Well now that it's officially fall and tomorrow school starts (FINALLY), I guess I should write about that summer vacation long, long ago. August's weeklong vacation was spent exploring the ¨estuaries¨ of Galicia's west coast--As Rías Baixas. I've never used the word estuary in English, so basically we went to the different rivers that open to the ocean.
Ría de Vigo
I've been to
Vigo before, which to me is just another big city. It does have some nice beaches, but then again the entire trip was about glorious beaches, so nothing out of the ordinary. However it was cool to see the sun setting behind the Cíes Islands. We basically spent the night here as a stopover between the mainland and the islands.
Illas Cíes
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To the left the soon-to-be-covered bridge,
to the right the infinite beach |
Welp, I can finally cross camping at the Cíes off my Galician bucket list. It's a national park and tourist destination about 30 minutes by boat from Vigo. My friends said one night would be enough, but due to some drizzling, we didn't get to explore all the island. It's not even that big, honestly; there are only 2 or 3 trails. We did the Lighthouse Route, which is filled with great views of the island itself and the infinite ocean in front of you. Also, to get to the camping part of the island you have to cross a little bridge which is closed a few hours every afternoon when the tide is high. At that point it becomes 2 different islands, a view which can be observed from the trail. Except, when we were up there, it suddenly got foggy and it was as if we were in a cloud. The other main draw is Rodas Beach. It's so long I actually thought it was two. Perfect place for our daily beach breakfasts.
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| View from the lighthouse of another island accessible only by private boat. |
Ría de Arousa
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| Out on the ¨open seas¨ |
We spent a night in O Grove
on a boat. A one-of-a-kind experience, it was in Spain's only steamboat. The old storage room was converted into a big dorm with about 10 bunk beds. You could barely tell you were on a boat because the water was so calm. I was confused, however, since when we left in the evening we walked slightly downwards to the dock, but by the time we returned after dinner the tide had gone so far out that you walked down to the boat at a 45º angle. I thought we were walking onto the wrong boat! And as an added bonus, the boat owner let us use her canoe. Never imagined myself canoeing in an inlet between floating barges (collecting seafood no doubt), dodging catamarans. Ok, so there was only one tour boat, but when you're in ¨open waters¨ in a little canoe, everything seems like a danger. We were out there adventuring for over an hour. T
his makes up for the time in July we skipped a prepaid canoe trip because it was raining.
O Grove is a nice town that didn't seem too bombarded with tourists like some of our other destinations. It has a nice walkway along the Ría, with sculptures and a small beach. It also connects to a small island called A Toxa via a 2 lane bridge. Apparently it's a preppy location for vacationers, but we only visited a nice park long enough to see the exquisite colors of a sunset.
Ría de Pontevedra
We were in Pontevedra city for just a few hours, so I can´t really give an opinion. It seemed fine. We spent a few nights camping in Portonovo, at a place between two blue flag beaches. Ah, the good life! One day was spent at said beaches from morning until it got too chilly just before sunset. The day I seriously burnt my butt, by the way. Ugh! The nearby, slightly larger town Sanxenxo is definitely full of summer vacationers, which means it has some nightlife (which we didn't even experience...too tired haha).
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| In between beaches |
The real treat of this ría is Combarro, a small town rightfully nicknamed the Galician Venice. It was adorable with its hórreos right next to the ría. Lovely views, great cobblestone streets, and tiny alleys that lead to the water. And like Venice, there were also tons of shops aimed at tourists.
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| Two horreos and the ría |
Ría de Muros e Noia
We only camped one night in Muros for their rock festival, Castelo Rock. My first overnight rock festival, although we didn't even stay in the free camping (it was in a gym, which is a lot less charming than an outdoor field). The festival was pretty good the night we saw, and it was right next to the beach. Would've been cooler if you could see the beach...or even be on the beach, but it was fenced out. We camped in nearby Louro/San Francisco near yet another delightful beach. Before the concert we spent an idyllic afternoon eating hamburgers and playing rummy at the beach café, shaded by kiwi trees and gazing at that sapphire sea between turns. Sigh, summer vacation. You were too good to me!
