Thousands of people visit this beautiful city every year and that’s no surprise, as it has become the ideal destination at any time of the year. In summer, you have the beaches and terraces, and in winter, its famous Christmas Lights display, which is also visible from “O Barco do Nadal de Vigo; and in the spring and autumn you can stroll along its parks and hills as well as enjoy the characteristic vegetation of the different seasons.
As we know that Vigo and its surrounding areas have a lot to offer, we have decided to tell you which are the best places to visit in the city, so that if you are here for a short time you can discover the most iconic locations.
Samil Beach
Samil Beach offers some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. This urban beach is the largest in Vigo with a length of 1.115 metres. From there, you can see the estuary and the Cíes Islands, as well as Cangas and its surroundings. Both at night and during the day, it is truly spectacular. That’s why we encourage you to visit and enjoy the lovely promenade. If you also feel like eating or having a drink, you have various beach huts, bars and restaurants in which you can try the local food.
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O Castro Hill
Castro’s Hill is one of the highest and most central points of Vigo. From there, you can enjoy privileged views of the whole city, the Vigo estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. You can also visit the settlement of the first inhabitants of the area, a village of castreño style buildings that was inhabited between the second and the third century BC.
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Port of Vigo
If you like to take a stroll, we recommend that you visit the sports port area. There, you can see the leisure boats, such as the sailing boats, the yachts and the cruise ships that drop anchor in our estuary so that their passengers can discover the city. On that same stroll you will also find eye-catching sculptures, such as the “Homage to emigration” by the Ourense sculptor Ramón Condy, the “Swimmer” by the sculptor from Cambados, Francisco Leiro, and the monument to Jules Verne, designed by José Molares. The latter monument is in homage to the writer of 20.000 Leagues under the Sea, who lived in the City of the Olive Tree during various periods of his life and cites it in some chapters of his work. There is also another statue of Jules Verne on the island of San Simón, which has a plaque dedicated to Captain Nemo and his crew.
Pazo Quiñones of León
Pazos are iconic locations of Galicia, and the Pazo de Quiñones, is also one of the most spectacular buildings in Vigo. So if you have never been to a pazo, we recommend that you visit this one.
This 19th century building houses a museum with a diversity of exhibition rooms containing all kinds of things. It is situated in one of Vigo’s main lungs, the Castrelos Park. This park has a large variety of green spaces, with extremely varied vegetation, garden areas and groves of chestnut and eucalyptus trees.
This is undoubtedly one of the jewels of the city. The best time of year to visit is in spring when you can enjoy all the trees in flower. In summer, you can also attend various open air concerts that take place in its auditorium.
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Historic Centre
The city’s historic centre, also known as the Casco Vello, cannot be left out from the list of iconic places. The area consists of cobbled streets which converge on the Plaza de la Constitución, the location of the old Council of Vigo and which now houses a diversity of cafés. Near this square, you will also find the Plaza de la Iglesia (Church Square), where the beautiful co-cathedral of Santa María, commonly known as La Colegiata is located. This is a 19th century building that is decorated with a multitude of frescoes.
Other points of interest that you can also visit are, the Plaza de la Piedra (Stone Square) where there is an ancient market containing different shops, and the Calle de la Pescadería (Fishmonger’s Street), where there are many restaurants in which you can try the wines and traditional dishes of the area.
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Vigo murals
If you like urban art, we also recommend that you take a stroll around the Vigo murals. Currently, the city has over 80 murals created by various young artists who come together each year to fill the city with colour. This initiative was begun in 2015 and, it continues to paint the diving walls of the city’s buildings every year.
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Maritime routes along the Vigo estuary
The city of Vigo is a spectacular sight from the estuary. For this reason, we strongly advise you to take one of our maritime trips and enjoy the panoramic views of the city and its surroundings.
At Mar de Ons we have a Tour of the Vigo estuary from the ports of Vigo and Cangas during Easter week and the months of July and August. The tour will take you along the magnificent Vigo estuary, where you visit our famous punts and enjoy a delicious mussel tasting on board, this is the most popular Galician aperitif.
On our maritime tours, you can enjoy a different kind of visit to Vigo and its estuary from the sea. Our guides will reveal unusual aspects about the town and its surroundings so that you can enjoy its richness and beauty for a few hours. If you are travelling in a group, these tours are offered throughout the year and you can take advantage of our promotional group tariffs.
Another popular maritime tour that we do is the “Mar de Noches” (Night Sea), where you can enjoy dinner with live music on board our vessels. During the day, you can also book our visits to the Isla de Ons and the Islas Cíes, which are part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, or to the Island of San Simón. The latter provides an excellent cultural visit on which, over 4 hours, you can discover the historical events and legends of the Vigo Estuary.
On board the Mar de Ons Shipping Line, you can also have a Starlight Experience. These waters are certified as a ‘Starlight Tourism Destination’ and have the ‘Observer Seal’. For this reason their surroundings are chosen for enjoying the night sky in the company of an astronomer guide throughout the year. If you would like to take join one of these tours, please consult our website for availability.
We hope that you have enjoyed our list of points of interest in Vigo and that you enjoy all the iconic places when you visit us. If you would like to discover other parts of Galicia, we recommend that you visit our blog, where you will find suggestions about what to discover in this and other areas of the Rías Baixas.
