Vigo in just one day

There's something special about the Rías Baixas that captures us. We've already told you all about it in previous posts about our trip to this touristy area of Galicia, but we still had something to discover: the city of Vigo and the charming town of Baiona. During the month of August, our official tour guides will tell you all about these magical places on our Vigo+Baiona excursion. But first, do you want to know a little more about it?

From Santiago de Compostela to Vigo

Every Monday in August, our organised bus will depart at 09.00 am from the Pilar Church in Santiago de Compostela to the city of Vigo.

The first stop in the city will be at its seaport, of great economic importance for the area and presided over by the most curious and well-known sculptures of the city.

Although the roots of Vigo's port go back to the activity of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Celts, Romans and the influence of other cultures such as the Normans, Turks and English, its origins date back to 1881. The foundations of the fishing and canning activity were laid with the arrival, in the 18th century, of a group of entrepreneurs from the Costa Brava.

From that moment on, Vigo became a fishing reference point and began to develop its port activity with increasing intensity, especially in the second half of the 20th century (with the arrival of the railway to the docks, the growing passenger traffic, the boom in frozen fishing and the arrival of Citröen), until it became the international reference point it is today.

We will then continue with a walk through the old town, where we will see its main streets. What is known today as Vigo's Old Town was once the area of the city that was protected by walls built during the reign of Philip IV, in 1656, to protect the city from looting.

Thus, we will find the Mercado da Pedra, Cesteiros Street, Almeida Square, the Soportales del Berbés, Calle Real, Rivera del Berbés, Plaza da Constitución or Plaza de la Princesa, among others.

Monte do Castro

We will continue our trip with a visit to Monte do Castro. It is said to be the park with the best views of Vigo and its estuary. And no wonder. This beautiful mountain is the origin of the city, where the first settlers settled. In fact, on the lower slope, you can visit its castreño site and discover what life was like in the area in the 3rd and 1st centuries BC.

However, the most impressive part of Monte do Castro is inside its fortress. Surrounded by gardens and with a spectacular viewpoint that will delight us with Vigo at our feet, we will come across the castle of O Castro.

The town of Baiona and its castle

No visit to the Rías Baixas is complete without enjoying the coast. Towards midday, we will head towards the beautiful town of Baiona, crowned by its impressive castle, where we will have free time to have lunch and enjoy the beach.

In Baiona we will not only get lost in its streets, but we will also visit the Parador de Baiona, located on the peninsula of Monterreal. Since ancient times, this small isthmus has had human settlements: from a castro to a military construction with a defensive wall known as the castle of Monterreal. In the 19th century, the Elduayen palace replaced the medieval fortress and, in 1963, the State bought the property to install the Parador. Refurbished on the site of a fortress more than 2000 years old, the parador of Baiona or Conde de Gondomar has been delighting its guests since 1966 with views of the sea.

We remind you that the excursion to Vigo and Baiona departs every Monday in August. You can book your place on 698 186 670, at info@simplygalicia.es or by clicking here.