Ares.

Ares sits on the Ría de Ares, one of the inlets that make up Galicia's Rías Altas on Spain's northern Atlantic coast. The town grew around fishing, and it still keeps that rhythm: small boats line the marina, and the day's catch turns up in the tabernas along the waterfront. Praia de Ares, a long stretch of pale sand, curves along the edge of town.

Behind the town, paths climb into the hills and link up with wider trails through this stretch of the Rías Altas, giving views back over the ría and the moored boats below. Local festivals mark the Galician calendar through the year, built around patron saints, music, and shared meals.

Inland, the Fragas do Eume natural park holds dense Atlantic woodland and the Monastery of San Juan de Caaveiro, set deep in the forest along the Eume river. Ares works as a base for this quieter corner of the Galician coast.