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The Tower of Hercules lighthouse standing on its green headland above the rocky Atlantic coast at A Coruña
Layered rock arches and a sea stack on the sand of As Catedrais beach at low tide, with people walking below
Steep rocky walls of the Sil canyon rising from the still river, seen from the catamaran
The Fisterra lighthouse on Cape Finisterre under a deep blue sky

Things to do in Galicia, from Fisterra to the Ribeira Sacra

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Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

Praia das Catedrais (Augas Santas), Ribadeo

Walk under the arches of As Catedrais at low tide

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Photo: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez, CC BY-SA 3.0

Cañón do Sil, Ribeira Sacra (Ponte do Sil pier, Monforte de Lemos)

Cruise the Sil canyon in the Ribeira Sacra by catamaran

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Photo: Fernando Losada Rodríguez, CC BY-SA 4.0

Cabo Fisterra lighthouse, Costa da Morte

Watch the sun set over the Atlantic at Cape Fisterra

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Photo: Basotxerri, CC BY-SA 4.0

Galicia is Spain's green north-west corner, a land of granite, rain and Atlantic coast where every Camino de Santiago ends. Two destinations have their own pages: Santiago de Compostela, with its cathedral and the end of the pilgrimage, and the Rías Baixas, the southern inlets with the Cíes Islands, Albariño and the mussel rafts.

This page covers the rest of the region. On the north coast, A Coruña keeps the Tower of Hercules, the only Roman lighthouse still working, and further east the beach of As Catedrais shows its rock arches only at low tide and in summer only with a free permit. Inland, Lugo is still ringed by its complete Roman walls, and the Sil canyon in the Ribeira Sacra is best seen from a river catamaran below its terraced vineyards. West of Santiago, the cape of Fisterra is where many pilgrims carry on to watch the sun set over the ocean. The Camino itself, the last 100 km into Santiago, is linked below.

Places in this region

6 things to do in Galicia

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The square stone Tower of Hercules on its headland, with a giant stone statue and the path leading up to it

See the Tower of Hercules, the Roman lighthouse still at work

Torre de Hércules, A Coruña

1 to 2 hoursBook ahead

The only Roman lighthouse in the world still working, and the oldest in use, with 239 steps to the top.

The wide walkway on top of Lugo's Roman walls, with a round tower and the town's rooftops alongside

Walk the full circuit of Lugo's Roman walls

Muralla de Lugo

1 hourFree

A complete ring of Roman walls whose broad walkway on top has become one more street, walked by locals at all hours.

Steep rocky walls of the Sil canyon rising from the still river, seen from the catamaran

Cruise the Sil canyon in the Ribeira Sacra by catamaran

Cañón do Sil, Ribeira Sacra (Ponte do Sil pier, Monforte de Lemos)

About 2 hours on boardTimed entry

A deep canyon stepped with stone terraces from Roman times that still carry vineyards, with a catamaran on the river below.

Check dates and pricesRibeira Sacra day from Santiago with a Sil canyon cruise
Layered rock arches and a sea stack on the sand of As Catedrais beach at low tide, with people walking below

Walk under the arches of As Catedrais at low tide

Praia das Catedrais (Augas Santas), Ribadeo

2 hours around low tideTimed entry

Rock arches about 30 metres high, like a cathedral's flying buttresses, that you can walk under only at low tide.

Check dates and pricesDay trip from Santiago to Lugo, Ribadeo and As Catedrais
The Fisterra lighthouse on Cape Finisterre under a deep blue sky

Watch the sun set over the Atlantic at Cape Fisterra

Cabo Fisterra lighthouse, Costa da Morte

Half a day, or 4 to 5 days on footGo alone or with a tour

The Romans' end of the known world and, for many pilgrims, the true end of the Camino, with the sun setting over the ocean.

Check dates and pricesDay trip from Santiago to Fisterra, Muxía and the coast
The medieval bridge and pilgrim hostel at Ribadiso on the Camino Francés in Galicia

Walk the last 100 km of the Camino into Santiago

Galicia

A day, or about a week for the last 100 kmBook ahead

Walk the last stretch of the Camino Francés from Sarria and finish at Santiago's Cathedral with a Compostela to show for it.

Plan your trip

  • Which destination for what

    Santiago de Compostela is the base for the cathedral, the end of the Camino and day trips to Fisterra. The Rías Baixas are for islands, beaches, seafood and Albariño. A Coruña covers the Tower of Hercules and the northern coast, Lugo the walls and the Camino Primitivo, and Monforte de Lemos or Ourense the Ribeira Sacra and the Sil canyon.

  • Getting around

    Trains link Santiago, A Coruña, Pontevedra and Vigo along the coast, and Ourense and Lugo inland, and Galicia has airports at Santiago, A Coruña and Vigo. For As Catedrais, the Costa da Morte and the Ribeira Sacra you need a car: the best of Galicia lies away from the stations, on winding roads where distances take longer than the map suggests.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, a week: two days in Santiago, three in the Rías Baixas, and a day each for Fisterra and the Ribeira Sacra. With ten days add A Coruña, Lugo and As Catedrais along the north coast. Walking the last 100 km of the Camino into Santiago takes about a week on its own.

  • When to go

    Galicia is green because it rains often, especially from autumn to spring, so summer is the safest bet for the coast and the islands, but also the busiest, with permits needed at As Catedrais, the Cíes and Ons. Late May, June and September are the sweet spot. The Sil catamarans run from March to the December long weekend, and 2027 is a Holy Year on the Camino, with far more pilgrims than usual.

Questions travellers ask

Do I need to book As Catedrais beach?

Only at Easter and from 1 July to 30 September, when entry to the beach needs a free authorisation from the Xunta at ascatedrais.xunta.gal. The rest of the year access is open. Either way, go at low tide: the arches and caves can only be seen then.

Can I climb the Tower of Hercules?

Usually yes, but 2026 brought works: a first phase from March closed it for a while and suspended ticket sales, and the city closed it again from 1 October to 15 November for more works. Check the official site, torredeherculesacoruna.com, before you go.

How do I see the Sil canyon?

By catamaran. The Diputación de Lugo's boat leaves from the Ponte do Sil pier near Monforte de Lemos, takes about two hours and costs €9, booked only online at reservas.rutasembalses.es with each passenger's details. Private boats leave from Santo Estevo and Abeleda on the Ourense side.

Is Fisterra really the end of the world?

It was the Finis Terrae of the Romans, though it is not the westernmost point of Spain. Many pilgrims walk the extra 89 km from Santiago to the lighthouse, and the tourist office in Fisterra gives them their own certificate, the Fisterrana.

Other places to go

Things to do in Spain

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