Ribadeo

Cathedral Beach is about 10 km west of Ribadeo and is one of the most extraordinary natural sites in Galicia. Enormous rock arches and buttresses, up to 30 metres high, rise from the sand like the pillars of a Gothic cathedral. The formations are only fully visible at low tide, when you can walk beneath the arches and through sea caves. In summer, visitor numbers are limited and you must book a free ticket in advance. Check the tide tables and plan your visit accordingly. If the timing works, th

Crossing the Puente de los Santos into Ribadeo means you have entered Galicia, the final region before Santiago. If you started in Irun, you have walked through the Basque Country, Cantabria, and Asturias. Galicia is different again. The language is Galician (close to Portuguese), the architecture is granite and slate, the food features octopus and Albarino wine, and the landscape is green, misty, and Celtic. The coast is behind you now. The remaining 239 km to Santiago pass through the rural he

Several grand mansions in Ribadeo were built by indianos, local people who emigrated to the Americas (particularly Cuba and Argentina) in the 19th century and returned with enough wealth to build impressive homes. The most notable is the Torre de los Moreno, an Art Nouveau building with ornate ironwork and ceramic tiles. The mansions represent a chapter of Galician history that repeats across the region: emigration, fortune, and an elaborate homecoming.

Ribadeo is your introduction to Galician cuisine if you have been walking from the Basque Country. Try the pulpo a feira (octopus), the empanada gallega (pie with tuna or meat), the caldo gallego (broth with greens and pork), and the local cheese. The restaurants in the town centre are good and the prices are lower than in Asturias or the Basque Country. Drink Albarino or Ribeiro wine. The food culture here is hearty, generous, and rooted in the land and the sea.

From Ribadeo, the Camino del Norte leaves the coast and turns inland for good. The remaining stages pass through rural Galician countryside: green hills, eucalyptus forests, stone villages, and dairy farms. The terrain is hilly but less extreme than the Basque or Asturian mountains. The solitude increases. The trail is quieter than the Frances or Portugues. You are on one of the least-walked final sections of any major Camino route, and the peace is remarkable.