# Cíes Islands

How to request the Xunta authorisation, which boat to take from Vigo, Cangas or Baiona, the routes to the lighthouses, Rodas beach and the island campsite.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/cies-islands · Revisado: 2026-11-13

The Cíes are three islands at the entrance to the Vigo estuary, within the Atlantic Islands National Park: Monteagudo and the Faro island, joined by Rodas beach, and San Martiño, further south. There are no cars, no hotels and no bins. You arrive by boat, walk along marked paths and go back on the last boat or sleep at the campsite. What you need to know beforehand is how the permit works.

## Do I need a permit to go to the Cíes?

Yes, in high season. At Easter and from 15 May to 15 September, each person needs a free authorisation from the Xunta de Galicia, which is requested at autorizacionillasatlanticas.xunta.gal. The order is this: first you request the authorisation and receive a pre-booking code; with that code you buy the ticket from the boat company; then the final authorisation arrives, a QR code per person, which you show when boarding. It cannot be requested more than 90 days ahead, and the park sets a maximum number of visitors per day. The rest of the year you don't have to request it yourself: the boat company handles it when it sells you the ticket. If you sleep at the campsite, the campsite arranges it.

## How do I get there from Pontevedra, Santiago or Ourense?

By car to the port and then by boat. Vigo is about half an hour from Pontevedra, an hour from Santiago and a little over an hour from Ourense by motorway. From the Vigo Estación Marítima the Mar de Ons boat leaves all year round, with more sailings in season. It also leaves from Cangas, on the other side of the estuary, and in summer from Baiona, Sanxenxo and Portonovo. The return ticket costs €27.50 for adults and €12 for ages 5 to 12; under-5s do not pay.

In Vigo, the most convenient paid parking is at the Ribeira do Berbés, next to the port. In Cangas there is free space on the streets near the pier. In Baiona, the A Palma car park is next to the harbour.

## What do I do in a day?

You disembark at the pier, next to the park's information hut, and Rodas beach is right in front of you. Rodas beach is the start of all the routes, which are out-and-back: you return the way you came. The most complete is the Monte Faro route, 7 km there and back, two and a half hours and a 175 m climb to the Cíes lighthouse, the highest point you can visit. With children, the faro da Porta route, an hour each way with almost no climb. If you only have the afternoon, go up to the Alto do Príncipe, above the Monteagudo cliff.

A well-used day is: an early boat, a route in the morning, lunch and beach at Rodas, and the afternoon boat. In season, the first boat gets you there in time for the 12:00 sea kayak route, from age 12.

## Are there other ways to go, or something to do in the estuary?

Yes. You can reach the Cíes without a ferry: on a sailing day from Vigo, with anchoring and a swim at San Martiño, or on a private boat from Baiona; or underwater, with a discovery scuba dive from the Bouzas pier. The park prohibits scuba diving without prior authorisation; snorkelling without weights does not need it.

On land, the Vigo estuary is good for another day. In summer there is a boat tour of the mussel rafts as far as the Rande bridge, with a tasting on board. In Vigo's Casco Vello, the oysters of rúa da Pescadería are opened on the street, and above, at O Castro, the viewpoint looks out to the islands. If the sea won't let you sail, the Museo do Mar de Galicia has an aquarium with the estuary's seabed. In Baiona, the Monterreal walk circles the wall with the Cíes opposite.

## Where do I eat and sleep?

On the island, the main place to eat is the campsite restaurant, open to everyone in season, without reservations. Bring water and some food for the route anyway: there are no fountains on the paths. There are no cash machines either.

To sleep on the Cíes there is only the Camping Islas Cíes, open at Easter and from 15 May to 14 September, with pitches for your own tent or rental tents. Sleeping on the island is a different experience: dawn without boats and the park's stargazing, a Starlight destination. On the mainland, the Parador de Baiona has the islands in front of it.

