Galicia is a beautiful green region in the northwest of Spain. Hiking in Galicia is highly recommended. These are the best hiking trails in Galicia.
Hiking in Galicia
The Spanish region of Galicia is a true hiking paradise. This is not surprising, since Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia, is the terminus of the Camino de Santiago. But besides the world-famous Camino, there are many more beautiful hiking trails to explore.
Hiking is the perfect way to discover Galicia’s jagged coastline, picturesque villages, mysterious monasteries, vineyards, and historic towns. There are great trails for a short day hike as well as long-distance hikes such as the Camino. Whether you are a seasoned hiker or just looking for a leisurely stroll through picturesque scenery, Galicia offers an abundance of opportunities for adventurers of all levels.
During my trip to Galicia, I explored many hiking trails. For me, this was the best way to enjoy the varied (and green!) landscape. In this article, I will tell you about my favorite hikes in Galicia and give you some additional tips for other beautiful Galicia hiking trails.
Fun trails for a day hike
These are some wonderful hiking trails for a day hike in Galicia.
Camiño de A Ventureira (Fragas do Eume)
Fragas do Eume is a beautiful natural park in a canyon around the Eume River, not far from the town of Pontedeume. Camiño de A Ventureira is a beautiful circular walk along the river. It goes through a dark forest with several streams and at times you feel like you’re exploring a jungle. One of the highlights of this trail is the monastery of San Xoán de Caaveiro, which has been partially restored. It is free to visit and you have a great view of the park from here.
The route combines well with the Camino de Os Encomendeiros, which takes you over some amazing suspension bridges.
Please note that when I visited the park in June 2023, some of the bridges were temporarily closed for renovation. Check if this is also the case during your visit.
- Length: 6 kilometers
- Difficulty: easy to intermediate
- Type: circular hike
- Starting point: Puente de Santa Cristina. For a longer hike, you can also start at Centro de Interpretación de las Fragas del Eume. This is a visitor center and here you can get maps and explanations of different routes.
- Learn more about the hiking trails in Fragas do Eume.
Camiño Real de San Pedro de Rocas (PR-G4)
The hiking trails in Galicia are marked with PR combined with a number and there are more than 200 of them! One of the trails I really liked is the PR-G4, which is also called Camiño Real de San Pedro de Rocas. This is a circular walk between Esgos and San Pedro de Rocas, a monastery from 573 that is partially carved into the rock. An extraordinary hike over ancient roads (you can still see that the wheels have worn out the rocks), dark forests, and a beautiful ruin.
- Length: 9 kilometers
- Difficulty: easy
- Type: circular hike
- Starting point: Mosteiro de San Pedro de Rocas, but it is easier to start in Esgos. Behind the pools and tennis court is a parking lot where you can also start the hike. From here, you’ll start with a climb and then walk mostly downhill.
- Learn more
Canón do Sil – Santa Cristina (PR-G98)
This is perhaps one of the most beautiful hiking trails in Galicia that I explored myself. He is enormously varied! You walk along ancient paths in dark forests and pass the ruins of the beautiful Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil monastery.
The trail has many elevation changes and you will pass several viewpoints. From here you have a magnificent view of the Sil River and the canyon. The entire route consists of two laps and you can shorten the hike by choosing one.
- Length: 18 kilometers (can be shortened to 9 kilometers)
- Difficulty: medium
- Type: circular hike
- Starting point: Parada de Sil
- Learn more
Ruta Canón do Río Mao (PR-G177)
I myself have only walked a very small part of this trail (from San Lourense to the Necropolis of San Vitor), but I’d love to hike the whole trail someday. This route takes you along the canyon of the Río Mao, and the views of the hilly landscape are incredibly beautiful. You will pass through several small villages and over medieval bridges. You will also pass Necropolis de San Lorenzo, an ancient cemetery carved into the rocks, a very interesting sight! You also get to walk on a wooden boardwalk along the river with beautiful views. A beautiful and diverse hike!
