Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal: The Memory of Water

⏱️ Reading time: 5 min

Table of Contents

• The Memory of Water
• Moving away from the sea to find new corners
• Fervenza de Narahío (San Sadurniño)
• A location that changes with the season
• Fervenzas de Maríaqueira (San Sadurniño)
• The first stop along the path
• Following the Path
• The Voice of Water
• Landscape Photography Workshops
• New entry in the Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal series

After starting this series with the article Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal: The Hidden Paradise of Galician Photography, I wanted to return to the origins. to water, to its movement and its light.
Because the Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal is not only cliffs and wild seas. It is also interior, forest, and river; it is a space where time becomes water and water becomes memory.

The Memory of Water

There are paths that take us back to the beginning, to that place where everything started.
In my case, that place is among rivers and forests, among the constant murmur of water and the humidity of the earth.Waterfall photography was my first school: the starting point from which I learned to look, to wait, and to understand the rhythm of nature.

On my first outings with the camera, I searched for waterfalls all over Galicia. I traveled kilometers through mountain trails, paths and tracks, always with the same purpose: to find that corner where the water turned into silk and the light filtered through the trees to draw the perfect moment.

It was there, among the forests of San Sadurniño and the paths that lead toward the Eume or Narahío, where I learned to play with time: to find that exact shutter speed that turns movement into poetry. Not so slow as to erase the detail, nor so fast as to freeze the soul of the waterfall.
Those first photographs were also my first mistakes, my first successes, and, above all, my first lessons. That is why this article is special. Because it talks about those waterfalls that are part of my origins as a photographer, and which also belong to a territory that I now consider my photographic home: Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal.

Moving away from the sea to find new corners

Within this space, San Sadurniño holds two waterfalls that are, for me, pure memory of water:
Fervenza de Narahío and Fervenzas do Rego de Maríaqueira.
Two different locations, but united by that same energy that makes time seem to stop when the water falls between stone and moss.
Before talking about them, I like to think that these waterfalls are more than just a photographic motif: they are the inner heartbeat of nature, its most intimate pulse. The sound of the sea fades here, and in its place remains only the murmur of water, the smell of wet earth, and that humid silence that envelops everything. It is in that stillness where true photography is born.

Fervenza de Narahío (San Sadurniño)

The Fervenza de Narahío is one of those places I always return to, year after year. Popular and easily accessible, it is also a special place for me: here I took my first long exposures, those in which I learned to transform the strength of water into silk and movement. It was, in a way, the starting point of my relationship with waterfall photography.

Despite its apparent simplicity, Narahío is a place that changes with the seasons. In winter, after a week of rain, the flow becomes a true torrent. The force with which the water plunges between the rocks is impressive. Photographing here in those conditions is a challenge: the spray is constant, the lenses fill with tiny drops, and you have to wipe them clean after each shot. But it is also the moment when the waterfall shows its most epic side: wild, powerful, and full of life.

The sound roars, bounces off the stone walls, and mixes with the cold of the mist. There is an instant when the whole environment vibrates: the ground trembles, the air fills with humidity, and for a second, you feel completely inside the scene.

A location that changes with the season

In spring, the surroundings take on another personality. Green invades everything: mosses, ferns, and trees are reborn with the moisture. The flow usually remains abundant, enough to give strength to the scene without hindering access. It is a good time to explore different frames, play with foregrounds, wet roots, small pools, and textures that accompany the main fall of water.

And then comes autumn, perhaps my favorite moment of the year. The red and ochre leaves mix with the dark stone and the white of the water, creating a natural palette that needs no filters. The waterfall keeps flowing, but what attracts me most in these months is the light. A soft, warm, and low light, perfect for waking up early and taking advantage of those first hours of the day when everything is calm and silent.

Over time, I learned that Narahío is not just a waterfall: it is a small visual laboratory. Each visit brings a different lesson, a new angle, or an unexpected composition. I don’t seek to repeat the perfect photo, but to let the place speak to me and guide the camera. Because there are scenarios that never run out — and this is one of them.

