Canary Island resident?
A seafaring city with a tireless and enterprising spirit, Vigo combines a vibrant urban life with a rich cultural offer, where you can learn about its history through the city’s museums, such as the Museum of the Sea, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MARCO) and the Pazo Quiñones de León Museum..
The gastronomy of Vigo has strong connections to the sea. Be sure to try some of the seafood, octopus à feira, mussels, empanada and other equally tasty fresh products, freshly obtained from the Rías Baixas. The city also has a street known as Calle de las Ostras, where you can sample fresh oysters collected from rafts.
In addition, in Vigo we can enjoy dozens of gastronomic festivals dedicated to the promotion of Galician products and dishes that are part of the classic Spanish recipe book.
Calle Urzáiz and Calle Príncipe and the Vialia Shopping Centre, as well as the Corte Inglés on Gran Vía, make up the shopping area of Vigo par excellence, where you will find shops belonging to the main fashion brands. You can also buy local handicrafts, traditional items and souvenirs at the city’s many weekly markets and open-air shopping areas.
As we have already mentioned, Vigo is synonymous with the sea.It is a city that has been linked to the Atlantic since its beginnings and has maintained its maritime tradition throughout the centuries; a tradition that is still very much present today in areas such as the seafaring neighborhood of Bouzas, where you can see reconstructions of classic boats, and the port and the fish market of Vigo, where fishermen’s boats loaded with fresh seafood dock every morning.
Further inland we find the Casco Vello, the historic centre of the city, full of emblematic monuments such as the Co-Cathedral of Santa María and the monument to Jules Verne, as well as numerous charming squares such as the Plaza de la Constitución, the Plaza de Compostela and the Puerta del Sol, the heart of Vigo’s famous Christmas display and its Christmas market.
La Ría, dotted with traditional rafts where the famous and delicious mussels are cultivated, is crossed daily by boats that join its banks, approaching the towns of Cangas, Moaña and, of course, the heavenly Cíes Islands.
The port of Vigo enjoys international fame, with a great deal of import and export activity. Ships from all over the world come and go, loaded with all kinds of goods. It is also one of the ports of call for large cruise ships, which disembark large numbers of cruise passengers and enliven the city.
The Cíes Islands are the guardians of the Ria de Vigo, one of the most beautiful places in the country. They are part of the Atlantic Islands National Park, with its idyllic beaches and crystal clear waters, and a natural environment that make it a unique observatory of fauna and flora. The archipelago is made up of the islands of Monte Agudo, O Faro and San Martiño. The first two are open to visitors and are linked by the long sandy Playa de Rodas, considered the best beach in the world.
A visit to Cíes is ideal for hiking as a family or for a getaway in search of pristine and peaceful beaches, but due to the delicate ecosystem, visits to the islands are limited, so we recommend booking a place as soon as possible.
The heart of the Rías Baixas is home to Hesperia Vigo, a hotel designed to offer you comfort, convenience, and a unique experience at every moment of your stay.
