enormous rock arches and buttresses carved by the sea. Accessible only at low tide and requiring booking in summer, it is one of the most spectacular natural sites in Galicia. From Ribadeo, the Norte leaves the coast permanently and turns inland towards Santiago.