Vilalba Voyage Tips and guide

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Vilalba is a town in Galicia in northwest Spain, with a population of 13,800 in 2024. It has few visitor attractions but makes for a stopover on the Camino del Norte branch of the pilgrimage trail to Santiago.

Vilalba is at the confluence of three small rivers on a plateau 480 m above sea level, so nights and winters can be cold. The level terrain makes it a natural transport route and one branch of El Camino to Santiago comes through it; nowadays motorways zoom past. This far north was not a cockpit of war with the Moors so it never acquired the bastions and churches that dot the landscape of Castile, but a castle was built in the 13th century over an earlier fortification by the Andrade tyrants. Vilalba in the 20th century had a tradition of radical journalism and publication, which Franco (himself from Galicia) enjoyed crushing. In modern times it has light industry.

The most convenient airport is Santiago de Compostela (SCQ ^IATA), as tourism brings flights from across Europe.

A Coruña (LCG ^IATA) and Vigo (VGO ^IATA) airports have domestic flights (eg from Madrid and Barcelona) but not much international.

By road from Madrid follow A-6 (toll) past Lugo, then branch onto A-8 northeast.

Galicia Region buses run every couple of hours from Lugo, taking 40-60 min. Some continue to outlying villages such as Martiñán.

Two buses a day are direct from Santiago de Compostela and one from A Coruña, otherwise change in Lugo. Change there also from Madrid.

43.3024-7.67531 Estación de Autobuses is 1 km northeast of town centre. The building is sad and derelict, no facilities not even a bench to sit on, nevertheless buses do stop here.

The town can be easily explored on foot. Taxis wait by the central roundabout.

• Tower of Andrade is the bastion in the centre of town, now part of the Parador. Town architecture is otherwise non-descript 20th century low-rise. Plaza de la Constitución the main square is bland. The museum near the bus station has closed down.
• Igrexa de Santa María 50 m north of the Parador is the parish church, built late 19th century. Within is a replica of the grotto at Lourdes.
• Capilla de San Roque is a small chapel 100 m west of the centre at Rúa Conde Pallares 15.

• Pavillón Municipal de Deportes is the council-run sports centre, 500 m southwest of town centre at Travesía Campo Feira 50.
• El Camino is the generic name for the pilgrimage routes converging on Santiago. Vilalba stands on Camino del Norte from the Cantabrian coast, but you can start here as it's 116 km to the finish.

• Gadis is the most central supermarket, 100 m south of town centre at Rúa de Galicia 26, open M-Sa 09:00-21:30. There's another branch next to the bus station, same hours.
• Froiz is at Rua José Maria Chao Ledo 19, same hours.
• Banks with ATMS are on Rúa da Pravia.

• Taperia O’porron, Rúa da Feira 10. Th-Tu 07:00-00:00. Tapas bar. (updated May 2025)
• Bar Puro Teatro, Rúa da Roxeira 2, ☏ +34 609 679519. Daily 09:00-02:00. Small restaurant with a terrace. (updated May 2025)
• Cafetería Luar, Rúa de Galicia 2, ☏ +34 982 878445. Daily 06:00-00:00. Cafe serving tapas, bocadillos and breakfast. (updated May 2025)
• Bar A Pravia, Plaza Suso Gayoso 10, ☏ +34 982 512240. W-Sa 08:00-02:00, Su 08:00-00:00. Bar with a terrace offering tapas. (updated May 2025)
• Bar A Esmorga, Rúa Basanta Silva. Bar with good burgers. (updated May 2025)
• Bar O' Porrás, Rúa Campo de Puente 38. M-F 07:00-22:30, Sa 09:00-02:30. Bar serving tapas, breakfast, Spanish omelette and pintxos. (updated May 2025)

• A Taberna, Plaza Suso Gayoso 9, ☏ +34 98 251 0061. Modern tavern with tapas, mains, menu of the day and the inevitable octopus. (updated May 2025)
• O Manxar, Rúa da Pravia 6, ☏ +34 98 251 0751. Specialising in octopus. (updated May 2025)
• Pizzería Pizzca, Rúa da Pravia 26 (within Café Centro), ☏ +34 98 289 2207. Th 20:00-00:00, F-Tu 13:00-16:00, 20:00-00:00. Modern place for pizza and burgers. (updated May 2025)
• Pizzería American's, Rúa Guitiriz 16, ☏ +34 98 251 2455. W-Su 13:00-15:30, 20:00-23:30. US-style pizzeria with tasty bocadillos. Fast service. (updated May 2025)
• O Típico, Rúa de Galicia 56, ☏ +34 98 251 1036. Trad restaurant serving octopus and churrasco. (updated May 2025)
• Restaurante Lanzos, Rúa Plácido Peña 27, ☏ +34 98 251 0277. Su-F 07:00-21:30. Galician restaurant with traditional food and a menu of the day. (updated May 2025)

• Bars: a dozen around the centre or top of Av da Terra Cha going southeast.
• Wine: Galician wine is mostly white and crisp like Portuguese.
• Distillery: Carpers make gin in Carboeira village 10 km east of town. No tours.

• 43.2981-7.68241 Parador de Vilalba, Rúa Valeriano Valdesuso, ☏ +34 98 251 0011. Central comfy parador in the old castello. B&B double €120. (updated May 2025)
• Hotel Venezeula is a tatty basic place in front of the Parador, at Plaza Suso Gayoso 10.
• 43.2988-7.67982 Villa Alta, Rúa da Pravia 26, ☏ +34 67 963 5837. Clean friendly place, no catering. Double (room only) €60. (updated May 2025)
• Hotel Vila do Alba is 200 northeast of Villa Alta at Rúa Campo de Puente 27.
• 43.3012-7.67683 Hostal Restaurante Terra Chá, Rúa Doctor Domingo Goas 10, ☏ +34 98 251 1702. Basic hotel near the bus station, usually clean. B&B double €55. (updated May 2025)
• Albergue As Pedreiras Vilalba is a pilgrim hostel 100 m north of the Parador at Rúa Pita da Veiga 4.
• Albergue Castelos is another hostel 200 m further west at Rúa das Pedreiras 16.

As of Feb 2025, Vilalba and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from Masmovil, Movistar and Orange.

• Lugo the provincial capital has intact city walls.
• Ribadeo is a beach resort on the boundary with Asturias region.
• Ferrol is a historic port and navy base.
• Santiago de Compostela is a must-see for its cathedral and medieval centre.