Free Geo-walks with a Geologist Around As Catedrais, Rinlo and the Ría

Turismo de Ribadeo organises five free guided geo-walks (georrutas) along the municipality's coast, to understand why this coast has arches, "eyes" and folds in the rock. They last from 45 minutes to three and a half hours, are of low difficulty and take 20 people at most. They are booked through the Turismo de Ribadeo reservations centre, on its website.

The five routes

• Xeoruta dos Arcos. The short one: 45 minutes and 1.5 km along As Catedrais to understand how the arches formed and why they keep changing. It leaves from the tourist information point on the beach.
• Mareas Vivas nas Catedrais. With a professional geologist, on spring-tide days, when the sea recedes furthest. It explains the formation of the arches and why the largest concentration of arches on the peninsula is here. The duration depends on the tide; it leaves from the same information point.
• Xeoruta dos Ollos. Three hours and 5 km from Praza de Santa Catarina, in Rinlo, to see the "ollos" (eyes) and micro-folds of this coast.
• Xeoruta dos Pregues. Three hours and 4 km along the hinge of a great fold that runs from the Ría de Foz to that of Ribadeo, formed in the collision of supercontinents. It leaves from the A Areosa recreation area, in Piñeira.
• Xeoruta da Ría. Three and a half hours and 6.5 km on the origin and evolution of the Ría de Ribadeo and its biodiversity. It leaves from the Ribadeo tourist office.

How to book

All are free and are requested on Turismo de Ribadeo's online reservation, linked from its website; the days with places appear there. If the route goes down to the As Catedrais sands at Easter or from 1 July to 30 September, bear in mind that the Xunta authorisation is still compulsory. The Xunta has its own free guided visit service for the natural monument, with official guides and groups of up to 25, which is requested together with the authorisation.

Who it is for

The Arcos one is good for anyone already on the beach who wants to know what they are looking at, also with children. The three-hour ones call for a desire to walk and listen, and suit curious teenagers and those returning to Ribadeo who already know As Catedrais. Wear shoes that grip on rock, and bring water and a layer for the wind. If you do the Ollos one, have lunch booked in Rinlo: it starts and ends there, and A Cofradía is in the same port.