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Long, wide beaches and relatively calm (if cold) waters have made the Rías Baixas (Castilian: Rías Bajas) Galicia's most popular holiday destination. The Rías de Muros y Noia, de Arousa, de Pontevedra and de Vigo – Galicia's four longest rías (coastal inlets) – boast way more towns, villages, hotels and restaurants than other stretches of the Galician coast, which obscures some of their natural beauty. Still, the mix of pretty villages, sandy beaches and good eating options, especially the wonderful seafood, keep most people happy. Throw in lovely old Pontevedra, the big-city feel of lively Vigo, the quaint albariño wine capital Cambados and trips to offshore islands including the magnificent Illas Cíes, and you have a tempting travel cocktail.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Rías Baixas.
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From the hamlet of Donón, 4km west of Hío, the windswept, rocky cape Cabo de Home stretches 2.5km south. It's strung with walking trails and a few driveable tracks, and has three lighthouses, a couple of beaches and great views of the Illas Cíes. The wonderfully panoramic Iron Age castro Berobriga sits atop Monte Facho nearby: reaching it involves an uphill walk of about 20 minutes, partly along a castro -era stone-paved track.
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Galicia's most spectacularly sited prehistoric settlement is poised majestically on a wind-blasted headland overlooking the Atlantic waves, 4km southwest of Porto do Son. Park near Cafe-Bar Castro and take the rocky 600m path down to the ruins. Clearly the exposed location was chosen for its defensive qualities: a moat and two stone walls protect its access across a small isthmus. Inside are the excavated bases of about 20 round stone buildings. The settlement was abandoned in the 1st century AD.
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Three of the six buildings of Pontevedra's eclectic museum are closed long-term for restoration, but the others are well worth your time. The Edificio Sarmiento, in a renovated 18th-century Jesuit college, houses a particularly absorbing collection encompassing Galician Sargadelos ceramics, modern art, two Romanesque sculptures of Biblical prophets that once stood on the exterior of Santiago de Compostela cathedral, and prehistoric Galician gold jewellery.
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This 18th-century country mansion, 13km northeast of Cambados, is surrounded by wonderful gardens containing 800 flower species, a large albariño vineyard and an amazing 4000 camellia trees. The camellias' gorgeous pink, red and white blooms appear from December to May; late February and early March is the perfect viewing period.
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The Edificio Sarmiento, pride of the Museo de Pontevedra, occupies a renovated 18th-century college. Its absorbing collection ranges over Galician Sargadelos ceramics, modern art (including one work each by Picasso, Miró and Dalí), two Romanesque sculptures of Biblical prophets that once formed part of Santiago de Compostela's Pórtico de la Gloria, and prehistoric Galician gold jewellery, petroglyphs and carvings. Entry is through the adjoining Sexto Edificio.
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The Soutomaior castle-palace, amid enormous and beautiful gardens, is well worth a 21km drive northeast from Vigo. Displays inside the castle, which dates back to the 12th century, detail its fascinating history in Spanish, Galician and English. Outside, you can happily stroll for at least an hour among huge sequoias and cedars, a large albariño vineyard, woodlands of oak and chestnut and over 200 camellias, which bloom brilliantly between November and April.
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The handsome 17th-century Pazo de Fefiñáns steals the show on visits to the small, family-run winery that's housed in it. The basic one-hour tour (€7) covers the main rooms of the historic house (with some fascinating antiques and art), its distillery and its vast gardens with 150-year-old vines and an ancient woodland. You can add on a one-wine tasting for €3.
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Directly south (uphill) from the old town, this verdant park is a magnificent place to be when the sun is dropping into the ocean behind the Illas Cíes. You can look at the partly reconstructed Castro de Vigo dating back to the 3rd century BCE, and poke around the hilltop Castelo do Castro, which formed part of Vigo's defences built in the 17th century.
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This ruined 15th-century church is now roofless but still has its four semicircular roof arches intact, and is surrounded by a well-kept cemetery with elaborate graves – all very picturesque, and particularly atmospheric when floodlit. The five-minute walk up to the Mirador de A Pastora is well worth it for expansive views over the Ría de Arousa.