Ribeira, Galicia's biggest port town

Ribiera is Galicia's main fishing port and is economically important, not just to Galicia but, to the whole of Spain. Situated in the lower bays, this ancient town is still responsible for landing huge quantities of fish and sea food and it also acts as the sales room for many of the regions smaller port towns.

General information about Ribeira

Ribeira remains a genuine working fishing town with a large port capable of taking deep sea fishing vessels. The town, whilst not exactly a picturesque piece of Galician urbanisation, is popular with holiday makers and gives a true view of Galicia's ancestory and seafaring history. The town is always busy and is the best spot in Galicia to get freshly caught and cooked seafood.

Locally caught and prepared sardines are a regional speciality and you will find many bars and restaurants in Ribeira serving them. They are cooked on a grill or barbeque and sprinkled with sea salt.

What to see in the town of Ribeira

Within Ribeira, and the numerous small villages that litter the coast around it, there are lots of things to see and enjoy. Here are some ideas.

Tip 1. Ribeira's main appeal is that of a working fishing port. There is a large key and it has a busy market with constant deliveries of fish. The town certainly does not have the appearance of a picture postcard, but it still gets a large number of holiday visitors, all interesting in seeing a proper "working" fishing port.

Tip 2. The small towns and villages of the greater Ribeira area are worth a look. There are several of them and they are all located on the coast. This stretch of the rias baixas also has some of Galicia's best beaches, many hidden away in small coves and bays.

Tip 3. For anyone who likes fish, a plate of the local favourite, sardines, at one of the harbour side bars is a must. Ribeira has a big sardine festival in the summer and is reputed to serve the best (and certainly the most recently caught) sardines in Galicia. You normally pay for your sardines by fish rather than by weight and they usually work out at about one euro per sardine.

Tip 4. Located only a few kilometres from Ribeira, and also on the sea front, is a large sand dune with a visitor centre and large beach. Called the Complexo Dunar de Corrubedo e Lagoas de Carregal e Vixan, this dune is a natural phenomenon and attracts a lot of visitors, especially if the weather is good. It is normally known by the shorter and simpler name of Corrubedo and it location is signposted just outside of Ribeira. There is an excellent beach connected to the dune.

Tip 5. Ribeira has a number of festivals and nearly all are connected with fishing or the sea. If you are fortunate enough to see one you will gain an insight into the history and traditions of the town. Look out for poster, flyers in shops and other forms of advertising and promotion to discover when these festivals take place.

Where is Ribeira and how do you reach it

Ribeira is probably mid way between Santiago de Compostela and Pontevedra, however to reach Pontevedra you can simply drive south down the coast.

Reaching Ribeira from Santiago by the scenic route can take a couple of hours, but the views are good and much of the route is coastal. Taking the main highways is much quicker.

Ribeira is one of a large number of towns that holiday visitors to Galicia are likely to call in at and explore. Ribeira is not the best place from which to base a holiday, but it is an ideal stop to build into a day spent driving down the Galician coast. Parking can be difficult in the old town, but if you drive to the outer parts of town there is a lot of parking available.