Cabo Ortegal UNESCO Global Geopark

A UNESCO Global Geopark

Since 2023, Cabo Ortegal is a UNESCO Global Geopark — the only one on the Iberian Peninsula recognised that year, and the second in Galicia. It spans seven councils — Cariño, Cedeira, Cerdido, Moeche, San Sadurniño, Ortigueira and Valdoviño — of coast, mountain and ría.

Why it's unique

Here, rock that rose from the depths of the Earth almost 400 million years ago surfaces — some of it from the mantle itself. It's a witness to the collision of continents that formed Pangaea (the Variscan orogeny): one of the best records of this process in Europe.

Some of these rocks — the eclogites — withstood pressures of over 13,000 atmospheres deep inside the planet before surfacing, and hold zircons dated at more than 1,000 million years. Together they form an almost complete ophiolite complex of unrivalled complexity, making Cabo Ortegal one of the most-studied geological sites in Europe since the pioneering work of Isidro Parga Pondal. It was here, in 1851, that the rare green nickel mineral zaratite was discovered.

What to see

• Cabo Ortegal and Os Aguillóns: three rock pinnacles rising from the sea, where the Atlantic and the Cantabrian Sea part.
• Vixía da Herbeira (Serra da Capelada): among the highest sea cliffs in Europe, some 600 m.
• Estaca de Bares: the northernmost point of the peninsula.
• San Andrés de Teixido and the Cariño-Ortigueira ría.
• Viewpoints: Miranda, Punta Candelaria, Espasante or Campo dos Carrís, balconies over the cliffs.

How to visit

The geopark offers geo-routes (waymarked geological trails) and viewpoints. Visit with respect: in protected areas, keep to the paths.

More information

Cabo Ortegal Geopark (official) Hiking trails Nature of Ferrolterra