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Rías Baixas

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.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Rías Baixas.

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Castro de Baroña
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. Stretching south from the castro, Praia Area Longa is a nudist beach and also the first of a string of surfing beaches down this side of the ría.
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Edificio Sarmiento
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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Castelo de Soutomaior
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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Museo de Pontevedra
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. The adjoining, recently built Sexto Edificio has three floors of Galician and Spanish art from the 14th to 20th centuries – some interesting exhibits, though you won't find any really big names. The Ruínas de San Domingos comprise a ruined 14th-century church with an intriguing collection of heraldic shields, sepulchres and other medieval carvings.
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Parque do Castro
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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Igrexa de Santa María A Nova
The 14th-century Igrexa de Santa María A Nova is a classic of Galician ‘maritime Gothic’ style. Surrounded by a pretty cemetery, it houses a collection of unique tombstones from members of medieval guilds, many of them showing the tools of their trades, such as an anchor, knives (for butchers), tailors' scissors or a pair of soles (for shoemakers).
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Praia de Samil
A long swath of sandy beaches stretches southwest of the city. Best is 1.2km-long Praia de Samil, beginning about 5km from the city centre. It's backed by a long promenade and has great views of the Illas Cíes. Several buses run from the city centre. You can get there by bus 15C, about hourly from Porta do Sol in the city centre, or bus 10 or 15B (both hourly, Monday to Saturday only) from in front of Centro Comercial A Laxe on Rúa Cánovas del Castillo, near the Oficina de Turismo de Vigo. In the summer holiday season buses C3 and 4C also run to Samil from Porta do Sol.
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Praza da Ferrería
Praza da Ferrería has the best selection of cafes in town and is overlooked by the Igrexa de San Francisco, said to have been founded in the 13th century by St Francis of Assisi. Just off the plaza, you can't miss the curved facade of the Santuario da Virxe Peregrina, an 18th-century Portuguese-flavoured caprice with a ground plan in the shape of a scallop shell, symbol of the Camino de Santiago (whose Camino Portugués route passes through Pontevedra).
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Santuario da Virxe Peregrina
Just off Praza da Ferrería, you can't miss the distinctive curved facade of the Santuario da Virxe Peregrina, an 18th-century caprice with a distinctly Portuguese flavour. It's dedicated to the Virxe Peregrina (Pilgrim Virgin) who is the Catholic patron of Pontevedra and of the Camino Portugués pilgrim route from Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, which passes through Pontevedra. Its ground plan is in the form of a scallop shell, symbol of the pilgrimage to Santiago.