Fervenzas de Maríaqueira (San Sadurniño)

Fervenzas de Maríaqueira, in San Sadurniño, are one of those locations that come late but stay forever. I discovered them when I was already deep into landscape photography, at a stage when I was looking for new corners, new waterfalls in the area. I had seen some images on social media, but I couldn’t find the exact place. Until one day, finally, I reached them.

The first stop along the path

The first waterfall is the best known and surely the most photogenic. It has something very distinctive: a large branch, twisted and crossed just above the waterfall. It is a strong visual element, but also a compositional challenge. Placing it in the frame in a way that works requires time, trials, and a lot of patience. Over the years and many visits — in different seasons and conditions — I’ve learned the rhythm of the place, how to play with that shape, with the light, and with the power of the water.

Just downstream, there’s a small area of very interesting rocks. I remember one particularly humid morning, with low mist, when I took some of the most atmospheric photographs of the series there. The light filtered through the trees, the air was thick with moisture, and everything had that soft, diffused tone that only appears on such days.

Fervenzas de Maríaqueira change a lot with the seasons. In spring, everything is green: huge ferns, moss spread over every stone, and a constant flow that fills the valley with sound. It’s a small visual paradise, perfect for playing with the contrast between the white of the water and the green of the vegetation.

In autumn, the scene transforms completely. The greens give way to reds, ochres, and yellows, and the forest becomes a vibrant mix of colors. In addition, it’s an area full of mushrooms, which makes it ideal also for those who enjoy macro photography.

There’s nothing better than going out on an autumn morning, photographing a waterfall, and ending up capturing small worlds among the wet leaves.

Following the Path

If you continue upstream, the path leads to a second waterfall, more discreet but very photogenic. The pool at its base is wide, and the small drops that feed it create a fascinating play of swirls and foam.

On days with plenty of water, the movement of the foam on the surface allows for very abstract photographs. Playing with long exposures to draw circles and lines that seem to dance over the river.
A little further up is the third waterfall, the most hidden of all. When the flow is abundant, the fall divides into two: a main one and another hidden to the right, behind the vegetation. It’s a complex scene, full of layers and textures, where each element has its space: the wet stone, the fallen leaves, the reflection of light between branches…

And yet, I feel I still haven’t achieved the definitive photograph of this place. There are images I love, but not that one that makes me think, “this is the photo.” Maybe that’s why I keep returning. Because I know something awaits me there — a combination of light, flow, and calm that hasn’t yet come together. And that’s the beauty of it: knowing a place that still has things to say.

The Voice of Water

Fervenza de Narahío and Fervenzas de Maríaqueira are much more than falling water. They are the reminder of why I began to photograph.
Each visit is a return to the origins, to that moment when I understood that photography wasn’t just about looking, but about listening to the rhythm of nature.
Here I learned to read the light among the leaves, to wait for the moment when the river turns to silk, and to understand that patience is also part of the image.
Returning to these places is returning to the beginning — to that dialogue between time, water, and stone that continues to be written with every shot.
Because in these places, the water doesn’t just run: it tells who we were, and where we are going.

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 entry in the Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal series

This article is part of the series dedicated to the Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal, a personal and photographic project in which I continue exploring the connection between nature, light, and territory.
In the next installments, I will continue traveling through other corners of the Xeoparque. Join me on my journey to places such as Punta Frouxeira or Vixía Herbeira — places that hold their own voice and story.
If you want to join me on this photographic journey, you can follow updates on my website or on my social media.
Please, don’t miss the first part of this series yet, here it is: Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal: The Hidden Paradise of Galician Photography
If you’d like to be notified when new chapters are published, follow me on social media so you don’t miss the next one.

If you’re interested in following the series — don’t miss out!
The next one will be up soon!