Visit Vigo

The old quarter runs down to the sea around Santa María co-cathedral and granite lanes that take an hour to explore. Below, Berbés recalls what keeps Vigo alive: fishing, with docks still busy from dawn. At lunchtime, head straight to Rúa da Pescadería, where the ostreiras open oysters to order, and finish on a nearby terrace with a glass of albariño. Half a day is enough, ideally on a weekday.

Monte O Castro, a hill of about 150 metres in the middle of town, keeps the ramparts of a 17th-century fortress and gives the best reading of the city: the port, the Rande bridge, then the Cíes on the horizon on clear days. Walk up from the Casco Vello in about twenty minutes, ideally late in the day. Further down, pedestrian Rúa do Príncipe leads to the MARCO contemporary art museum, housed in a former courthouse and prison.

These three islands of the Atlantic Islands national park are a day trip, and getting there takes planning more than effort. At Easter and from 15 May to 15 September, you need a Xunta permit before buying the boat ticket. The local press cites a quota of 1,800 visitors a day in high season. Take the first crossing, bring water and food, and leave some margin: in summer, the Mar de Ons company advises booking at least 30 days ahead.

If the Cíes are full or closed, the Cangas ferry is the best fallback. It runs all year, crosses the ria in about twenty minutes from the centre and costs a few euros. The crossing passes the bateas, the wooden rafts on which Galician mussels are farmed. On the far shore, Cangas has a small port and a seafront suited to a half-day, with a reverse view of Vigo, its cranes and its hills.

Samil city beach, with its wide promenade and pale sand, is reached by Vitrasa bus for about €1.60. The water peaks at 17 °C in July and August: swimming stays bracing, and in September the sea is as warm as in August, with fewer people. On the way, Castrelos park surrounds the Pazo Quiñones de León, a manor turned municipal museum with French-style gardens. Allow half a day to combine the two.

Baiona has a special place in history: the Pinta caravel landed here on 1 March 1493, bringing Europe news of the discovery of America. A replica can be visited in the harbour. The walk round the ramparts of the Monterreal fortress, now a parador, takes about an hour and looks out over the ocean. Allow a full day by adding Ladeira beach, or carry on in the evening to the village of Panxón. A car is the simplest way to link these stops.

To the north, Combarro lines up its hórreos, granite granaries on stilts, along the water, and the Salnés valley concentrates the wineries of the Rías Baixas appellation, best visited during the September harvest. To the south, Tui and its fortress cathedral face Valença on the Portuguese side, across a bridge over the Minho that can be walked. Santiago de Compostela is about an hour away by train. For Porto, allow 2h30: until April 2027, buses replace the train as far as Valença. This corner of Spain works best over four days.