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Vigo is built around a working port and the Ría de Vigo estuary, so most of the best things to do involve the water, the old town, and seafood. The headline attraction is the Cíes Islands, a national park 45 minutes offshore by ferry. Everything below includes opening hours and prices in euros, and the best time to visit Vigo page tells you when to go.
Things to Do in Vigo: Beaches and the Cíes Islands
Islas Cíes (Cíes Islands)
The Cíes Islands are part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park, about 45 minutes by ferry from Vigo’s port. Playa de Rodas, the main beach, was named the best beach in the world by The Guardian in 2007. Ferries run with Naviera Mar de Ons from June to September and cost around €21 return. You need a free permit from the Xunta de Galicia website, and summer entries are capped at about 2,200 people per day, so book ahead. There are no hotels on the islands, only a campsite, so most visitors base themselves near the port, as covered in our where to stay in Vigo guide.
Praia de Samil
Samil is Vigo’s main urban beach, 1.7km of sand on the southern edge of the city with a promenade, playgrounds and volleyball courts. It’s free and open all year, with lifeguards in summer. City buses 15A and 15C run here from the centre in about 25 minutes. The water stays around 18 to 19°C (64 to 66°F) even in August, as our Vigo weather by month guide shows, and the beach is in the Samil and Coia neighborhood guide.
Things to Do in Vigo: Historic Sights and Museums
Castro de Vigo (Fortaleza del Castro)
This hilltop fortress on Monte do Castro gives you the best panoramic view over the Ría de Vigo and the port. It’s free to enter and open all day. The walk up from the centre takes about 15 minutes, and the gardens at the top are a good spot to watch the ferry traffic.
Casco Vello (Old Town)
The old town clusters around Praza da Constitución and the Concatedral de Santa María, a neoclassical church completed in 1836. The streets here are the city’s tapas and oyster quarter, and the Reconquista festival takes over these same lanes every March. Rúa da Pescadería is known as Oyster Street, where stalls shuck fresh Arcade oysters for about €3 to €4 per dozen with a glass of Albariño.
MARCO (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Vigo)
MARCO is Vigo’s contemporary art museum on Rúa del Príncipe, housed in a former prison. Entry is free. It opens Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 14:30 and 17:00 to 21:00, plus Sunday mornings, and closes on Monday.
Museo do Mar de Galicia
The Sea Museum of Galicia sits on the Punta do Muíño headland and covers the region’s fishing and maritime history. Entry is about €3, free on Saturday afternoons. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00, with reduced winter hours.
Things to Do in Vigo: Food and Markets
Mercado da Pedra
The La Piedra market is the place to eat fresh seafood, especially oysters, in the open air near the port. It runs daily. Budget about €10 to €15 for a plate of percebes (goose barnacles) or a dozen oysters.
Bouzas Seafood Restaurants
The former fishing village of Bouzas, a 10-minute bus ride west, has the city’s best seafood restaurants serving mariscada (seafood platters) and grilled sardines. A full seafood meal for two with wine runs €60 to €90.
Things to Do in Vigo: Day Trips
Rande Bridge and the Ría de Vigo
Drive or take the C4 bus to the viewpoint at Monte de A Guía to see the Rande Bridge, a 1978 cable-stayed bridge spanning the estuary. It’s free. Combine it with a stop in Redondela. Bus routes and fares are in our Vigo travel tips guide.
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago, with its cathedral and pilgrim route, is about 50 minutes by train from Vigo-Urzáiz station (roughly €6 to €10 one way), with trains roughly hourly. See the main Vigo travel guide for more on getting around the region.
