A Lanzada is one of the finest beaches in Galicia — a long, wide crescent of white sand stretching between the O Grove peninsula and Sanxenxo on the Rías Baixas coast. The beach faces the open Atlantic and catches good waves, making it popular with surfers, while its sheer length means you can always find space even in summer.
At the southern end of the beach stand the ruins of a watchtower and a small Romanesque hermitage, the Ermida da Nosa Señora da Lanzada, dating from the 14th century though with clearly older elements — a single nave, semicircular apse, and carved animal figures on the corbels. On the last Sunday in August, a festival is held around the hermitage culminating in the tradition of the "Bath of the Nine Waves," in which women wade into the sea to ensure fertility. The combination of wild beach, ancient stone, and Atlantic light makes A Lanzada one of the most atmospheric spots on the Galician coast.