## Park rules

Dogs and other pets may not be landed, except guide dogs. There are no bins: your rubbish goes back with you on the boat. It is forbidden to light fires, camp outside the campsite, leave the marked paths, fish and pick plants, shells or stones. The park asks you not to swim when the sea is rough and not to go near the cliffs.

## When to go

In June and September: boats daily, long days and fewer people than in August. In July and August the water is still cold, but the daily quota fills up. Outside high season there are fewer boats and the campsite and its restaurant are closed, so bring food. Check the sea forecast: in bad weather, the boat companies cancel.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Starry skies in Spain
- Cerca: Combarro and Pontevedra (a 28.4 km), O Grove, A Toxa and A Lanzada (a 30.5 km), Cambados (a 33.3 km), Santiago de Compostela (a 78.8 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Boat to the Cíes Islands from Vigo, Cangas or Baiona** (All ages · Desde 27.5 € return, adult): The Cíes can only be reached by boat, and in high season, with a permit as well. Naviera Mar de Ons sails from the Vigo Maritime Station and from Cangas every day at Easter and from 15 May to 15 September, and from Baiona, Sanxenxo and Portonovo at Easter, at weekends in June and daily from July to 15 September. It is not the only company: the National Park also cites Naviera Nabia and others with regular service from Vigo, Cangas and Baiona.
Permit first, then ticket
At Easter and from 15 May to 15 September, each visitor needs a free permit from the Xunta, requested on its Atlantic Islands permits website. It is requested at most 90 days ahead, can be cancelled up to 15 days beforehand and each request is valid for ten people at most. With that permit's code you then buy the ticket. The high-season quota is 1,600 to 1,800 visitors a day, so in summer the company advises buying at least 30 days ahead.
If you are sleeping at the Camping Islas Cíes, the campsite arranges the permit when you book.
What it costs from each port
With Mar de Ons, in 2026:

From Vigo, Cangas or Baiona: €27.50 adult, €12 for ages 5 to 12, free under 5.
From Sanxenxo or Portonovo: €32.50 and €16.
If you return to a different port from the one you left from, there may be a supplement of €3 to €9 per person.

