Rías Altas live webcams

A Coruña and the rías of the north

The Rías Altas are the inlets of Galicia's north coast, from A Coruña round to the border with Asturias. A Coruña looks out over two waterfronts: Orzán, the city beach on the open sea, and the harbour on the sheltered side, with the Roman lighthouse of the Tower of Hercules, a World Heritage Site, at the tip of the peninsula. Across the bay, Ferrol is a naval city at the head of its own ría, and the camera on Montefaro looks down the inlet to the sea; Redes, near Ares, is a small fishing village on the water's edge.

Surf beaches and the highest cliffs

North of Ferrol the coast opens up. A Frouxeira at Valdoviño is one of the longest beaches in Galicia, and Pantín, nearby, hosts an international surf contest every summer; the town council's cameras show the waves on both. Beyond Ortigueira, whose marina sits at the head of a long ría, the Capelada coast around Cabo Ortegal rises to some of the highest sea cliffs in mainland Europe, more than 600 m above the water at Vixía Herbeira.

Viveiro and Ribadeo

At the eastern end, Viveiro has an old walled town at the head of its ría, and Ribadeo looks across the estuary of the Eo to Asturias from the Ponte dos Santos. A few kilometres west of Ribadeo is As Catedrais, the beach of rock arches that can only be walked at low tide; in summer and at Easter a free permit is needed to visit it.

When to watch the Rías Altas

Galicia is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland, and summer evenings stay light until after 10pm. This coast faces the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay, so it gets more wind and swell than the Rías Baixas: good for surfers, and a reason to check the sea before a beach day. Most of the cameras belong to Galicia's public broadcaster, which streams live video, and to MeteoGalicia, the regional weather service.