Galicia Coast & Canyons Grand Loop
Starting and ending in Santiago de Compostela, loop through the Costa da Morte, Rías Baixas, Sil Canyon, and the northern coast.
See all four faces of Galicia in one trip: the capes of the Costa da Morte, the fishing villages and Cíes Islands of the Rías Baixas, the canyons and monasteries of the Ribeira Sacra, and the Roman walls of Lugo alongside the Cathedrals Beach. This is a self-drive loop staying about two nights at each stop, with longer drives in the second half. Ideal for second-time visitors to Spain or those making a dedicated trip to Galicia.
From mid-May to mid-September, you must obtain authorization before visiting the Cíes Islands, and ferries operate seasonally.
Day by day
Day 1 · First Look at Santiago Old Town
Santiago de Compostela（Praza do Obradoiro、Santiago de Compostela Cathedral、Mercado de Abastos）
Drive from the airport to the Old Town in about 20 minutes, then explore entirely on foot. View the Cathedral square at dusk.
Stay: Cathedral Old Town
Day 2 · Costa da Morte & the End of the World
Santiago de Compostela（Muxía、Cape Finisterre、Ézaro Waterfall）
Pick up your car and drive to Muxía in about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Return via Finisterre and Ézaro, covering about 200 km.
The Ézaro Waterfall has limited water release hours; check the schedule before setting off.
Stay: Cathedral Old Town
Day 3 · Rías Baixas Wine Country to Vigo
Vigo & Cíes Islands（Cambados & Albariño Wineries、Combarro、Pontevedra Old Town）
Drive to Cambados in about 1 hour, then continue through Combarro and Pontevedra to Vigo, totaling about 2 hours of driving.
Stay: Vigo Old Town
Day 4 · Rodas Beach on the Cíes Islands
Vigo & Cíes Islands（Cíes Islands & Rodas Beach、Casco Vello & Rúa da Pescadería）
Walk to the ferry terminal. The ferry takes about 45 minutes. Return to Vigo's Old Town in the evening.
During peak season, you must obtain a free authorization code before buying ferry tickets. The authorization code expires within 2 hours.
Stay: Vigo Old Town
Day 5 · Heading Inland to Ribeira Sacra
Vigo & Cíes Islands（Soutomaior Castle） → Lugo & Ribeira Sacra（Monastery of San Pedro de Rocas、Monastery of Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil）
Take the A-52 from Vigo to the Ourense area in about 1.5 hours. After visiting the monasteries, drive to Castro Caldelas in about 1 hour.
Stay: Castro Caldelas
Day 6 · Sil Canyon & Viewpoints
Lugo & Ribeira Sacra（Balcóns de Madrid、Sil Canyon、Monastery of Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil、Monforte de Lemos Castle Hill）
Drive along the canyon road between viewpoints and the pier. Take a boat cruise for about 2 hours, then drive to Monforte de Lemos in about 50 minutes.
Ferries generally operate from spring to autumn; check official schedules in winter and low season.
Stay: Monforte de Lemos
Day 7 · Belesar to the Roman Walls of Lugo
Lugo & Ribeira Sacra（Belesar、Roman Walls of Lugo、Lugo Cathedral）
Drive to Belesar in about 40 minutes, then head north to Lugo in about 1 hour. Explore the Old Town on foot.
Stay: Lugo Old Town
Day 8 · Cathedrals Beach to the Lighthouse
Ribadeo & Playa de las Catedrales（Playa de las Catedrales） → A Coruña Downtown（Tower of Hercules）
Drive north to Cathedrals Beach in about 1 hour and 15 minutes, then take the A-8 and A-6 to A Coruña in about 2 hours.
Plan your departure based on low tide times. From July to September, you must book beach access in advance.
Stay: Seafront Promenade and City Center
Day 9 · The Glass City to the Airport
A Coruña Downtown（Plaza de María Pita、Galerías de la Marina、Ciudad Vieja & Colegiata de Santa María）
Spend the morning walking around the city center, then take the AP-9 to Santiago Airport in about 1 hour.