There is a 10% discount if you repeat in the same season and 20% for people with a disability of 33% or more, also for their companion. It is bought on its website, on 986 225 272 or at its sales points in each port.
Out of season, groups only
From 16 September to spring, except Easter, there is no scheduled boat. According to the National Park, you can then only visit in organised groups of at most 25 people, with an accredited guide, hired through an authorised shipping company, and the quota drops to between 250 and 450 people a day.
The day of the trip
Bring your ID card or passport, as the company requires, and a warm layer for the deck. If you are going to stay overnight and reach Vigo with suitcases, the Maritime Station has 24-hour left luggage. On the island, nine beaches and four waymarked routes await you: you can go up the Monte Faro route and down to Rodas beach, as in the day in the Cíes from Vigo.
- **Rodas beach** (All ages · Free): The beach that joins the island of Monteagudo to the Faro island: an arc of white sand of almost a kilometre and a half, with the calm bay on one side and the Lago dos Nenos on the other. It is the image of the Cíes and the first thing you see on disembarking.
What it is like
The park describes it as a barrier beach: a strip of sand raised by wind and currents that closes the lake, a shallow inlet of salt water that is warmer than the open sea. Between the beach and the lake is a stone dyke built at the end of the 19th century, when the islands had salting factories and a shellfish nursery. The lake is one of the park's most fragile areas and you cannot enter it or the protected dunes; they are looked at from the path.
The water at Rodas is Atlantic: cold even in August and very clear. The bay faces the Ría de Vigo, to the east, and is sheltered from the open-sea swell by the islands themselves, but the park asks you not to swim when the sea is rough.
What to bear in mind
There are no bins on the island: bring a bag and take your rubbish back on the boat. Dogs cannot be landed, except assistance dogs. Bring a cap, sun protection and water; the campsite has a supermarket and restaurant in season, and near the Information Centre there are public toilets with an adapted toilet. The beach is free: the only thing you pay is the boat to the Cíes, and at Easter and from 15 May to 15 September you first need the Xunta permit.
Other beaches nearby
If you want fewer people, to the right of the jetty there are two small coves, Muxieiro and Areiña. Next to Rodas is Bolos, so called for the number of shells. To the north, on Monteagudo, Figueiras is traditionally naturist and has shade from trees. On the Faro island, Nuestra Señora beach is small and sheltered, and the campsite recommends it on days of north wind.
To round off the day
Rodas is the starting point for almost everything. From the jetty start the routes to Alto do Príncipe, with the best view of the beach from above, and to Monte Faro, which crosses it entirely. With small children, the faro da Porta route is the flattest. In summer, the kayak route tours the coast from the water. A good option is to walk in the morning and leave the beach for after lunch, before the boat back.
- **Monte Faro route, to the Cíes lighthouse** (2 h 30 · 7 km · From about 8–10 years old, on foot): The longest and most visited route in the Cíes: it leaves from the information hut, next to the jetty, crosses Rodas beach and climbs along a track among pines and scrub to the Cíes lighthouse, at the highest point you can visit in the whole National Park. It is 3.5 km and an hour and a half each way according to the park, and the same path back: about 7 km and two and a half hours in all, with 175 m of ascent.
The path, stretch by stretch
It is waymarked in yellow. From the hut you take the concrete-rutted track that heads south, on the left, and in 25 or 30 minutes you reach the main junction on the Faro island. On the way you pass Rodas beach, almost a kilometre and a half long, a barrier beach that joins Monteagudo and the Faro island, and the Lago dos Nenos. It is closed off by a dyke built at the end of the 19th century to link the two islands when there were salting factories and a shellfish nursery here. In clear water you can see sea bream, mullet, gilthead or sea bass, and with patience an octopus or a spider crab.
Once on the Faro island you leave the campsite entrance on the left, pass the public toilets and reach the Information Centre. About 300 metres later, at the main junction, the track on the right climbs. At the first bend you see San Martiño island and Nuestra Señora beach below.
What you see
Halfway up, where the trees give way to gorse and rockrose, two short detours are worthwhile: the Pedra da Campá, a rock pierced by the salt-laden wind, and the bird observatory, facing the breeding areas of the yellow-legged gull and the shag, the park's two most representative seabirds. From there you can clearly see the difference between the gentle east face of the islands and the west, cut by the ocean.
The last steep bends lead to the summit and the lighthouse. At the top, with 175 metres of cliff beneath your feet and the gulls playing with the wind, you see the whole archipelago acting as a breakwater in front of the Ría de Vigo, and to the east, the estuary, Rodas and the lake.
Before you climb
It is the route most exposed to the weather: in fog or strong wind, the summit loses its charm and the park recommends bearing this in mind before setting out. Bring water, because there are no springs or shade on the route in the upper part, and walking footwear. Work out the time of the return boat and leave with a margin. The routes are linear and you cannot leave the waymarked paths.
