Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal: The Hidden Paradise of Galician Photography

⏱️ Reading time: 5 min

Table of Contents

• The Visual Power of the Geopark: Galicia’s Hidden Photography Paradise
• Ermida da Virxe do Porto (Valdoviño)
• When the Storm Roars
• The Long-Sought Shot
• Acantilados de Loiba (Ortigueira)
• At the Base of the Cliffs
• Praia de Campelo (Valdoviño)
• The Rhythm of the Landscape
• Landscape Photography Workshops
• New Series: Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal

There are places that seem to have been created to be photographed — not because of their fame, but because of their essence. Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal, in the north of Galicia, is one of those rare landscapes where nature speaks with its own voice. Cliffs that defy both the Atlantic and the Cantabrian seas, mists that play with the light, and rocks that hold stories millions of years old.
It is the hidden paradise of Galician photography.

Recognized by UNESCO as a Global Geopark, this territory — uniting the municipalities of Cariño, Cedeira, Cerdido, Moeche, San Sadurniño, Ortigueira, and Valdoviño — remains a little-explored gem for those seeking authentic and character-filled landscape photography in Galicia.

Here there are no clichés. Only endless horizons, impossible color contrasts, and an energy that shifts with each change of light. In this article, I want to share my personal experience as a photographer in this extraordinary place: its most inspiring landscapes, the raw natural power that led me to create my exhibition Capturing Nature, and the landscape photography workshops I now organize for those who want to live this experience camera in hand.

The Visual Power of the Geopark: Galicia’s Hidden Photography Paradise

Some places have light with personality. In Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal, that personality shifts by the hour, the day, and the season. The sea isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a mirror reflecting the sky, a stage transformed by fog, wind, and rain. For those who look with a photographer’s eyes, it’s a living territory, in constant motion.

The geological formations that make this area a world reference also make it one of the most inspiring settings for landscape photography in Galicia. Its ancient rocks — born deep within the Earth — display unique textures and colors: deep golds, metallic grays, brilliant blacks. Every surface tells a different story, and every frame offers a new visual challenge.

The Atlantic light is the true secret: intense and ever-changing, capable of transforming the same place into a warm sunrise and a dramatic sunset. It’s that unpredictable, poetic light that makes Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal a destination for photography that moves beyond typical postcards.

And perhaps that’s its greatest virtue — it remains a place to be discovered. In many corners, there are still no crowds, no noise. Only silence, forest, sea, and stone setting the pace of every shot. I never tire of saying it: the pure paradise of Galician photography.

Ermida da Virxe do Porto (Valdoviño)

Virxe do Porto, in Meirás (Valdoviño), is one of the most recognizable jewels of Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal. Small and white, perched on a rocky islet, it seems serene — but it rarely is. Every visit is different: sometimes the sea sleeps, other times it roars, turning the place into a whirlpool of water, wind, and foam.

When the tide is low, the hermitage becomes fully accessible, allowing you to explore its surroundings calmly. The nearby rocks hold unique shapes and textures that add depth and strength to every composition. It’s the gentler face of the location, one where you can work without haste, letting the sea and the light set the rhythm.

When the Storm Roars

Everything changes when the weather turns wild. During storms, high tides erase the passage to the islet, leaving the hermitage isolated — surrounded by wild foam and the taste of salt in the air.
That’s when the place reveals its most epic — and most dangerous — face. Respect is key here: no photograph is worth a reckless step. Knowing the tides and rhythms of the sea is as essential as knowing your camera settings.

The Long-Sought Shot

For years, I returned again and again, searching for the perfect coincidence of tide, wind, and light. I wanted to capture a scene I had imagined for so long: the sea cascading over the rocks, the sky glowing gold and magenta, and the sun setting precisely above the cliffs.

And one day, it happened. Everything aligned for just a few minutes. The light opened like a star over the rocks, the hermitage wrapped in a golden halo, and the sea overflowed, forming a salty waterfall — the final touch to a long-awaited composition. I didn’t feel I took that photo; I felt the place decided to give it to me.

This is one of those places where time seems to stand still. Each photograph depends on wind and tide, reminding you that photography isn’t only about pressing the shutter — it’s also about waiting, watching, and listening to what the sea has to say.

