A Mariña Lucense is composed of the municipalities of Alfoz, Barreiros, Burela, Cervo, Foz, Lourenzá, Mondoñedo, Ourol, A Pontenova, Ribadeo, Riotorto, Trabada, O Valadouro, O Vicedo, Viveiro, and Xove. In this territory, bordered by the Cantabrian Sea to the north and the Serra do Xistral to the south, we find landscapes of natural interest protected under international and national designations, cultural heritage sites, historic centers, and a cuisine closely linked to maritime culture.
Regarding natural heritage, the more than 100 kilometers of coastline host a succession of beaches, fishing and sports ports, and coastal towns like Ribadeo, Foz, Burela, San Cibrao, and Viveiro, which are a reference for summer tourism. This coastline also has high geological value, evident in the coastal plain extending from Ribadeo to Burela, with notable sites like Praia das Catedrais-Augasantas, declared a Natural Monument.
Beyond the coastline, the environmental richness of A Mariña Lucense is showcased in the mosaic of ecosystems forming the various natural spaces protected under designations like the Eo-Oscos and Terras de Burón Biosphere Reserve, the Terras do Miño Biosphere Reserve, or the Natura 2000 Network, with the stuaries of Ribadeo, Foz, and Fazouro, Praia das Catedrais, the Serra do Xistral with the largest blanket bog in southern Europe, the ZEPA Costa da Mariña Occidental, the Fraga de Carballido, the Rio Landro, Monte Maior, the Souto da Retorta Natural Monument in Viveiro, or the Cova do Rei Cintolo in Mondoñedo.
In terms of cultural heritage, the medieval historic centers of Viveiro and Mondoñedo stand out, with Mondoñedo’s cathedral declared a World Heritage Site. The historic center of Ribadeo is a testament to the economic power experienced under the Enlightenment and later, the mark of the Indianos’ legacy. The Northern Way of Santiago, a World Heritage Site since 2015, traces a path from Ribadeo or Trabada to Mondoñedo, also serving as a guide to visit places of monumental interest like the San Salvador de Lourenzá monastery.
Other significant heritage resources of A Mariña include the Romanesque basilica of San Martiño de Mondoñedo, considered the oldest cathedral in Spain; the Tovar fortress in Lourenzá, archaeological remains like the Fazouro hillfort, and sites that allow following the steps of illustrious figures like Marshal Pardo de Cela or the Sargadelos factory, founded by the Enlightenment figure Antonio Raimundo Ibáñez, which is one of the most important industrial heritage sites in the province of Lugo.
Not to mention the significant presence of more than 40 artisan workshops and museums related to maritime and gastronomic culture, literary heritage, or sacred art, A Mariña Lucense also stands out for its intangible heritage, singularized in the 16 festivals distinguished as of Tourist Interest, among which the internationally recognized Semana Santa de Viveiro stands out, along with those that pay homage to local products like Burela’s bonito, Celeiro’s line-caught hake, or Lourenzá’s Faba beans.
HIGHLIGHTS OF A MARIÑA LUCENSE
- AS CATEDRAIS BEACH
- HISTORIC CENTRES OF MONDOÑEDO, RIBADEO, VIVEIRO, AND SARGADELOS.
- REI CINTOLO CAVERN IN MONDOÑEDO
- SOUTO DA RETORTA IN VIVEIRO
- BLAST FURNACES AND ZIP LINE OF THE MINES OF A PONTENOVA
- PAPER CLIFFS AND RONCADOIRA LIGHTHOUSE IN XOVE
- FAZOURO HILLFORT IN FOZ
- BASILICA OF SAN MARTIÑO DE MONDOÑEDO IN FOZ
- SAN SALVADOR MONASTERY AND INTERPRETATION CENTRE OF THE FABA DE LOURENZÁ
- WATERFALLS – A Férrea (A Pontenova), A Fervenza and Salto do Coro (Mondoñedo), Escouridal (Xove-O Valadouro), Pozo da Onza (O Valadouro), Pozo da Ferida (Xove-Viveiro), Guilán (Xove), Xestosa (Ourol), and Santo Estevo do Ermo (Barreiros).
- NORTHERN WAY (WORLD HERITAGE SITE).
- NATURAL CANTABRIAN WAY.
- THE IRON ROUTE OF RIOTORTO.