- Length: 16.5 kilometers (can be shortened to 11.5 kilometers)
- Difficulty: medium to difficult
- Type: circular hike
- Starting point: A Fábrica da Luz of San Lourenzo
- Learn more
Ruta Maquino Largaño (PR-G178).
During my travels in Galicia, I stayed a night at the Parador de Santo Estevo, a former monastery. This is beautifully situated in the hills, not too far from the Sil River. And it is a perfect base for many beautiful hikes! One of the best hiking trails in the area is the Ruta Maquino Largaño, also referred to as PR-G178. The hike takes you through green forests and you will occasionally have beautiful views of the river and the monastery.
- Length: 14.7 kilometers
- Difficulty: medium to difficult
- Type: circular hike
- Starting point: Luintra (but of course you can also start at the monastery)
- Learn more
Tip! For all PR-G routes, check out the guide “Galicia, pathways for discovering a country.” You can download it from this website. In addition, you can also use the SENDEGAL app.
The Camino in Galicia
As you can see, Galicia is more than the Camino. Yet I cannot write an article about hiking in Galicia without mentioning the Camino de Santiago. Every year, more than 250,000 people complete the world’s most famous pilgrimage route. To get a certificate for completing the Camino, you must have walked at least the last 100 kilometers. An excellent distance for a short walking vacation in Galicia!
Did you know that there is not one Camino, but several? Well-known Caminos include the Camino de Francés, the Camino del Norte, and the Camino Portugués.
When I was visiting Galicia, I hiked sections of other, slightly lesser-known Caminos. And these are also worth checking out!
Camino Primitivo
The Camino Primitivo, also known as the Original Way, is one of the oldest pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. It is a challenging and adventurous route that begins in the city of Oviedo, the capital of the region of Asturias. During your hike on the Camino Primitivo, you will discover the beautiful green landscape of Asturias and Galicia and walk through Lugo, the oldest city in Galicia.
The total length of the Camino Primitivo is about 310 kilometers, but you can also start in Lugo. Then you only have 100 kilometers to go to Santiago and that’s just enough for your certificate!
Camino de Invierno
The Camino de Invierno was originally used to avoid the harsh winter conditions in the mountains of O Cebreiro. Invierno is the Spanish word for winter, so the Camino de Invierno is also known as the Winter Road.
Nowadays, more and more pilgrims choose to follow the Camino Invierno because of its beautiful landscapes and peaceful atmosphere. The trail takes you through picturesque vineyards (the Ribeira Sacra is so beautiful!), green valleys, rivers, and charming Galician villages.
The route starts in Ponferrada (Castile and León) and takes you to A Laxa in 213 kilometers. From here, it’s another 51 kilometers on the Camino Sanabrés to Santiago.
Camino Inglès
If you are interested in hiking one of the most unique Caminos, the Camino Inglès is highly recommended. This is the so-called English route and this was originally a popular route for pilgrims from England, Ireland, and Scotland. These pilgrims first traveled by boat to the ports of Ferrol or A Coruña and then began their walk.
Now, of course, you don’t have to take a boat to walk the Camino Inglès; you can just start in Ferrol. From here it is about 120 kilometers to Santiago. You will pass through beautiful landscapes, charming fishing villages, and green fields.
Want to read more about the Camino? Check out this post: 16 Best Books on Camino de Santiago
Other long-distance hikes in Galicia
Besides the Caminos, there are a few other beautiful long-distance walks in Galicia.
Camino de Finisterre
Yes, sorry, I have to mention this one first. The Camino de Finisterre is an extension of the Camino de Santiago. You don’t necessarily have to stop your hike at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, you can continue to the coast at Finisterre. A trek of about 90 kilometers to the end of the world. A great hike with a spectacular endpoint.
