Ribadavia, this small town embracing Avia before it empties into the Galician’s pride, river Miño. It is quite certainly one of the first towns to be added to the wish list when sketching a route in Galicia. Its Old Town and Jewish quarters, cuisine and people, make it a success for those seeking a leisurely pace through the region. But please, keep always time to taste one of the wines that identify Galicia the most: the Ribeiro. Not forgetting, of course, jewish sweets by Doña Herminia.

Arriving to Ribadavia isn’t the easiest if you don’t hire or have your own car, which is what we recommend to get around this abrupt land of valleys and mountains. The dispersion of its population doesn’t make it easy to reach many of these towns and villages. Roads and highways cover generously the land, but public transportation ends being slow and long. Buses from Vigo, 67km away, are limited and offer a winding route. The operator is Auto Industrial and it needs about one to one and a half hours to take you there, costing €8.25 one way. From Ourense the journey takes only 30 minutes and the price is just €3.25.

Ribadavia Suddenly On Board

You can basically forget about the train in Galicia, unless you are moving between its main cities (and sometimes not even in these cases). Ribadavia remains as one of these rare stops in the line between Vigo and Ponferrada, a meandering regional train that stops at every town on its way and just once a day. Some other long distance trains From Madrid to Vigo stop here and let you hop on at regional fares (as the train is already emptying after the long ride from the Spanish capital). these fares are pretty similar to those on the bus but, once again, stopping just once a day. The train needs just 20 minutes from Ourense. From Ribadavia to Vigo or back, you’ll be seating for at least one and a half hours. However, if you manage to be strict to the timetable, it worths to travel by train because of the beauty of the journey along the river Miño. You’d be losing then the possibility to visit some other villages around.