Rías Altas: A Coruña to the cliffs of Herbeira and Cabo Ortegal

Route description

Begin in A Coruña with a walk along the long seafront promenade to the Tower of Hercules, the Roman lighthouse on the headland. The old town and the glassed galleries of the Marina are close by. There is a car park beside the tower. Then take the AC-12 and N-VI east for about 25 km to Betanzos, a medieval town with Gothic churches on a river estuary.

From Betanzos follow the AP-9 or the slower coast roads north past Pontedeume and Ferrol, then the coast road to Cedeira, a fishing town on a sheltered ría with a good beach. From here a mountain road climbs into the Serra da Capelada. The first stop is San Andrés de Teixido, a pilgrimage hamlet where stalls sell bread figures as charms. The descent is steep, so park up top.

Above the village the ridge road continues to the Garita de Herbeira, a stone lookout at about 615 m above cliffs that fall steeply to the sea. The road is narrow, unfenced in places and shared with free-roaming horses and cattle; smaller vans are fine, but large motorhomes should take it slowly or skip it. Low cloud often hides the view, so try in the morning. The road then descends to Cariño and Cabo Ortegal.

From Cariño follow the coast past Ortigueira and its ría, then the coast road to Viveiro, a walled town with a pretty old centre and a big beach at Covas. The last stretch runs along a low, green coast of beaches to Ribadeo on the border with Asturias, about 250 km in all from A Coruña. From Ribadeo you can continue to the Praia das Catedrais, where visits in summer need a free booking.