If you’re interested in visiting the Rías Baixas and are asking yourself ‘where can I eat the best seafood meals in Galicia?’ Many people will give you the same answer: the municipality of O Grove.
The so-called seafood capital prides itself on offering the best marine produce in the area. And so, each year, it proudly celebrates its Seafood Festival in O Grove, which is one of the most popular gastronomic celebrations in the whole of Galicia.
When is the seafood festival of O Grove held?
The O Grove Seafood Fair (Feira del Marisco) is one of Galicia’s most international festivals. Declared as being of National Tourist Interest, each year it welcomes thousands of people to enjoy the most exquisite produce of the Rías Baixas, as well as to enjoy themselves at the various shows and activities on offer.
The Seafood Festival in O Grove is held each year during the first few weeks of October, and it coincides with the feast day of Pilar. This is because, at this time of the year, the seafood is much more delicious and has a more intense flavour.
During the festival, a succulent variety of seafood is on offer: crab, common cockles, razor clams, lobster, barnacles, mussels, among others. They also create other traditional products, such as the well-known fair-style octopus (pulpo a feira), or the pasties with different fillings.
This festival in internationally renowned, which is why it welcomes crowds of people each year. It is estimated that, in recent years, there has been an average of around 200,000 visitors. As it is such a well-attended festival, visitors book their accommodation and holidays several months in advance. So if you want to come too, we recommend that you organise everything in time so that you don’t end up without a place to stay.
What to visit in O Grove
Apart from its famous seafood festival, this place has many other delights. This seaside town has a seafront promenade which is ideal for relaxing while you stroll beside the Ría de Arousa estuary. It also has a historic centre which is notable for its art and architecture. You will see attractive buildings there which house museums, churches and libraries, among other things.
Also in the area surrounding O Grove there are various beaches where you can enjoy a relaxing day, and there are some ethnographic parks in which you can enjoy a day out in nature.
Nearby, you will also find one of the most beautiful beaches in Galicia, la Lanzada beach. We recommend you visit this one and enjoy its unique beauty, its white sand and crystalline waters, which you will no doubt want to take photos of.
And if you have more time and want to visit more places in the area, we suggest you visit the town of Sanxenxo, a place that welcomes many tourists each year who go there to enjoy several days’ holiday. From this port, you can enjoy our mussel tasting tours which last one and a half hours, during which time we sail along the Ría de Pontevedra Estuary enjoying impressive panoramic views of the whole estuary, while tasting the star products of our region on board: freshly prepared mussels. You will discover the authentic taste of the sea!
From there, you can also travel with the Mar de Ons Ferry Company to the famous Cíes Islands and to the Island of Ons
If you come during the high season (the summer months and Easter), remember that you need to request a permit from the Xunta de Galicia autonomous government to access both archipelagos, as both destinations have limited visitor access. For the Cíes Islands, the limit is 1800 visitors per day, while for Ons it is 1300.
Other places you can visit are Combarro and Cambados, two towns near Sanxenxo that are truly beautiful. For its part, Combarro has been selected as one of the most beautiful coastal towns of Spain on more than one occasion. And Cambados is not lagging behind, as it has one of the most splendid historic centres in Galicia.
There are many points of interest in this area. Take several days’ holiday to enjoy this marvellous place, to eat the best seafood in the world and to visit natural places that are both unique and exceptional.
