Praia De Arealonga

Located near the town of Foz, Praia de Arealonga – also called Praia Area Longa and Playa de Arealonga – is an 850-meters-long beach with cream-colored sand, rocky outcrops, and many small pebbles in the Spanish region of Galicia.  This beach is sandier in summer because storms wash away the sand here during other times of the year.  This beach should not be confused with another nearby beach named Playa de Arealonga – this other beach is located in the nearby municipality of Barreiros.

Praia de Arealonga does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except some nearby benches, so please plan accordingly.

Playa de Arealonga offers many fun activities including sunbathing, fishing, beachcombing, rockhounding, swimming, boating, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, jet-skiing, water-skiing,  kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching. 

This beach is ideal for less-experienced swimmers because the water usually has manageable waves. In addition, surfers visit during favorable weather conditions. If you are planning to swim, kayak, or surf here, we recommend being careful because the water is known to have unpredictable rip currents and dangerous waves.

Praia de Arealonga Foz has a wheelchair-friendly ramp for visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Praia de Arealonga is easy – from Estrada Bragado – which is also called N-642 – you need to turn right towards an unnamed road.  This road is easily identifiable through a sign labeled “Praia de Arealonga.”  This road will lead you to a small free parking lot.  Once you park here, you need to walk down along a staircase that will then lead you to Praia de Arealonga.

If you like taking pictures with excellent views, Praia de Arealonga offers amazing views of the Cantabrian Sea and the Galician shoreline.  In addition, the name of the beach – Praia de Arealonga – roughly translates to “Long Area” in the local Galician language.

There are many attractions near Praia de Arealonga.  Castro de Fazouro is a Roman-era historic fortress that was built between 1st and 3rd century AD.  This fort offers a unique insight into local history.  Basilica of San Martino de Mondonedo is a beautiful historic church that has Romanesque architecture – it was initially built in the 11th century and it has large buttresses. It also has a museum.  Espazo Caritel is an open-air art exhibition that displays the artwork of sculptor Daniel Caxigueiro.  In addition, the exhibition premises also have a botanical garden that has many flowering plants including camellias and hydrangeas.  Paseo Maritimo de Foz is a waterfront walkway that offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the northern Spanish shoreline and the Cantabrian Sea.  If you are looking for another attraction near this beach, Ria de Foz is an estuary that is a popular bird watching site and it is home to many kinds of seasonal and migratory birds.  In addition, this estuary is also a popular site for many watersports including kitesurfing, windsurfing, boating, and surfing.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Playa Arealonga Foz.  Restaurante Casa Selmira is a nearby restaurant Praia de Arealonga that is known for serving excellent seafood, and it also offers amazing Galician dishes.  Restaurante Lugar do Sixto is a restaurant with a rustic ambiance that offers a variety of amazing local dishes including seafood, meat dishes, barbecued dishes, and desserts.  Restaurante As Brasas is known for serving outstanding Galician dishes including suckling lamb and Galician-style soupy rice – it also serves great churrasco.  Restaurante Barrilete is also known for serving excellent local cuisine including rice dishes and stewed seafood – in addition, it also offers amazing tapas dishes, pizzas, meat dishes and great alcoholic beverages.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Rente Ao Mar is a 20-minute drive away and offers many amazing Galician dishes, including pork loin, caches, and chorizo.

If you are looking for a hotel near Praia de Arealonga, there are many great nearby options within a 27-minute-drive.  The 4-Star O Cabazo offers many amenities including a gym, a restaurant, and a terrace.  The 4-Star Oca Playa de Foz Hotel & Spa is another upscale hotel that offers many amenities including a spa, a restaurant, and a pool.  The 4-Star Parador de Ribadeo is another upscale hotel that offers many amenities including a garden terrace, a restaurant, and a bar.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Casa do Merlo that offers many amenities including a garden, a porch, a terrace, a library, a games room, a bar, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the Hotel Refugio O Castro offers a restaurant and a terrace.