Welcome to Laxe, one of the most beautiful coastal towns on the Galician coast. Laxe stands out due to its location, in the geographical centre of A Costa da Morte, due to its 2 km long beach in the town-centre surrounded by an inspiring seaside promenade, and because of its typical fishing port, with fishing boats going and coming throughout the day. All this makes Laxe an exceptional and charming place to spend your holiday.
As in all our indications, the following information is based on our experience and the experience of our customers.
SITUATION
Laxe is located in the geographical centre of A Costa da Morte, in the Ría de Corme and Laxe, always facing the sea, which is the livelihood of the majority of its inhabitants.
Due to its situation, it is a perfect place to make different visits to the area, which we list below:
– 50 km (50 minutes by car) far from Finisterre, very well-known for its cape and a sea-side town of great beauty.
– 49 km (50 minutes by car) far from O Ézaro, where the Xallas River flows into the waterfall.
– 25 Km (30 minutes by car) far from Malpica de Bergantiños, one of the most typical villages in A Cota da Morte.
– 20 Km (25 minutes by car) far from Corme, with the Roncudo lighthouse where we can find the best barnacles of the world.
– 35 km (40 minutes by car) far from Muxía, with the sanctuary of the Virgen de la Barca, and unfortunately known as the Km 0 of the catastrophe of the Prestige.
– 26 km (30 minutes by car) far from Camariñas, the capital of the traditional bobbin lace, and where we find Cape Vilán, one of the most beautiful lighthouses in Galicia.
– 70 km (50 minutes by car) far from the city of A Coruña, a lovely city we advise you to visit for its beauty and the stunning sea landscape.
– 66 km (70 minutes by car) far from the city of Santiago de Compostela, capital of Galicia which represents the tourist / historical / monumental icon of Galicia
THE WEATHER
Located on the central coast of the province of A Coruña, Laxe has a very mild climate throughout the year. Not too cold in winter and not extremely hot in summer. With temperatures of 20/21 degrees in summer, 14/15 degrees in spring and autumn, and 11/12 degrees in winter. In Laxe you will never need air conditioning to sleep peacefully at night.
BEACHES
The beach of Laxe is the biggest urban beach of A Costa da Morte. A 2 kilometer beach surrounded by a seaside promenade all along the town.
As this beach faces the Ría de Corme and Laxe, its crystal-clear waters are perfect for swimming, and its white and fine sand is ideal to enjoy with the family. The calm atmosphere on the beach makes it ideal to enjoy with children, who will quickly make friends.
Apart from the beach in the city-center, there are other beaches in Laxe, such as the beaches of Soesto and Traba. These secluded beaches are located in a pristine environment and they are perfect for those travellers looking for absolute tranquility when enjoying the beach.
RESTAURANTS
As in the other towns of A Costa da Morte, gastronomy is one of the most important attractions. Fresh products coming straigh from the fish market with great quality.
Now, and without demeaning to any other restaurant (we repeat that all the information provided here is based on our personal experiences), we list here different restaurants in the area (Laxe and around).
– Restaurante Mar de Fondo (Laxe): Ideally located in the centre of Laxe, between the beach and the fishing port. This restaurant offers coincientious service, excellent products, and great value for money. A good choice in Laxe for lunch and dinner, where the fish dishes are one of its best attractions.
– Casa do Arco (Laxe): Located in a historic building of this fishing town, this restaurant represents one of the culinary icons of A Costa da Morte. The charming atmosphere of the place, the gorgeous service and the excellent products are its main characteristics. It is not the cheapest, but the quality is impressive.
– Restaurante Zurich (Laxe): It is one of the main restaurants of Laxe in regards to first quality seafood from the Galician Rias. Rice with lobster is remarkable; prepared in a special way, it will not leave anyone indifferent.
– Restaurante Mar de Ardora (Canduas – Cabana de Bergantiños): One of the gastronomic icons of A Costa da Morte, with meticulous service, some beautiful dining rooms with stunning views, and nouvelle cuisine based on top quality products. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth trying.
– Taberna da Bouza (Ponteceso) – Excellent meat restaurant, including a spectacular suckling lamb, in a very cozy place, and with good service.
NIGHT LIFE
Although Laxe is not the core of the nightlife (thank God), it always has a pleasant atmosphere, due to the large number of terraces existing along the seaside promenade, perfect for a drink after a copious dinner.
The local festivities, in the middle of August, are very popular with people coming from the towns nearby, since they always have a lovely environment with very good orchestras and atmosphere until late.
EXCURSIONS
We always suggest some visits to other areas of the Costa da Morte or cities in the province of A Coruña in order to make your trip more complete … Galicia is a place to be visited and to make a few kilometers by car.
With the intention of making things easier, we detail the possible excursions you may make once you have arrived in Laxe (Places you cannot miss).
1- SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA – For a full-day or half-day excursion.
We advise to leave after breakfast, without hurry, to Santiago de Compostela (70 minutes by a good road). Visit the cathedral, take a walk around the old town, and for those who are very devout (or just for curiosity) attend the Pilgrim’s Mass, which is held every day at 12:00.
Getting lost in the streets of the old town of Santiago de Compostela is a very rewarding activity, as you will be walking through history.
If you decide to have lunch in Santiago, we recommend the Dezaseis Restaurant, located in Rúa San Pedro, 16 (981564880 – It’s advisable to book before). A typical Galician restaurant with very good product. It is not the cheapest restaurant in Santiago but the value for money is excellent.
2- A CORUÑA – For a full-day or half-day excursion.
Leave early in the morning and you will arrive in A Coruña in 50 minutes, half the journey by a good road and the other half by a motorway.
