Day 17 - Cathedral beach, Ribadeo and Foz




 The move to the beach was the right one, we are up and out early (for us!) and on the beach an hour before low tide just as recommended. There’s s a party of geologists ahead of us but few others. The slate stacks are spectacular! With the tide still retreating we do have to paddle a fair bit but worth it for the occasional solitude. It’s a slippery scramble over a rock pile to reach the ‘cathedral’ itself, three lined up arches in the cliff face. 


 As we start to wander back it’s properly low tide and less paddling is involved but the area near the beach steps is full of people queing to take shots for the ‘gram at each of the main features. Well worth the wading! Hate to think what this place is like in high season! So pleased we made the move to get down as early as possible. 

The numbers do help give us the will to leave though and after a cooked brunch in the van we retrace our journey of last night back towards Ribadeo. 

I noticed an out of town decathlon last night from the viewpoint carpark so we head there to get some knee support and pop in the Lidl next door for some bread and fruit. There’s also good value fuel here so time for a top up. 

 

Then into Ribadeo itself. We find central parking easily enough and have a walk around the town centre, looks to have a good range of shops but it’s siesta time so they are all closed. The towns famous tower is under scaffolding but the tiles on the roof top still shine in the sun. 


 Theres a large industrial port but we also find the smaller harbour where there’s a ‘panoramic’ lift (free) that gets you back up to town level via a viewpoint. 


 Back in the van we head out on the coastal road to the lighthouse, this would make a lovely walk/cycle as it passes a number of features including  a wooden loading bridge, a napoleonic fort and some ‘miradors’ .

 At the end is a small carpark that overlooks the lighthouses , one original now a cafe (closed today) and one newer automated one. They are on islands covered in bright pink flowers that are reached by a bridge and make a great spot to view the headlands. 

Heading west we have the idea we will keep going on the coastal route but after a couple of miles it’s apparent that lovely as the views are they are hard to appreciate if you have to spend all the time avoiding potholes on what is obviously an unmaintained road so back to the ‘slow road’ which still gives us lovely views of the estuary as we track up and down it to reach Foz. There’s an ‘Aire’ in Foz that will give us access to water and waste so we head here first to find a long line of white motor homes on grass facing the sea. Whilst it may look a little like a car park when we slot into the one remaining frontline space looking out over the water it’s too good a view to leave so after a brief walk along the waters edge it’s the perfect place to spend the night. 


Cumulative mileage: 816.2

Overnight: Area Autocaravannas , Foz (free) 

Soending : Decathlon, £13.38 Fuel €88.50 3 grocery shops! shops! €18.63, €3.50, £2.42

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