This is a quick overview about sailing in Galicia. The Rías and top spot in each area.
Its location in the Northwest corner of Spain, bathed by the Atlantic, somewhat isolated and with a climate famously unstable and rainy, have kept this area safe from tourist development in other areas of Spain. But between May and October you will find good temperatures and a calm sea.
Its lighthouses have been guiding European sailors for centuries and its coast is full of shipwrecks. Despite being a transit area for some, it is a destination that brings together the main ingredients that a sea lover could wish for.
It is a coast of great contrasts. In the North there are steep cliffs dotted with small estuaries and picturesque fishing villages and to the South the large estuaries with gentle sandbanks and islands where you can anchor. Its sinuous profile, full of inlets, means that in a distance of 150 miles there are more than 1,500km. of coast full of options. You have 40 marinas spread out a few miles away and more than 150 anchorages to get lost.
Thanks to the fact that it is not a tourist area, it preserves the authentic and original flavor of its people and customs. With a seafaring tradition, Galicia is a land known for the quality of its fish and shellfish. Be sure to try the local cuisine, based on good products with simple preparation. Their prices will surprise you. Its white, Ribeiro and Albariño wines and Estrella Galicia beer are famous throughout the country. In the guide you have recommendations in all the spots with different prices and types of food.
Its towns and cities are welcoming and picturesque. You will find Romanesque churches, some preserved historical cases and also a lot of life. In summer there are popular festivals and pilgrimages every week.
The capital, Santiago, is also the tourist reference of the community. Its cathedral is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. In the guide you will find the easiest way to visit it from the sea.
The Galician are kind, distrustful and undecided. The most repeated word will be «it depends»… Some English is spoken but I’m sure you understand each other.
RÍAS ALTAS VS RÍAS BAJAS
The Rías are old flooded valleys into which a river empties. They have always been a refuge for sailors and life towards the sea has developed around them. In total there are 16, all of them navigable and in almost all of them there are Marinas and good anchorages.
There are 2 clearly different zones for the navigator. The Rías Altas, wild and little urbanized and the Rías Bajas with a more pleasant climate, more options and also more touristy. In the middle A Costa da Morte, the most exposed and wild area.
RÍAS ALTAS
The North coast of Galicia is steep, exposed, wild and rugged. Its imposing capes and cliffs provide an impressive landscape from the sea. There are rías, but they are not very deep and their orientation facing North exposes them to the sea in the background and the winds from this quadrant. The weather is a little cooler than in the lower rías. In summer there can be a 4-6 degree difference. The northeast wind also blows a little stronger.
At the same time, it is a less visited area, with less tourist development and that maintains the charm of seclusion. There are towns and marinas and some wild anchorages. The distances between rías are a little larger than in the Rías Bajas.
Top spots in the Rías Altas. A Coruña, Ria de Sada-Ares, Cedeira, Mugardos. The main marinas are in Vivero, Coruña and Sada.
COSTA DA MORTE
This stretch of the coast between Malpica and Finisterre is reputed to be one of the least welcoming in Galicia. But it is one of the most beautiful and wild that you will find. It is full of spectacular capes, lighthouses, cliffs extending the green to the sea, authentic fishing villages with excellent cuisine and wild beaches.
Any sailor who wants to savor the Galician coast in its purest form should visit one of its points. Its name has been associated with death and shipwrecks, but in reality it is due to the fact that it is the stretch of coast where the sun is seen to die (Costa da Morte do Sol).
From A Coruña to Finisterre there is a distance of 65M and you have small estuaries every 15-20 miles where you can anchor, fishing ports and some marinas.
Top Spots in Costa da Morte. Muxía or Camariñas offer marinas for a stop along the way. Since 2021, Finisterre has had a pontoon for visitors and an excellent anchorage at Langosteira beach.
RÍAS BAJAS
Between Finisterre and Baiona the rías are deeper and point to the South. This means that they are naturally protected from the usual sea bottom of the NW. In addition, some of them have the islands closing their mouths and acting as breakwaters.
The weather is noticeably better. The extra degrees make a difference. Here the options for anchoring and the number of marinas are multiplied. All the rías have several marinas to choose from and the rías succeed one another. The Illas Atlanticas park is the pearl of this area and offers several anchorages to enjoy the natural park.
Rias Baixas have better weather than the Rias Altas. Normally 4-7 degrees more. Also normally the north wind blows a bit weaker in the Rias Baixas. There is also much more places to go, anchor, etc. Because of this they have also more visitors. But if you avoid the busiest spots during the weekends you could be good everywhere. The first two weeks of August are the most crowded. And the busiest spots are Islas Cies (avoid them on Sunday) and Ria de Aldan.
Top Spots in the Rías Bajas. Here the options multiply. If you want marinas with charming towns, you have Muros with a well-preserved old area full of terraces, La Puebla del Caramiñal, very pleasant and with good options for eating, Combarro with its picturesque houses down to the sea, and Bayona with its marina at the foot of the fortress and its streets always decorated. The Atlantic Islands are a must for all sailors. Choose one of its islands to anchor. The Jidoiros islets or Playa da Corna in the Ría de Arosa, Aldan or the wild Playa de Barra in the Ría de Vigo are also excellent anchorages.
Average maximum temperatures July 2020 (Meteo Galicia)
Ría de Aldan
Costa da Morte y Golfo Artabro
Rías Bajas