Acantilados de Loiba (Ortigueira)

Some coastlines refuse to be easily captured. The Acantilados de Loiba, in the heart of Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal, are one of those places where the Cantabrian Sea speaks through stone.
Their dark, jagged rocks — ancient as time — tell stories of tectonic shifts, centuries of waves, and long silences filled with power.

The site became famous for the “Most Beautiful Bench in the World”, a seat with perhaps the most breathtaking view imaginable. Whether or not it’s truly the most beautiful is debatable — but there’s no doubt it’s spectacular.

Still, it’s best visited off-season, when silence returns. In summer, I’ve seen queues of people waiting for a selfie — and honestly, that kind of tourism isn’t what I seek. I prefer to discover it quietly, with my camera and the sound of the sea as my only companions.

From the upper viewpoint, the panorama is immense. To the left, the famous bench; to the right, the impressive rock formation of O Coitelo, a giant stone pierced by the sea’s fury when the tide rises.

At the Base of the Cliffs

But Loiba’s real character lies below, at the base of the cliffs, where the sea crashes with all its strength.
That’s where I seek different photographs — away from crowds. Where wet rock textures, glistening waves, and drifting mist merge to create unrepeatable scenes.

At very low tides, the ocean reveals a hidden world: natural pools, seaweed, and stones covered in marine life, becoming perfect mirrors for more intimate compositions.

Loiba makes you feel small. The wind carries salt, the ground trembles under your feet, and the same frame never repeats — light changes, mist rolls in, and the rocks shift from black to silver.
That’s why I always return. Not just to find the perfect shot, but to listen. Because here, in Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal, the sea isn’t photographed — it’s heard.

Praia de Campelo (Valdoviño)

Praia de Campelo, in Valdoviño, is one of the most discreet jewels of the Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal— a wild beach nestled between cliffs where wind and light seem to reinvent the landscape every day.

It’s a quiet place: no buildings, no noise, only the constant rhythm of the waves and the scent of salt. Surfers and sea lovers frequent it, but it’s also a refuge for those seeking authentic, ever-changing landscape photography in Galicia.

As an open beach, Campelo is never the same twice. Tide and wind write a new story every hour. Once you learn its rhythm, you realize it’s a living being — each tide opening and closing new possibilities, each change of light revealing a new scene. Knowing whether you can approach a rock, whether the waves will rise with strength, or whether the sky will ignite with color becomes an exercise in observation and intuition.

The Rhythm of the Landscape

I remember a day of absolute calm — one of those rare moments when the sea sleeps. Between oval rocks covered in green algae, the water formed small pools that mirrored the sky. I took a photograph that will always stay with me, because those rocks — now buried under sand — have never been visible again. It was one of those moments nature gives you only once.

When the tide is mid-level, it’s the perfect moment to play with water movement. Waves crash against rocks, creating silks, textures, and lines that draw the eye toward the horizon. Every corner offers a new composition — a small universe of forms and reflections.

At the lowest tides, the Atlantic reveals its most intimate face. Rocks trace paths, tide pools mirror the sky, and sunset light paints the sand in gold and violet. The place fills with soft light and silence — the kind of calm that only truly vast places can hold.

Campelo is a living, changing beach that can never truly be captured. That’s why I return again and again — because every visit is different, and every photograph too.

Landscape Photography Workshops

Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal is a place that never runs out of possibilities. That’s why I regularly organize Landscape Photography Workshops here — small groups, a relaxed pace, and plenty of hands-on shooting in the field.

If you’d like to receive information about upcoming dates, you can leave your email below 👇

New Series: Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal

This article is just the first chapter of a broader project exploring the corners of Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal through the lens of my camera.

In the coming weeks, I’ll publish new pieces featuring places like Punta Frouxeira, Vixía Herbeira, or San Sadurniño Waterfalls, each with their own stories and visual personality.

Have you read the first article of the Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal series?

Check it out! Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal: The Memory of Water

If you’d like to get notified when new articles are published, follow me on social media so you don’t miss the next chapter of this photographic journey:

Stay tuned! New post soon!