Standing at the edge of Serra da Capelada, in northern Galicia, you quickly understand why this place feels so overwhelming.
Acantilados de Vixía Herbeira, located between the municipalities of Cariño and Cedeira, form part of the dramatic landscape of the Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal, one of the most geologically fascinating regions on the Atlantic coast of Spain.
These cliffs are among the highest sea cliffs in continental Europe, rising more than 600 meters above the Atlantic Ocean. When you stand here, the scale of the landscape is almost impossible to grasp.
On this particular visit we were lucky enough to witness an unforgettable sunset. The sky slowly began to ignite with colour while powerful gusts of cold wind swept across the cliff tops — the kind of wind that reminds you just how exposed this place really is.
Fighting those gusts, I carefully positioned the camera to build a composition that could capture the essence of the location. In the foreground, the stone wall that protects visitors from the cliff edge becomes a natural leading line, guiding the eye through the scene toward the historic lookout hut — the Garita de Herbeira, a structure that has stood here for more than two centuries.
Beyond it, the massive cliffs plunge dramatically toward the ocean while the sunset explodes across the horizon.
Photographing Serra da Capelada and the landscapes of the Xeoparque Cabo Ortegal is never easy. The terrain is wild, the wind is relentless, and composing such a vast landscape can be challenging.
But places like this remind you just how small we are in front of nature.
And that’s exactly why I keep coming back.
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