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Stage of the Camino

Ribadeo to Vilalba (By Bike)

From Ribadeo To Vilalba

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Origin

Ribadeo

Destination

Vilalba

Distance

74.60 km

Duration

4.97 h

Difficulty

Media

Ascent

320 m

Stage of the Camino

Stage Description

A cycle-touring stage that leaves the Lugo coast behind and ventures into rural Galicia. Its roughly 74 km link Ribadeo with Vilalba, passing through the A Mariña Central district and the Terra Chá. The landscape shifts from the Atlantic coast to the Galician interior, with meadows, eucalyptus woods and peat bogs. Vilalba is the capital of the Terra Chá, with the Andrade tower turned into a Parador Nacional (a state-run heritage hotel).
This cycle-touring stage marks the transition between the Cantabrian coast and the rural heart of Lugo. Over some 74 kilometres, the Camino del Norte (Northern Way) leaves the A Mariña coast for good to head into the Galician interior, stringing together a profile of constant short climbs and descents that demands real stamina. It is a long day, with ever-changing scenery, linking Ribadeo with Vilalba, capital of the Terra Chá.

After crossing the ría de Ribadeo, the route heads inland towards Vilanova de Lourenzá, in a valley dominated by the imposing monastery of San Salvador. The journey alternates between tracks, corredoiras and stretches of secondary road among meadows, maize fields and eucalyptus plantations, with the characteristic Galician smallholdings dotted with hórreos (traditional granaries) and little hamlets.

The greatest point of interest comes in Mondoñedo, one of the former capitals of the Kingdom of Galicia, whose basilica cathedral is well worth a stop. From here the itinerary tackles the hardest climb of the day, the ascent to the alto da Xesta on the way to Gontán and Abadín, now in the heart of the Lugo plateau. It is the stretch that bites most on the pedals.

Once the pass is behind you, the terrain eases and the route enters the plain of the Terra Chá, a district of wide horizons, peat bogs and damp woodlands. The arrival in Vilalba is heralded by the silhouette of the octagonal Andrade tower, now turned into a Parador Nacional and the emblem of the town. Renowned for its cuisine —the capón de Vilalba (a prized fattened capon) and the cheeses of San Simón da Costa— the capital of the Terra Chá offers the cyclist a well-earned rest before continuing south.

Last updated: 07/06/2026

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