© ParadoresHotelParador de Ribadeo
Why we like it: Galician manor house over the Eo estuary, two minutes from the centre, with sea-view rooms, a seafood restaurant and a pass for As Catedrais.
Duration2 nights
BaseFaro Isla Pancha, Ribadeo
Who forCouples and families of four
Budget€180–320 pp
Best timeMay · Jun · Sep · Oct
KeyThe low-tide time
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Friday afternoon and leave on Sunday after lunch. Saturday's order is set by the tide: check the low-tide time before going and, at Easter or from July to September, get the free As Catedrais authorisation up to 30 days ahead.
Friday
- 118:00Arrival and the Senda Azul
Leave the car at the lighthouse and set out on foot along the Senda Azul towards Ribadeo: 5.7 easy kilometres past the San Damián fort, O Cargadoiro and the estuary shore. You can do just one stretch and come back for dinner at the islet with what you buy in the town.
Saturday
- 1MorningFrom Rinlo to As Catedrais on foot
Drive to Rinlo and walk the beaches route, about 6 km by the sea, about two hours, to reach As Catedrais at low tide. The Xunta advises going down between two hours before and two hours after low tide; go first to the right, to the arches, which are the last to be uncovered.
- 214:00Soupy rice at A Cofradía de Rinlo
In Rinlo port since 1992, with a terrace in summer. If low tide falls in the afternoon, reverse the order: rice first, then the beach. Book ahead; closed on Tuesdays outside July and August.
- 321:00Dinner at La Solana
Fish and seafood by Ribadeo marina, with a bar for nibbles.
Sunday
- 110:30Old town and the estuary by boat
A free stroll through Ribadeo's historic centre, with the Torre dos Moreno and the San Roque viewpoint. From the port, the 30-minute boat trip along the Eo estuary, between Ribadeo, Figueras and Castropol, costs €7. Lunch in the town and the drive home.
At the mouth of the Ribadeo estuary there is an islet joined to the land by a bridge, and on top a lighthouse from 1857 that went out in 1983. Today its old house is a guesthouse of two apartments, and this getaway uses it to have close at hand the most visited sights of the Mariña lucense: the arches of As Catedrais, which can only be walked at low tide, and the coast to Rinlo, where you eat the soupy rice. Everything is under ten kilometres away.
What the lighthouse is like inside
The Faro Isla Pancha has two apartments for four people, each with a double bedroom, a sofa bed in the living room, its own bathroom, kitchen and garden. There is private parking and wifi. Its bar with a terrace over the estuary is open to everyone from 12:00 to 19:30, so by day the islet has strollers; when it closes, it is left almost solely to the two apartments. Pets are not accepted. Prices only appear in its booking engine when you choose a date, and with two apartments, summer weekends go quickly.
At the pace of the tide
The cost of two nights
Between €180 and €320 per person as a couple: two nights in the lighthouse apartment, two lunches, a dinner and the estuary boat. As Catedrais, the Senda Azul and the Rinlo route are free. If four of you share an apartment, the accommodation drops a lot per head.
Four in one apartment
The apartment has a sofa bed, so it works for a family of four. Under-14s do not need ID for the As Catedrais authorisation. The Rinlo route is easy, but the cliffs are not fenced along every stretch: with small children, hold their hand.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Ribadeo and As Catedrais Beach, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Ribadeo and As Catedrais Beach
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Town on Foot, Beaches by Car
Ribadeo is explored on foot, but As Catedrais, Rinlo and the western beaches are outside the town, and the car is the practical choice. The A-8 passes above with a direct exit to the beach, number 516, and along the N-634 it is about 10 minutes. In summer, Turismo de Ribadeo warns that parking around the beach is difficult: the Bus Praia from Ribadeo station saves you looking for a space and its ticket counts as authorisation.
70–140 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepParador de Ribadeo, with free…
- Getting aroundA-8 with exit 516 to…
- EatA Cofradía and Porto de…
- ServicesTourist office in Plaza de…
Sleep
- Parador de Ribadeo, with free outdoor parking and a paid garage
- Hotel Rolle, in the centre, 100 m from the marina
- Hotel Mi Norte, in A Devesa, in the countryside near As Catedrais
Getting around
- A-8 with exit 516 to As Catedrais; N-634 from Ribadeo
- Three car parks at As Catedrais, the farthest less than 1 km away
- Rinlo and its port, a few minutes from the beach
Eat
- A Cofradía and Porto de Rinlo, in Rinlo, with lobster rice
- La Solana, beside Ribadeo marina
Services
- Tourist office in Plaza de España
- As Catedrais authorisation on the Xunta's website
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
© ParadoresHotel
Hotel Rolle
Why we like it: Small hotel in a restored mansion with stone and wood, on a quiet street between Ribadeo marina and the centre; breakfast included.
From €60
View details
Hotel Mi Norte
Why we like it: Cinema-themed hotel since 2004 in A Devesa, in the countryside between Ribadeo and As Catedrais: thirteen rooms decorated with films and a beach pass.
From €78
View details
Illa Pancha Lighthouse
Why we like it: Two apartments for four in the old 1857 lighthouse on Illa Pancha, at the mouth of the Ribadeo estuary, with their own garden, a kitchen and a bar with a terrace.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Ribadeo centre | Old town, marina and estuary boats | |
| Rinlo | Fishing port, rice dishes and the beaches route | |
| A Devesa | As Catedrais and countryside accommodation | |
| Foz and Barreiros | Surf and kayak school, to the west |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Ribadeo and As Catedrais Beach
© A Cofradía de RinloA Cofradía de Rinlo
What to order: the soupy seafood rice with lobster or spiny lobster, for two; if you are hungry, the seafood grill platter
Porto de Rinlo Restaurant
What to order: the soupy rice with lobster, spiny lobster, prawns and clams; or octopus with turnip greens and a portion of razor clams
La Solana Restaurant
What to order: the soupy rice with lobster, the goose barnacles or a turbot; at the bar, something to nibble
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Ask your accommodation for the As Catedrais pass
In the booking season, Ribadeo Tourism notes that Ribadeo accommodation can give you a pass if the Xunta's quota runs out.
- 2Look for a spring tide
With a full or new moon low tide leaves more sand exposed and you reach all the arches.
- 3Shop for the apartment in Ribadeo
Each apartment has a kitchen; a dinner at the lighthouse looking over the estuary is part of the getaway.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I sleep in the Illa Pancha lighthouse?
Yes, in one of its two apartments for four people.
Do I need a permit for As Catedrais?
At Easter and from 1 July to 30 September, yes: a free Xunta authorisation, up to 30 days ahead. The rest of the year, no.
Does the lighthouse accept dogs?
It does not accept pets.
How far is As Catedrais from the lighthouse?
About 8 km; Rinlo, about 4 km.