# Cerca de Lugo

From Lugo, the nearest places lie to the south: Monforte and the Sil canyon in under an hour. The A-6 reaches Las Médulas, an hour and three quarters away; to the west lie Santiago and the Costa da Morte, and to the north-east, Asturias.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/lugo/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Monforte: Greco, trains and a tasting](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/ribeira-sacra/itineraries/monforte-with-el-greco-trains-and-wine.md) (56 min en coche): A Sunday without mountain roads: the Railway Museum, the picture gallery of the Antigua college with El Greco, lunch at the Parador and a tasting at the Wine Centre.
- [Boat on the Miño and a winery at Belesar](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/ribeira-sacra/itineraries/boat-and-wine-on-the-mino.md) (1 h 10 en coche): The Cistercian monastery of Ferreira de Pantón, a boat trip of almost three hours on the Miño from Belesar with a stop at an old winery, and an afternoon visit and tasting at Vía Romana.
- [Sil by catamaran and hot springs](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/ourense/itineraries/autumn-in-the-sil-canyon.md) (1 h 14 en coche): A catamaran through the Sil canyon as the terraced vines turn ochre, a roots menu at Nova and, at nightfall, two hours at the Outariz hot springs beside the Miño.
- [Ourense: Outariz hot springs and a menu at Nova](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/ourense/itineraries/ourense-thermal-baths-outariz-and-nova-tasting-menu.md) (1 h 14 en coche): You cross the Roman bridge, soak for two hours at the Outariz hot springs by the Miño and have the eight-course tasting menu at Nova, which holds a Michelin star. An hour from Santiago, Lugo or Pontevedra.
- [Boat, low tide and lobster rice](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/ribadeo-and-as-catedrais/itineraries/low-tide-boat-and-seafood-rice.md) (1 h 15 en coche): A boat to As Catedrais from Ribadeo harbour, a stroll through the old town and the Torre dos Moreno, soupy rice in Rinlo, the beach on foot at low tide and sunset at Illa Pancha.
- [Catamaran on the Sil and a tasting in Doade](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/ribeira-sacra/itineraries/boat-and-wineries-from-lugo.md) (1 h 25 en coche): An hour-and-a-half catamaran through the Sil canyons from A Abeleda, lunch at the Algueira winery among vines and a tasting at Regina Viarum, hanging above the river.
- [Santiago: roofs, cathedral and Alameda](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/santiago-de-compostela/itineraries/cathedral-roofs-and-alameda.md) (1 h 26 en coche): You step into the basilica, climb up to the cathedral's granite roofs, have lunch opposite the Mercado de Abastos and finish at the Alameda with the cathedral lit up. One hour from A Coruña.
- [Santiago: the end of the Camino and the night](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/santiago-de-compostela/itineraries/pilgrim-for-a-day-and-legends.md) (1 h 26 en coche): You walk down with a guide from Monte do Gozo to the Obradoiro, have lunch on Rúa de San Pedro, go into the cathedral, taste Galician wines and close with Compos Tours' night route.
- [Las Médulas: viewpoint, tunnels and chestnut trees](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/las-medulas/itineraries/las-medulas-orellan-viewpoint-and-valinas-trail.md) (1 h 45 en coche): In the morning, the Orellán viewpoint and its Roman galleries; a Bierzo lunch with views at Orellán and, in the afternoon, the Valiñas trail among chestnut trees.

## From the centre of Galicia, in four directions

Lugo is in the centre of Galicia, and the roads leave in four directions. To the south, the LU-546 goes down to Monforte de Lemos, the gateway to the [Ribeira Sacra](/en/spain/galicia/ribeira-sacra), in a little under an hour, and the N-540 goes to [Ourense](/en/spain/galicia/ourense). To the south-east, the A-6 crosses Pedrafita to Ponferrada and El Bierzo, where [Las Médulas](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/las-medulas) are, and continues towards León. To the west you go to [Santiago de Compostela](/en/spain/galicia/santiago-de-compostela) and the Atlantic coast. To the north, the A-6 links at Baamonde with the A-8, which leads to Ribadeo and the Asturian coast, with [Cudillero](/en/spain/asturias/cudillero) a little over two hours away.

