How to visit the Beach of the Cathedrals. Tide times and reserves

Little can we add about the beautiful Playa de las Catedrales. Everything that they may have told you falls short if you do not go to this place in the province of Lugo that you will not want to leave when you are in its sand or when you see it from the top of the cliffs.

The tide rises and falls at a dizzying pace but Playa de las Catedrales is just as beautiful at low tide as it is at high tide and it is worth being there when the tide reaches both levels.

For this reason, in times of maximum influx , reservations must be made. But it’s free, don’t worry. It’s just to keep track. And if you don’t want to worry about anything and you’re in Lugo, take this trip to the Playa de las Catedrales.

What to visit in the Beach of the Cathedrals

If you have the opportunity to visit the Playa de las Catedrales when the tide is high and also when it is low, we recommend that you do so.

If you go when it is high, you will be able to see the beach, or what remains of it, from above and you will be able to admire it bordering the top of the cliffs to have an incomparable picture before your eyes.

At high tide, the sea runs through the recesses of the natural caves that form under the cliffs. It is not only a visual spectacle but also an acoustic one due to the sound made by the waves breaking against the rocks.

But at low tide, everything changes. A beautiful beach is formed surrounded by caves, rocks and nooks and crannies through which you can walk.

In some of these caves there is still water from when the tide was high, so we recommend you take off your shoes and walk through each of the places on the beach.

Some of these caves are more than 30 meters high and it is a lot of fun to investigate the corridors that remain between the rocks.

The best thing you can do is walk the entire sandy area of ​​Playa de las Catedrales from one end to the other admiring it and why not, taking a bath, although it must be said that its waters are a bit cold.

Of course, keep in mind the hours of the tides. First to know what time you should arrive and second so that once you are there you are not surprised by the rise of the water and you get stuck. Don’t be in a hurry either, it’s not something that happens in 5 minutes, but you shouldn’t be careless either.

How to get to the Beach of the Cathedrals

Getting to the Playa de las Catedrales is very easy if you go by car. If you access the A-8 motorway that runs along the Cantabrian coast, you will see the signs on it and it is very well indicated.

The Beach of the Cathedrals is located a few kilometers from Ribadeo, very close to the border with Asturias.

You can also get there from the N-634, which runs parallel to the A-8.

At the top of the cliff, right next to the entrance to the beach and the restaurant there, we have a car park where you can leave your car and access it without walking too much.

But in times of maximum influx it is usually full and one is enabled that is about 500-600 meters away. It is not that you have to walk a lot but you have to take it into account in case it is a very sunny day or if you go with children or very loaded.

You can also go by train and get off at Esteiro or Reinante stations and walk for 15 or 20 minutes.

To go down to the Playa de las Catedrales there are some steep stairs so it is not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs. You can always find someone to help you but you will depend on the kindness of the people.

How to book to access the Playa de las Catedrales

Until recently, access was completely free to access the Playa de las Catedrales, so in summer or Easter there was a tremendous overcrowding in the area that endangered this natural enclave.

For this reason, to access the beach you must book in advance online.

The reservation is free. It is simply a control measure so that the influx is not too high.

To do this, you must go to the page of the Xunta de Galicia enabled for this and book the day you prefer, indicating the number of people who will attend.

This same page will also indicate the low tide and high tide times of the chosen day. To do this, select the day and it will indicate it to the right.

You can print the authorization or simply save it on your mobile because this way it also serves to show it and allow you access. Remember that each person who attends carries a copy of the authorization even if it has been requested jointly for all of them.

It must also be said that the authorization is to go down to the beach, not to walk around or admire it from the top of the cliffs.