Between Tide and Sky

There are places I return to countless times, waiting for nature to reveal the scene I dream of. For me, the Ermita da Virxe do Porto in Valdoviño is one of those places. I’ve stood here under grey skies, under storms, at tides too low and sunsets too dull, always imagining a moment when everything would come together.

Yesterday, it finally happened. The tide rose so high it swallowed the rocks and poured down in a fierce cascade at the foot of the hermitage’s island. The sea was alive and restless, yet the chapel stood firm, timeless against the fury of the waves. Above it all, the sky ignited – clouds painted in tones of fire, rose and violet, shaped by the last light of day. And just as the sun touched the cliffs, it split into a radiant sunstar, crowning the shot with brilliance.

It’s rare to witness all these conditions align: the tide, the textures of the sky, the color of sunset, the sun’s exact position. But when they do, for an instant, the ordinary becomes the extraordinary.