One of the things we enjoy about traveling by sailboat is finding ourselves in places that we wouldn’t otherwise visit. Admittedly, this doesn’t always end up to our benefit – we’ve had a few rolly, less-than-picturesque anchorages to which we wouldn’t choose to return. But more often, a new spot is a pleasant surprise.
Camariñas definitely qualifies as the latter. We only stopped because the chart showed what looked like a well-protected harbor in a convenient location to break up the passage along the sometimes rough “Costa da Morte” (Coast of Death) along Spain’s north coast.
A small fishing village with an outsized number of commercial fishing boats, Camariñas is home to only a few thousand people. Located on one of the multiple “Rias Altas” (Upper Estuaries, as opposed to the more southern “Rias Baixas”), the natural protection offered by the harbor is augmented by a breakwater that affords mooring to the fishing fleet. Ringed by forested hills and fed by a river from inland, the scenery is pastoral.
The town of Camariñas is named after the Virgin of Carmen, the patroness and protector of people who spend time at sea. And as fate would have it, Madrone’s unplanned visit to Camariñas coincided exactly with Dia de la Virgen del Carmen.
With all of the resident fishing boats decorated with boughs of laurel and colorful flags, a temporary amusement park erected downtown, and what seemed like the entire population of town promenading along the waterfront, the lively festival belied the size of the town. And a network of trails stretch into the hillsides above town and also along the coast, leading to the spectacular lighthouse at Cabo Vilan.
Our visit to Camariñas was a great example of one of the reasons we enjoy traveling slowly by boat. Our plan for a quick overnight stop stretched into three days, giving us an unexpected opportunity to enjoy a festival, eat at a fantastic restaurant (twice), and partake in some of the beautiful coastal scenery in this part of the world.