Camino Natural de la Ruta del Cantábrico
In the very north of Galicia, you will find the so-called “most beautiful bench in the world.” A bench overlooking a spectacular coastline. One that you can see even better by taking a nice walk. There is a camino naturale here, a natural hiking trail. The Camino Natural de la Ruta del Cantábrico is 150 kilometers long and runs from the city of Ribadeo to Ladrido overlooking the gorgeous coastline.
What to pack for a hike in Galicia?
Great, you’re going hiking in Galicia! What to pack?
Backpack
First of all, make sure you have a good backpack. The contents of a backpack are indicated in liters. For a day hike, I would choose a 10 to 25-liter backpack, and for a multi-day hike for a 30 to 40-liter backpack. These are some good hiking backpacks:
- Lowe Alpine Edge 18L: This is the daypack I personally carried in Galicia and it is perfect for a day hike. Sturdy and compact.
- Deuter Futura 23: Deuter is a German brand and their backpacks are solid and last for years. This backpack has a convenient mesh front pocket, allowing you to quickly put things away.
- Osprey Hikelite 26: I have backpacks from Osprey in all shapes and sizes, they have some amazing packs! This one is perfect for a hike. The special back panel keeps it airy, and it comes with a handy rain cover.
Check Amazon for more great hiking daypacks.
What to put in your pack?
What do you put in your backpack?
- First aid kit with (blister) plasters, tweezers, paracetamol, sports tape, etc.
- Bring a tick remover when hiking in Galicia. There are a lot of cattle in this region, and therefore there are a lot of ticks. Always check yourself for ticks after a hike.
- Sunscreen, the sun in Spain is always bright.
- Bug spray is very useful when hiking through the woods.
- Raincoat: Galicia is green for a reason, it rains regularly. In addition, a raincoat is also great as a windbreaker for stretches along the coast.
- Food & water: although you will pass through villages quite often, it is always wise to bring a small supply of food and drink.
- Tissues/toilet paper and hand gel in case you need to make a bathroom stop.
- A garbage bag, because you don’t leave your used tissues in nature.
- Trekking poles are not necessary for every hike in Galicia but can be useful if you plan on hiking steep and slippery forest trails.
Read more: What’s in my pack? Day hike packing list
Book a trip to Galicia
Would you like to go hiking in Galicia? Don’t wait any longer and book your trip to Galicia now!
✈️ Visit Galicia by plane – The fastest way to get to Galicia is by plane. There are international airports in Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, and A Coruña. Check WayAway to find the best deals and get cashback on plane tickets.
🚆 Visit Galicia by train – Are you interested in a more sustainable way of traveling? It’s easy to reach Galicia by train. Check Rail Europe for train tickets.
🚘 Rental Car – Although you can reach places in Galicia by public transport, it is very useful to have a rental car. This makes it even easier to get to the more rural places. Check Rental Cars to find the best deals.
🛏️ Where to stay – Check Booking.com for the largest selection and the most beautiful places to stay in Galicia.
🎡 Tours & activities – There are a lot of fun tours and activities to do in northeast Spain. Check Civitatis and Get Your Guide to find the best guided tours and activities in Galicia.
Read more about Galicia and Spain
Would you like to read more about Galicia and other beautiful places in northern Spain? These travel guides contain many practical tips and travel inspiration.
I myself travel to Spain several times a year for a city trip or a fun hike. Spain is one of my favorite destinations in Europe! That is why you can read a lot about beautiful places in Spain on this website. Check out these articles as well:
- 18 Top things to do in Galicia Spain
- Galicia itinerary: epic 2 week road trip in Northwest Spain
- Hiking Camí de Ronda: tips and a trail journal
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I visited Galicia at the invitation of Turismo de Galicia. I always give my honest opinion about a destination. Read more about working with Travel with Co on this page. This article also contains some affiliate links. If you book or buy something through these links it costs you nothing extra, but I get a small commission. This allows me to improve this website. Support Travel with Co.
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