Playa de las Catedrales is the tourist name of the beach of Aguas Santas, a sandy beach on the coast of Lugo in the municipality of Ribadeo. Its best known feature is the modeling of the Cantabrian rasa: the sea has excavated cliffs, caves and large rock arches that, at low tide, resemble the naves and buttresses of a cathedral. The area has been declared a Natural Monument and is part of a larger protected coastal stretch in the Natura 2000 Network. From the point of visit you can see cliffs, natural vaults, passages and beaches of fine sand that are exposed only at low tide. The main attraction is not only the landscape photography, but the contrast between the scale of the arches and the fragility of the intertidal environment, highly conditioned by the tides and waves. The beach is one of the best known natural enclaves of Galicia and is highlighted in the official tourist information of the community. In high season free prior authorization is required to regulate access. The visit is especially recommended at low tide and oblique light, early in the morning or at sunset, when the shapes of the rock are best read. The best time is usually spring and late summer, when there is good light and less visitor pressure outside the holiday peaks. Keep in mind that the landscape changes greatly with the state of the sea and that some areas are impassable at high tide.
