The North Way or also known as Camino de la Costa declared as a World Heritage Site in 2015 goes through the North of Spain. The green Spain and the Cantabrian Sea will be your companion until reaching the apostolic city: Santiago de Compostela. We encourage you to discover one of the most spectacular and less known Way of Saint James, the Camino de la Costa which, through 34 stages, joins Irún with Santiago de Compostela. From Spain Incoming, we are about to tell you 10 things you will find along the North Way, from Ribadeo to Santiago de Compostela.
Contents
1. Ribadeo Indian houses and Cathedrals sculpted by the sea
North Way – Beach “Las Catedrales”
To begin this post of 10 things you will find along the North Way, we choose the municipality of Ribadeo.
Ribadeo, on the border with Asturias, is the entrance of the North Way to Galicia. A small town with an impressive natural landscape, and where you can enjoy the charm of the Indian houses.
If you want to enjoy a rich gastronomy as well sceneries that look like the landscapes of Scotland, Ribadeo is your place. We also recommend you to visit Rinlo and taste its star dish: lobster rice.
Another must-see is the beach of “Las Catedrales”, the perfect place to appreciate the creation of nature where the sea sculpts an impressive landscape composed of arches reaching almost 30 m. You can walk 1.5 km from end to end of this beach, but you must take into account the tide schedule, since at high tide you will not be able to enjoy this beautiful place at its maximum splendor.
2.Know the small village of Villamartín Grande
North Way – Villamartín Grande village
Although this locality carries in its name the adjective “grande” which means large, it is a small and green village in the province of Lugo. You will pass along it on your way, exactly its location is at 173 km from Santiago.
Moreover, it has around 100 inhabitants, you will discover the rural essence of Galicia, as well as the most traditional elements of Galician culture, and the popular religious architecture such as the Virgen del Carmen Chapel.
3. Lourenzá: castles and monasteries
North Way – San Salvador monastery
The municipality of Lourenzá hides one of the most important jewels of the Galician Baroque style: the monastery of San Salvador.
It is estimated that it was built in the tenth century but the passage of time and the course of history made it suffer several changes, being the most remarkable in 1910.
In addition, you can enjoy the beauty of the Pazo de Tovar, another of the spectacular constructions of medieval Galicia. It is like a fortified palace with two towers. A Elizabethan Gothic style pazo probably from the XVI century.
4. Mondoñedo, a history book
North Way – Cathedral of Mondoñedo
Moreover, and to continue with 10 things you will find along the North Way, we recommend Mondoñedo. A must visit is the Cathedral (12th century), which stands as one of the most beautiful in the Romanesque style. We also recommend you to taste the Mondoñedo’s popular cake. Moreover, this town is the cradle of historical figures such as Álvaro Cunqueiro, an important author of Galician literature, and Pascual Veiga, composer of the melody of the Galician Anthem.
5. Taste the typical smoked cheese
North Way – San Simón da Costa cheese
Vilalba is heaven for San Simón da Costa cheese lovers; an exquisite smoked cheese with Protection Designation of Origin. It is smoked with birch wood and made from cow’s milk. In fact, every year Vilalba celebrates the San Simón da Costa Cheese Festival, an event that attracts locals and visitors.
In addition, you can also visit the Museum of Prehistory, where you can take a tour through Prehistory and Ancient History or otherwise enjoy in the water park, a small leisure space for those who want to cool off.
6.Relax by a lake
North Way – Sobrado dos Monxes
In Sobrado dos Monxes, you will fall in love with the beauty of its natural landscape as its lake. Another main attractions of this town is the Monastery of Santa María that after living its golden age between the XV and XVI centuries was abandoned. In the 50s of the twentieth century it was restored and again occupied. Today it hosts the community of Cistercian monks. You can visit it , sleep as monk, join the daily mass or enjoy the monks’ handmade products: such honey.
7. Music and light in Boimorto
North Way – Folklore
Boimorto, besides being a place full of natural heritage and religious monuments, is also the place where the “Festival da Luz” (Festival of Light) is celebrated, a meeting where music and culture are the main ingredients.
Born by the hand of the Galician singer Luz Casal, this music festival gains more popularity anually. In addition, it has different areas, such as the space dedicated to handicrafts with stands of different products that put value on Galician artisanal products; or the children’s area where they can enjoy the fun and educational activities.
8. Savor Arzúa
North Way – Cheese of Arzúa
This village is known for its famous cheese and its honey. You can savor them at the Centro de Divulgación do Queixo e do Mel, where you will learn more about these typical flavors of the area.
You will also have the opportunity to discover its famous cheese at the Arzúa Cheese Fair, which combines music and gastronomy.
9. Discover the charm of Rúa
North Way – Landscapes
Like other towns mentioned in this list, Rúa also has important remains of megalithic burials and petroglyphs. The passage of the Romans through Galicia left many constructions, proof of this is the Cigarrosa Roman bridge of this town.
10. Buy souvenirs in O Pedrouzo
North Way – Souvenirs
The last of our recommendations is O Pedrouzo, a small town in which you can acquire souvenirs of the Camino before reaching Santiago de Compostela, just 18 km away from O Pedrouzo. In addition, in O Pedrouzo you can discover different ethnographic samples.
In these 10 essential and not so well-known points along the North Way, we cannot forget that the views during the Way from Ribadeo to Santiago de Compostela are unique due to their landscape variety; from cliffs and the Cantabrian coast to green landscapes of the Galician inland.
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