Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Camino del Norte app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
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The ground behind you: what the walk into Ribadeo crosses, and where it could have been broken.
Tomorrow from Ribadeo
Nothing says you have to stop here, or there. These are simply the towns within a comfortable day's walk, so you can decide tonight.
| Town | km from here | Shared | Private | The walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vilela | 6.7 | ✓ Yes | — No | |
| Lourenzá | 27.5 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | The walk from Ribadeo to Lourenzá |
Ribadeo is built on a hillside rising from the estuary, which means everywhere feels uphill. It's the first town in Galicia and it makes a strong first impression.
The Convento de Santa Clara (15th century, 18th-century cloister) anchors the old center. The Torre dos Moreno, a 1910 Casa de Indianos of considerable ambition, dominates the skyline — a restoration project is underway. The Iglesia de Santa María del Campo, in the main square, is the working parish church.
If you're staying at the municipal albergue, the 3.5 km round-trip walk to the Ribadeo lighthouse at Illa Pancha is worthwhile, passing the Castillo de San Damián en route.
The real draw is 14 km west: As Catedrais (the Cathedrals), natural rock formations along the coast that rank among Galicia's top five attractions. The formations are only accessible at low tide — check the tide calendar before committing to a taxi. If you can split one with other pilgrims, don't miss it.
All services available. Note that Galician waymark shells are not oriented toward Santiago the way Asturian ones are — follow arrows, not shells.
The scallop shells in Galicia are not installed with an orientation towards Santiago and having come from Asturias where they are it might be a bit confusing. Just remember to follow the arrow and ignore the shell.
Ribadeo has had an uneven relationship with the camino. Before the bridge, the broad estuary meant a risky crossing. Many pilgrims turned south to cross at Santiago de Abres instead. The modern bridge eliminated the hazard, and since 1987 the southern option has fallen out of favor — though a local movement is working to revive it.
The camino through Ribadeo has been re-routed in recent years and now follows a route down to the waterfront and then back up. Of course, it is still possible to go the old way and avoid the elevation change. If that suits you, turn right at the first big intersection after you pass under the bridge into town. It is the Avenida de Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo and the official camino is across the road to the left. If you turn right you can follow old arrows through town. At the end of town both options rejoin on the Rúa de San Lazaro and before long you are back in the countryside. Such is the case for most of the walking through Galicia; on a few occasions you will walk along the asphalt road but they are quiet country roads. The first of them is the LU-5207 which you will dance around as you enter Vilela.
5. July 2026 - 16:56
What a wonderful albergue !! Absolutely beautiful !! Host Abdi was just brilliant ! 4 in a room , bedding provided . Fruit , vegetables and sweets for all to enjoy . Well equipped kitchen . Beautiful garden and outside area , highly recommend !!
18. May 2026 - 7:29
A great little Albergue. Owner is really lovely and a early morning cafe nearby
23. April 2024 - 17:51
La Quinta offers a 15 euro menu of the day that was very good. A choice of salad, seafood soup or pasta for first course, and steak or fish for second course. A great deal.
4. July 2023 - 18:15
No accommodations, sparse water access, no stores, nothing to support pilgrims in thhs stretch. I suggest pilgrims plan ahead accordingly.
8. May 2023 - 19:18
Only 38€ and we had two rooms, bathroom, guest room and a kitchen well equipped. The woman who hosted us was very warm and friendly!
28. October 2022 - 16:31
The local Restaurant La Flor De Jose is a must visit here , Excellent Food , Decor and The Staff where Amazing , Highly recommended.
9. October 2021 - 14:04
Nothing was open from here to San Xusto, and it’s all roads, so just skip it, or bring lots of snacks.
13. June 2019 - 15:43
I decided to walk along the coast and visit Playa de Catedrais. The name of the alternative route is Camino natural de la Ruta del Cantabrico (red marks start under the bridge in Ribadeo). It joins Camino del Norte en Vilanova. In total it is 20 km extra. If you want to walk along the coast longer and have a chance to visit Playa de Catedrais I highly recomend it. Just keep in mind that the Playa de Catedrais is accesible only when the tide is low (check the timetable). I couldn’t find the alternative route in this map but I had in my other app Mapy.cz
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.
