Camino del Norte – La Caridad to Ribadeo

June 6, 2023

The last day on the trail and it was a day full of Camino magic! I started the day by once again sleeping in as long as possible. Today was 14ish miles and check-in at my hotel wasn’t until 3:00 so there was no need to rush. The albergue provided breakfast so I took my time eating and was the second to last pilgrim to leave the house.

The first few miles were along various streets and wooded paths but quickly turned into back roads through corn fields. And the sun was out early today! Aside from most of the day being on pavement, it was primarily flat which was a nice change. The miles click by when you’re not trudging up and down hills, on rocks, or in mud. 

About halfway through the day’s walk, you could choose to walk the traditional route or an alternative that would take you along the coast. I chose the coastal route and it did not disappoint!

As I made my way toward the coastal village of Tapia de Casariego, the ocean came into view. There is a municipal albergue in Tapia that sits right above the coastline with spectacular views. There is a staircase behind the albergue that takes you down to the beach so I stopped a while to take in the view. The photo to the left was taken there. I met up with the woman from the Netherlands who was also taking a break at the albergue. It was a beautiful day with beautiful views!

A little farther along in Tapia, I came to the public beach and decided to take another break and watch a group of surfers. The tide was going out so they were quite far. After several more miles through cornfields, the Camino passed by another lovely beach where I met a German couple and the same woman from the Netherlands. She was going to stay and get in the water but I decided to keep going.

Once I left the beach and my pilgrim friends, there was once again a discrepancy between the Camino arrows and what was on my app. The arrows seemed to be going a different direction and I even backtracked to see if I had missed something. Here’s where some Camino magic comes in. Out of nowhere, this pilgrim I had never seen before comes walking up and asks me, in English, if I needed help. I told him my dilemma and he explained that the arrows were leading to a municipal albergue but following the app was shorter. He was also following the app so I ended up following him (he was much faster than me) all the way into Ribadeo where he vanished among the streets.

To get to Ribadeo, you had to walk across a very long and tall bridge. The views were stunning but it was windy and the sidewalk very narrow so I got across it as fast as I could. I kept following the arrows through Ribadeo until, after a long steep climb, I made it to the city center. There was outdoor seating at a bar that looked to be popular so I sat down. I waved to a pilgrim I had chatted with several nights before at our albergue then the waitress came up and asked me in English what I would like to order. Per usual, I ordered a tinto del verano and a wonderful salad that had apples and walnuts and two scoops of vanilla ice cream on top. Highly recommend!

After finishing my lunch, I asked my waitress where I could get a taxi. The manager actually called the taxi company and about 10 minutes later a taxi pulls up right next to my table. I had also gifted the trekking poles that I had bought in Leon by leaving them outside an albergue. Hopefully they ended up making it all the way to Santiago!

My hotel was about 6 miles outside of Ribadeo right on the beach. I spent two nights here as a celebration for completing my Camino walk this year. The special thing about this hotel and why I chose to stay there is that it’s right across from the famous Playa de las Catadrales. More information about that below! I spent a relaxing day at the hotel before starting my two-day journey back home.

Reflecting back on this Camino, it definitely felt like two different walks. The spectacular mountains of the Camino de San Salvador are followed by the ocean views of the Norte. They had very distinct vibes to them and I did end up feeling a bit incomplete at the end. I like to finish something when I start it so ending the Norte in Ribadeo felt off but I just didn’t have the time to continue on to Santiago. I highly recommend both of these walks. They are challenging, much more than I was anticipating! But, the beauty was well worth it!