No accommodations between Ribadeo and Mondoñedo. Alternative route to Foz?

[seaseeker]

Hello everyone
I am in Ribadeo and I am facing a dilemma. If I follow the Camino route I will end up around Lourenzá or Mondoñedo which is near 30 km on a steep over 700 meters mountain. Ideally I would break this stage in two or do around 18/20 km but there’s simply no albergues nor hotels at the mountain. So I was wondering if anyone went to Foz from Ribadeo instead of following the camino through the mountains till Lourenza/Mondoñedo?

 

[Tincatinker]

I've never walked it but google.maps suggests its viable, though likely not waymarkd so you'll need Maps.me or similar. There's a 22km mostly off-tarmac route from Foz to Mondonedo via Monte Corneria - looks like a popular hiking trail so local info should be available. Staying off-tarmac between Ribadeo and Foz is likely more of a challenge. The direct route is kerbside on the N-634. There's a scenic version following the LU-133 via Vilela, Cedofieta and Barreiros but its 29km rather than 24km and lumpier.

Good luck and happy planning

 

[peregrina2000]

@Magwood walked the Ruta del Mar from Ribadeo to Foz, but that stage is 40 km (because of Foz’s location on the other side of an estuary). Look at her blog here.

https://magwood.me/my-caminos/el-norte-ingles/ (Days 23-31)

I’m not sure if there is any accommodation between the two, but she notes that there are some train options so you could hop ahead and back if you didn’t want to skip anything.

This route will take you past the Playa as Catedrais, which is an amazing place to visit if you get there at low tide. Even if you don’t walk the route, it would be worth a trip out and back from Ribadeo to see it. A bunch of about 8 of us got two cabs and it was very affordable. And just gorgeous at sunset, which was when low tide happened to be that day.

Lourenzá looks like it’s about 28 km from Ribadeo. And where else can you visit a museum dedicated to the bean! This is the area where some prized and slightly famous white beans are grown. I don’t remember it as being a really hard day, so that might be your best bet.
Good luck with this.

 

[Peregrina 2013]

Hello seaseeker, I am planning my Ruta do Mar and Camino Inglés for next April/May and plan to use a variety of lodging depending on availability. Like you, I prefer shorter stages so Ribadeo to Praia das Catedrais will be the first stage where there are several options for overnight. Of course, just like Peregrina2000 says there is also the option of public transport
Ultreïa!

 

[peregrina2000]

Like you, I prefer shorter stages so Ribadeo to Praia das Catedrais will be the first stage where there are several options for overnight.

This would be a great stage — the short distance (about 17 ???) would leave you with a lot of time to soak up all the beauty at the beach. And it seems like your odds of hitting it at low tide would be greatly enhanced if you walked 17 kms and then stayed put. I remember some cafés with nice views as well.

 

[oursonpolaire]

If you are heading on the conventional route, might I suggest the Tentempé peregrino in Villagrande San Martin? Check (+34610451518) to see if they are open, but I found them very helpful and the accommodations comfortable for the price. Dinner is (was) available and the place run by a mother & daughter team-- IIRC the daughter speaks English. It is ;17km from Ribadeo but would be in the low 20s if you go by Praia de Catedrales and then head south (the LU-P-6103?)

 

[seaseeker]

If you are heading on the conventional route, might I suggest the Tentempé peregrino in Villagrande San Martin? Check (+34610451518) to see if they are open, but I found them very helpful and the accommodations comfortable for the price. Dinner is (was) available and the place run by a mother & daughter team-- IIRC the daughter speaks English. It is ;17km from Ribadeo but would be in the low 20s if you go by Praia de Catedrales and then head south (the LU-P-6103?)

I called them and they are closed. I decided to stay at Foz and see the famous Playa de la Cathedral on the way, I much rather looking at the sea than going to a mountain anyway. From there I will keep an eye on my phone to reach Mondoñedo but is flatter at least.
Thanks for your replies

 

[wynrich]

My husband and I walked the Ruta de Cantabrico starting in Ribadeo -- in spring 2019. It's a wonderful walk. We were inspired by Magwood, mentioned above, to do it. Here is our blog: https://crowley.pw/cdn2019/ The Ruta entries are buried in there starting here: https://crowley.pw/cdn2019/page/8/ The blog is in reverse chronological order. Can scroll through the Ruta by hitting "Newer Articles" at bottom. (After we finished the Ruta we went to Gijon and spent a week there, so that is at the top of the blog.)