We advise you to leave the car in a car park, as parking on the street in the centre of A Coruña is very complicated. Then, visit the port, Plaza de María Pita, Los Olmos area, Calle Real, Calle Galera, Riazor,… A Coruña is a place to walk.
Then, take the car again to visit A Torre de Hercules, icon of the city of A Coruña, and San Pedro Mount, which was an old military battery, and nowadays it is a lovely garden area from where we have some of the most amazing views of the city and the sea.
If you decide to have lunch in A Coruña we recommend two options: La de Alberto Restaurant (981907411 – It’s important to book beforehand), great quality at medium price; or a second option would be to go for “tapas” in Los Olmos and Calle Galera. It’s more casual but funnier too.
3- MUROS / CARNOTA / O PINDO / EZARO – For a half day excursion.
We advise you to do it after breakfast in a quiet way. Go along the coastal road to Muros, where you can visit this charming town with a beautiful old part. In the summer, there is sometimes a boat offering voyages to visit the Ria which it is well worth it.
On your way back, you will find Carnota along the coastal road. Here we have the largest beach in Galicia, with 7 km long and with a wonderful state of preservation, avoiding crowds and horrible construction. You can also visit the famous “hórreo”. It’s the biggest one with 35 meters long, and where the local people used to store the grain. Nowadays, it’s mainly used for decorative purposes.
A little further north we will reach the village of O Pindo with its great Mount Pindo. We will talk about it a little bit later in the section of Trekking, as climbing the Mount Pindo is a great activity for those who like walking and nature.
Later on, we will arrive at O Ézaro, where the Xallas river flows into a waterfall (the only river in Europe that does it this way), creating an atmosphere of great beauty, both day and night, when the area is illuminated. Once you have visited the mouth of the Xallas River, we advise you to go up to the Mirador de O Ézaro, and enjoy some of the most beautiful views of the Galician coast.
4- CABO FINISTERRE – An unforgettable sunset.
We advised you to visit Cape Finisterre at dusk (my father and I used to go with a pack of sunflower seeds and a bottle of wine) to enjoy one of the best sunsets from the “end of the earth”. Do not rush, park your car, find a comfortable place to sit down and … relax.
After visiting the Cape, we advise you to stop in the center of Finisterre to walk for a while in the port area and to have dinner in one some of the lovely restaurants, where seafood and fish are first quality.
5- COSTA DA MORTE – Stunning nature and sea
Depending on the time you have got for your trip, we propose you, from north to south, some places that should be “obligatory visits” during your stay in A Costa da Morte. There are some others, but we encourage visiting these ones).
– Malpica de Bergantiños: One of the most typical towns of A Costa da Morte, with a picturesque traditional fishing port and a beautiful beach in the town center surrounded by a promenade with terraces.
– Corme: The village of Corme, and the lighthouse of O Roncudo form one of the most unspoiled areas of A Costa da Morte. In the lighthouse of O Roncudo, we find the most tasteful goose barnacles (and the most expensive too) of the Galician coast. Once we know the whole area that surrounds the lighthouse of O Roncudo, we realize the reason why the goose barnacles are so expensive. In the summer, we have the “Festa do Percebe”, where we can taste this seafood at reasonable prices, and in a great atmosphere.
– Camariñas: Capital of the traditional bobbin lace, and the origin of A Costa da Morte, where many “famous” boats sank. Many stories and legends on this topic have been publised. In addition to the fishing port, located in the town-center, you cannot miss Vilán Cape. The lighthouse keeper is still living there and she will be delighted to have a chat with you and to tell you stories of the area.
– Muxía: Recently known for being the Km 0 of the Prestige catastrophe which took place at the beginning of this century. Muxía is a charming town with great history (half real and half legend. It depends on anyone’s ears). The sanctuary of the Virgen de la Barca, (where it is said that the virgin appeared on a boat), has a special scenic beauty, and many of the characteristics that define A Costa da Morte: wild sea, stunning landscape, wind, nature,… The famous “pedra dos cadrís” and the “pedra de abalar”, with their special shapes, call visitors’ attention.
– Ría de Lires: A haven of peace, and one of the most amazing sunsets in the area. We recommend visiting the Ria de Lires just before the sunset. Go for a walk, visit Touriñán Cape and go to a terrace for a cup of wine, beer or even a Gin Tonic to witness a sunset of great beauty that impresses everyone.
– Corcubión: The “pearl” of A Costa da Morte, declared a historical-artistic site in 1985, is one of the most typical villages of A Costa da Morte. It still maintains an attractive old centre which deserves a careful visit.
FISHING
A Costa da Morte is a small paradise for those people keen on fishing. The sea bass fishing is one of the most popular.
It’s difficult to list all the places where you can practice sea bass fishing with decoys (vinilos, rapalas …), since the weather changes the coast conditions a lot. Anyway, there are many different places to practice this type of fishing.
Besides, you may also enjoy squid fishing in many ports around, which is easier, more comfortable and funnier for children.
TREKKING
For those who enjoy trekking, we have a great product to show: Camiño dos Faros (http://www.caminodosfaros.com/). This trekking route, divided into 8 stages, runs along the 200 km joining Malpica de Bergantiños and Finisterre, always close to the coast, and passing through the most beautiful areas (beaches, cliffs, lighthouses, …) of A Costa da Morte.
There are stages of all types for the more experienced and prepared walkers; from the shortest stage to the most complicated one … but all of them of great beauty.
For beginners, or less prepared hikers, we advise the stages “Laxe-Arou” and “Arou-Camariñas”, which are less demanding.
SURF
For lovers of surfing, just 3 km from the hotel, Praia de Soesto is one of the best-known beaches for practicing this sport. Other points are Razo and Nemiña (a scant 40 minutes from Laxe).
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