Without a car there is little to do: Monforte has a station, but there are few trains from Lugo on Sundays, and it is worth checking the Renfe timetables beforehand. For the Sil landing stages, the viewpoints and the wineries you need a car.

## The Ribeira Sacra starts at Monforte

**Less than an hour away** is the Ribeira Sacra via Monforte, at 56 minutes: the Railway Museum, El Greco at the Antigua college and the Parador at the top of the hill, or, continuing south, the Sil canyons.

**Between one and two hours** fits almost all the rest of the Sundays. Ourense's hot springs are 74 minutes away; the A Abeleda catamaran and the Doade wineries, 85; Santiago, 86, and the Orellán viewpoint, in Las Médulas, 105. They are day trips there and back without rushing.

Beyond **two and a half hours**, the trip calls for a night. The Costa da Morte is 146 minutes away; Sanabria and its lake, 150; the Gerês, in Portugal, 160, and Ribadesella and Covadonga, 200. Oviedo is about two hours and three quarters away, and Guimarães and Porto, more than three.

## Monforte has no mountain roads

In winter, plans under cover and hot water work. The [Sunday in Monforte](/en/spain/galicia/ribeira-sacra/itineraries/monforte-with-el-greco-trains-and-wine) has no mountain roads and works in any month; Ourense's paid hot springs are open all year, in the [Sunday with a bath at Outariz and a set menu at Nova](/en/spain/galicia/ourense/itineraries/ourense-thermal-baths-outariz-and-nova-tasting-menu) or in the [thermal weekend](/en/spain/galicia/ourense/itineraries/thermal-baths-weekend-ourense). The free outdoor public pools are closed until spring 2027.

In spring, the Sil and El Bierzo are green: the [boat and wineries of the canyon](/en/spain/galicia/ribeira-sacra/itineraries/boat-and-wineries-from-lugo) are recommended in May and the [Orellán viewpoint and the Valiñas trail](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/las-medulas/itineraries/las-medulas-orellan-viewpoint-and-valinas-trail), in April and May. From May you can climb to the glacial lakes of [Lake Sanabria](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sanabria-lake/itineraries/sanabria-lake-weekend-from-zamora).

In summer, the coast: [two nights on the Costa da Morte](/en/spain/galicia/costa-da-morte/itineraries/two-nights-costa-da-morte-fisterra-muxia-vilan), with the Fisterra lighthouse at sunset and the Muxía sanctuary, or [Ribadesella and Covadonga](/en/spain/asturias/ribadesella/itineraries/two-nights-ribadesella-and-covadonga-from-oviedo), with rock art and a beach.

Autumn is the best season around Lugo. In October and November the terraced vineyards of the Sil turn yellow, as seen on the [autumn Sunday with boat and hot springs](/en/spain/galicia/ourense/itineraries/autumn-in-the-sil-canyon), along with the chestnut trees of Las Médulas. From mid-September to mid-October is the [deer rut in the Sierra de la Culebra](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sanabria-lake/itineraries/sanabria-culebra-red-deer-rut-weekend), with two nights in Puebla de Sanabria.

## Trains, art gallery and tasting in Monforte de Lemos

- **Close by, in a day:** [Monforte de Lemos](/en/spain/galicia/ribeira-sacra/itineraries/monforte-with-el-greco-trains-and-wine). 56 minutes along the LU-546, with a train museum, an art gallery, lunch at the Parador and a tasting at the Wine Centre.
- **Further away, in a day:** [Santiago from the cathedral roofs](/en/spain/galicia/santiago-de-compostela/itineraries/cathedral-roofs-and-alameda). An hour and a half for the Portico, the granite rooftops and the Alameda at sunset.
- **With two nights:** [the Ribeira Sacra](/en/spain/galicia/ribeira-sacra/itineraries/ribeira-sacra-weekend-from-lugo). Less than an hour away, with two boats through the Sil canyon, the Balcones de Madrid at dawn and Santa Cristina among chestnut trees.