Seaside route
Rías Baixas
The gentlest of the four routes, and the best choice for your first day in Galicia. You skirt the rías of Arousa and Pontevedra along quiet coast roads, with unmissable stops at the albariño wineries of Cambados, A Lanzada beach and the hórreos of Combarro leaning out over the sea. Easy going, plenty of good places to stop for lunch, and a relaxed run home via Caldas de Reis.
- Distance
- 229 km
- Duration
- 6 horas
- Difficulty
- Easy — flat coastline and wide roads
- Best season
- April to October; August is beautiful but brings traffic around Sanxenxo
- Roads
- N-550 · PO-550 · PO-308 · VG-4.1
- Start and finish
- Santiago de Compostela
The route
Map © OpenStreetMap (ODbL) and CARTO. The track is a reference: on the road, follow the signs.
Download the GPX track
Ready for your GPS, your phone or the bike's navigator. No sign-up.
Open the route in Google Maps
Every stop already loaded, ready to navigate from your phone. Google works out its own roads, so a stretch or two may differ from the GPX.
Stops along the way
- 1
Padrón
Half an hour from Santiago. The famous peppers, yes, but also Rosalía de Castro's house and a pleasant old town on the banks of the Sar. This is where the route leaves the main road and heads off to find the ría.
- 2
Vilagarcía de Arousa
The whole of the Ría de Arousa opens up in front of you, dotted with mussel-farming platforms (bateas). A good seafront promenade, and the first stretch of road running right alongside the sea.
- 3
Cambados
The capital of albariño wine and, in our opinion, the prettiest old town in the rías — the Plaza de Fefiñáns with its pazo (manor house) and wine cellars. If you're planning a tasting, save the wine for the journey home; on the bike, stick to water.
- 4
O Grove y A Toxa
A seafood peninsula with a bridge across to the island of A Toxa and its chapel clad in scallop shells. It's the best spot on the route for proper, no-nonsense seafood.
- 5
Praia da Lanzada
Two kilometres of sand open to the Atlantic between O Grove and Sanxenxo, with a chapel on the headland. The road runs literally right alongside the beach — the most photogenic stretch on the whole route.
- 6
Sanxenxo
Galicia's quintessential summer resort town — a marina, café terraces and plenty going on. In July and August you're better off just riding straight through; the rest of the year it's worth a relaxed stop.
- 7
Combarro
The village of the sea-facing hórreos, one of the most distinctive historic settlements in Spain. Narrow stone lanes, stone cruceiros (wayside crosses) and a beautiful ría in the background. Leave the bike in the car park at the entrance and walk round — it takes twenty minutes.
- 8
Pontevedra y Caldas de Reis
Pontevedra has one of the best-preserved pedestrianised old towns in the country, perfect for a mid-afternoon coffee. The way back via Caldas de Reis is quick, on a good road surface.
Tips for this route
- The ideal route for your first day: a comfortable 229 km, no demanding sections, and a guaranteed good lunch stop.
- In July and August avoid the Sanxenxo stretch between 1pm and 5pm — it genuinely grinds to a halt.
- If you've got time to spare, boats leave O Grove for the Illa de Ons and the mussel platforms — book ahead.
- The coast roads have fixed speed cameras and the limits change often. This isn't the place to push on.
- Combarro gets packed around midday. Arrive before noon or after 6pm and you'll find it almost empty.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours does the Rías Baixas route take by motorbike?
229 km, around four and a half hours of riding. With lunch and stops it's a six-to-seven-hour day out, so there's time to set off after breakfast and be back in Santiago by mid-afternoon.
Is it a good route for two-up riding?
It's the best of the four if you're carrying a pillion — few demanding bends, plenty of short stops, and good places to eat without going out of your way.
Can I ride it on an A1 licence, or a car (category B) licence?
Yes. With a category B licence held for three years or more, you can take out our 125, which is more than capable for this route since there are no long motorway stretches.
Taking a bike for this route?
From €50/day with gear, insurance and the tracks included.
Book a bike
