A Lanzada Beach (Sanxenxo and O Grove)

A Lanzada beach (Praia da Lanzada) is a 2.3 km open Atlantic beach of fine sand on the isthmus that joins O Grove to the mainland, shared between the municipalities of Sanxenxo and O Grove in the Rías Baixas. You reach it on the coast road between Sanxenxo and O Grove; a free car park with 768 spaces sits behind the dunes near the middle of the beach. It has a Blue Flag, lifeguards, toilets, showers and access ramps, and a wooden boardwalk through the dunes along almost its whole length. It suits beach lovers, walkers and water-sports fans; skip it if you want calm, sheltered water, because the official listing describes it as windy, with strong waves.

Quick facts

• Names: Praia da Lanzada in Galician, Playa de La Lanzada or A Lanzada in Spanish; English speakers search for both “A Lanzada beach” and “La Lanzada beach”.
• Where: the open-sea side of the isthmus between the O Grove peninsula and Sanxenxo (Pontevedra province), facing west into the Atlantic.
• Coordinates: 42.4481, -8.8764 (Turismo de Galicia; on the sand in OpenStreetMap).
• Length: 2,300 m (Turismo de Galicia and Concello de Sanxenxo; the provincial tourist board says 2,400 m). Fine sand, open beach.
• Awards: Blue Flag.
• Protection: part of a Natura 2000 Site of Community Importance; the Umia–O Grove intertidal zone behind it is a wetland important for birds.
• Summer occupancy: high (Concello de Sanxenxo).
• Entry: free; parking free.

Access and parking

By car: the beach runs alongside the coast road that crosses the isthmus to O Grove; a wide belt of dunes separates the sand from the road (Concello de Sanxenxo). The provincial tourist board lists parking as free.

Parking: the main car park, the Aparcadoiro da Lanzada, is marked on OpenStreetMap as free with 768 spaces, about 600 m north of the midpoint of the beach. Smaller free car parks sit at the southern end near the chapel, and at the northern end near the Pousada de A Lanzada.

By bus: OpenStreetMap shows a bus stop named Empalme A Lanzada on the main road, about 800 m from the middle of the beach. The provincial tourist board puts O Grove bus station at about 6 km and Sanxenxo bus station at about 9.3 km. We could not check current timetables.

What to expect

A long, straight sweep of fine white sand backed by dunes, with a wooden boardwalk running between the dunes for almost the full length of the beach. The Rías Baixas tourist board calls it one of the most emblematic beaches in Galicia and ideal for water sports. In summer it is calm, says Sanxenxo’s beach page; in winter, especially with strong south-westerly winds, it is transformed, with big seas that are spectacular to watch.

At the southern end, on a small headland, stands the chapel of Nosa Señora da Lanzada, with the remains of a fortress and an old jetty nearby. Below the chapel is the tiny cove of A Nosa Señora, about 50 m long, with fine sand on one side and coarse sand, rocks and boulders on the other. It is here that the “bath of the nine waves”, a fertility rite, takes place on the last Sunday of August, according to the Concello de Sanxenxo. The provincial tourist board also mentions a necropolis from the 4th century BCE in the area.

Practical details

Facilities listed by the Concello de Sanxenxo for A Lanzada:

• Parking, showers and toilets.
• Lifeguard post.
• Beach kiosk.
• Bins and daily beach cleaning.
• Access ramps for people with disabilities.

The provincial listing rates the water health as good and the state of conservation as good. OpenStreetMap shows hotels along the road near both ends, including the Pousada de A Lanzada at the northern end. Beyond the chapel at the southern end lie smaller beaches such as Praia Lapa and Area Gorda.

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

For swimming and sunbathing, summer, when the beach is calmer and the lifeguards and kiosk are working; expect it to be busy, as Sanxenxo rates summer occupancy as high. For big waves and a wild walk, winter days with south-westerly winds. If you are curious about the nine-waves rite, it falls on the last Sunday of August.

Nearby alternatives

• Ons Island, 9 km away: the national-park island off the mouth of the Ría de Pontevedra, visited by boat with a free Xunta authorisation.
• Combarro, 14 km away: the fishing village with more than sixty hórreos, about thirty of them on the shore.
• Pontevedra Old Town, 19 km away: the car-free granite historic centre of the Rías Baixas capital.
• Cíes Islands, 25 km away: the national park islands off Vigo, with Praia de Rodas.

Distances are in a straight line from the middle of the beach.

FAQ

Is there parking at A Lanzada beach?

Yes, and it is free. The main car park has 768 spaces behind the dunes, about 600 m north of the middle of the beach, with smaller free car parks at each end.

Can you swim at A Lanzada?

Yes, it is a Blue Flag beach with a lifeguard post, but the official listing describes it as windy with strong waves. Swim near the lifeguards and avoid rough days.

Is A Lanzada in Sanxenxo or O Grove?

Both. Turismo de Galicia and the provincial tourist board list it under the municipalities of Sanxenxo and O Grove.

What is the nine waves ritual at A Lanzada?

A traditional fertility rite: bathing in nine waves at the small cove below the chapel of Nosa Señora da Lanzada. Sanxenxo says it takes place on the last Sunday of August.

How long is A Lanzada beach?

About 2.3 km, according to Turismo de Galicia and the Concello de Sanxenxo.

Sources and freshness