 

[Mr_Ross_Duncan]

I called them and they are closed. I decided to stay at Foz and see the famous Playa de la Cathedral on the way, I much rather looking at the sea than going to a mountain anyway. From there I will keep an eye on my phone to reach Mondoñedo but is flatter at least.
Thanks for your replies

Hello Seaseeker,
I'm following up your post regarding the Del Norte walk.
Did you managed to walk from Foz to Mondonedo eventually?
It looks like the walk from Ribadeo to Foz would be lovely, my wife and I are hoping (fingers crossed) to walk the Del Norte in 2022, the long distance between Ribadeo and the next accommodation has us looking at alternatives and going via Foz may be one to look at.
Thanks

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hello Seaseeker,
I'm following up your post regarding the Del Norte walk.
Did you managed to walk from Foz to Mondonedo eventually?
It looks like the walk from Ribadeo to Foz would be lovely, my wife and I are hoping (fingers crossed) to walk the Del Norte in 2022, the long distance between Ribadeo and the next accommodation has us looking at alternatives and going via Foz may be one to look at.
Thanks

I am sorry that I missed seeing this for the OP but hopefully can help you a little. We walked the marked route to As Catedrais but took a taxi to Rinlo to begin the walk there. (Time constraints) We stopped at Devesa overnight and then walked the Camino do Mar to San Cosme de Barreiros. In 2015 some of the signing was poor and we checked out the route on both Google maps and an OS 'Mapa Militar' .

Later walking in the area showed us there is signing from Foz, through Lourenzá to Mondoñedo on the Camino de San Rosendo. This brings you onto the Norte at Lourenzá - a lovely little town as is Mondoñedo.
Buen Camino

 

[Mr_Ross_Duncan]

I am sorry that I missed seeing this for the OP but hopefully can help you a little. We walked the marked route to As Catedrais but took a taxi to Rinlo to begin the walk there. (Time constraints) We stopped at Devesa overnight and then walked the Camino do Mar to San Cosme de Barreiros. In 2015 some of the signing was poor and we checked out the route on both Google maps and an OS 'Mapa Militar' .

Later walking in the area showed us there is signing from Foz, through Lourenzá to Mondoñedo on the Camino de San Rosendo. This brings you onto the Norte at Lourenzá - a lovely little town as is Mondoñedo.
Buen Camino

Hi Tia (Happy new year)
Thanks for your response, I appreciated the generous use of your time.
I've got a couple of quick follow up questions if you have the time.
The Camino de Rosendo seems to go from the south of Spain up to Santiago de Compostela, not anywhere near the side route in question, which is from Foz to Lourenza. At least that's what I can make of the official Camino de San Rosendo web-site. https://caminodesanrosendo.org/
I'm pretty sure there is a way to walk that section, however, on further research I've discovered a couple of Albergue that are on the Del Norte route between Ribadeo and Lourenza splitting up that long section and that would work for us as well.
Whether or not they are still open, or will be later in the year, may remain a mystery until closer to the time of our walk.
Thanks again
Ross

 

[Tia Valeria]

@Mr_Ross_Duncan - I just need to check a couple of websites before answering properly ....

 

[Tia Valeria]

https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/camino-natural-de-san-rosendo-mondonedo-foz-10755504

Hi Tia (Happy new year)
Thanks for your response, I appreciated the generous use of your time.
I've got a couple of quick follow up questions if you have the time.
The Camino de Rosendo seems to go from the south of Spain up to Santiago de Compostela, not anywhere near the side route in question, which is from Foz to Lourenza. At least that's what I can make of the official Camino de San Rosendo web-site. https://caminodesanrosendo.org/
I'm pretty sure there is a way to walk that section, however, on further research I've discovered a couple of Albergue that are on the Del Norte route between Ribadeo and Lourenza splitting up that long section and that would work for us as well.
Whether or not they are still open, or will be later in the year, may remain a mystery until closer to the time of our walk.
Thanks again
Ross

Hola Ross,
The website you have found stops short as you say. The best way to search is to put 'Camino natural de San Rosendo - Foz to Mondoñedo' as the search term. This brings up at least these 2 helpful sites although the directions still run south to north.

https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/camino-natural-de-san-rosendo-mondonedo-foz-10755504

https://www.mapa.gob.es/en/desarrol...an-rosendo/san-rosendo-mondonedo/default.aspx

However with the help of google maps etc it should be possible to work out the route in reverse. In 2015 the signing around Foz and Forxán was very poor but it may have improved now. In 2018 the signs in Lourenzá were good and around Mondoñedo itself (red signposts). The route from Ribadeo to Foz is also in places part of the Ruta del Cantábrica nature trail - again not always well signed when we were walking but improved when we visited by car in 2018.


Buen Camino and if you have any other questions we, and others will be happy to try to help.

 

[Mr_Ross_Duncan]

https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/camino-natural-de-san-rosendo-mondonedo-foz-10755504

Hola Ross,
The website you have found stops short as you say. The best way to search is to put 'Camino natural de San Rosendo - Foz to Mondoñedo' as the search term. This brings up at least these 2 helpful sites although the directions still run south to north.

https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/camino-natural-de-san-rosendo-mondonedo-foz-10755504

https://www.mapa.gob.es/en/desarrol...an-rosendo/san-rosendo-mondonedo/default.aspx

However with the help of google maps etc it should be possible to work out the route in reverse. In 2015 the signing around Foz and Forxán was very poor but it may have improved now. In 2018 the signs in Lourenzá were good and around Mondoñedo itself (red signposts). The route from Ribadeo to Foz is also in places part of the Ruta del Cantábrica nature trail - again not always well signed when we were walking but improved when we visited by car in 2018.
View attachment 115736

Buen Camino and if you have any other questions we, and others will be happy to try to help.

Thanks Tia, cleared that query up nicely, cheers.