It is one of those solitary landscapes of photography, and a beach that few of us know we have so close to enjoy such wonderful views.
This place is known as As Catedrais beach (Playa de las Catedrales) or Praia das Augas Santas (Aguas Santas beach) and is located in Ribadeo, in Galicia.
Spectacular scenery
The Cantabrian Sea bathes the fine golden sand of this beach, which is more than a kilometre long. Surrounded by the great cliffs that give it its name, this beach has a very particular charm thanks to the rocky arches and natural slate caves that decorate the area and make it unique, with towering arches and grottoes and passageways dozens of metres long through which to investigate the beautiful nature. However, this characteristic feature of As Catedrais is only visible from the beach, and only at low tide.
When the tide rises, however, this beach becomes smaller and, although bathing is still sometimes permissible, it loses some of the charm of the beautiful caves and the magnitude of the immense cliffs that surround it. However, if you visit the area at this time of year, a walk along the top of the cliffs in a west-easterly direction towards Esteiro beach can also be very interesting and beautiful.
The beaches of As Catedrais have had a ‘Blue Flag’ since 1997, which accredits it according to the European Foundation for Environmental Education as a beach of high quality for its environmental conditions. In addition, the Xunta de Galicia has given it even more recognition with the declaration of the beach as a ‘Natural Monument’.