A marked path links with the faro da Porta route, so you can come down by the south and do an almost circular route. If you still have legs left, in the afternoon there is Alto do Príncipe, on the other side of Rodas. Before going, arrange the Xunta permit and the boat to the Cíes.
- **Faro da Porta route** (2 h · 5.2 km · Families): It shares its start with the Monte Faro route and separates at the main junction on the Faro island to skirt the south coast to the faro da Porta, opposite San Martiño island. It is 2.6 km each way, an hour and barely 55 m of maximum ascent: the Cíes route for going with small children.
The path
It is waymarked in green and leaves from the information hut, next to the jetty. The first stretch is the same as the climb to the big lighthouse: you cross Rodas beach, which joins the islands of Monteagudo and Faro, pass the Lago dos Nenos, the campsite entrance and the public toilets (with an adapted toilet), and reach the Information Centre, in the area with the park staff's houses. About 300 metres further on is the island's main junction.
There, instead of climbing to the right, you continue along the concrete-rutted track. On the left are Nuestra Señora beach, small and sheltered, Punta das Vellas and the Viños islet, where the shags dry their feathers in the sun; from a bend, about 100 metres from the junction, it can be seen well. After 45 minutes of walking you reach the Carracido jetty, a service pier built to carry materials to the lighthouses.
From there the path climbs a little and skirts the south coast to the lighthouse, 53 metres above the sea, at the northern end of the Freu da Porta: a channel of about 500 metres with strong currents that separates San Martiño, the wildest island, from the rest of the archipelago. You return the same way.
What to see at the lighthouse
Sitting on the rocks, at the foot of the lighthouse, you see the Furna da Porta, dark caves opened by the sea where cormorants breed. In the cracks grow thrift, sea fennel and angelica. Opposite, on the Sur island, the Furna da Galeira stands out, a cliff with a stone cross in memory of the 26 sailors from Moaña who died in the wreck of the Ave do Mar, in 1956. If you look towards the slope of Monte Faro, the remains of the castro das Hortas peep out among the vegetation, the most important archaeological site found in the Cíes.
With children and to combine
It is a wide track, with little climbing, and has no shade on the final stretch: bring water, a cap and something to eat. The campsite and the campsite restaurant are on the way, there and back.
A waymarked path links this route with the Monte Faro one, so you can do an almost circular route: climb to the big lighthouse, descend by the link and return via the faro da Porta. For the afternoon, Rodas beach is just round the corner. Remember that in high season you first need the Xunta permit and the boat to the Cíes.
- **Alto do Príncipe and the Queen's Chair** (1 h 30 · 3.4 km · All ages, on foot): A short climb across the island of Monteagudo, the northern one, to the Queen's Chair (Cadeira da Raíña in Galician), a seat-shaped rock that wind and salt spray have carved on the western cliff. From the top you take in at once Rodas beach, the lake, the Faro island with its lighthouse high above and the open Atlantic. The National Park guide gives it 1.7 km from the information hut, next to the jetty, and about 45 minutes one way.
The path
The route is waymarked in blue. It leaves along the track that starts to the right of the information hut and climbs gently up the east face of Monteagudo. The first thing that appears, on the right, is the Figueiras-Muxieiro dune complex, one of the best preserved in the park: here grow the white-berried camariña and the herba de namorar (Armeria pungens), which has its northernmost point in the Cíes. Do not step on the dunes; they are admired from the track.
A detour goes down to Figueiras beach, traditionally naturist, with a view of the Costa da Vela on the mainland. Back on the track, about 20 minutes from the start, you reach the island's main junction. That slope is covered with acacias and eucalyptus planted in the 1950s, but towards the estuary there is a small wood of Pyrenean oaks (Quercus pyrenaica), the last remnant of the islands' native woodland, which the park is trying to restore.
From the junction you continue along the track on the left. The trees give way to scrub, because of the wind and the thin soil, and the last 100 metres are a path between sculpted rocks up to the chair. The 2015 leaflet gives a maximum ascent of 122 m; the 2024 one puts it at 95 m and 35 minutes one way. It is a climb that anyone used to walking can do, in closed shoes.
What you see from the chair
Opposite, the Cíes lighthouse above the 175 m of cliff of the Faro island. On one side, the calm bay of Rodas, the Lago dos Nenos and the east slope, with trees; on the other, the almost bare west face, battered by the ocean. It is the best way to understand why these islands protect the Ría de Vigo like a breakwater. With children, keep to the path.
When and how to combine it
If you only have half a day, it is the best ratio of effort to view. At the end of the afternoon, with the sun sinking over the Atlantic, the light is at its best, but work out your return so as not to miss the last boat. There are no springs or shade at the top in the last stretch; bring water.
The first part coincides with the Monteagudo route, waymarked in red, which from the junction continues north to the bird observatory and the Peito lighthouse: 2.5 km one way and an hour. If you have the whole day, do both in the morning and leave the Monte Faro route or an afternoon at Rodas beach for later. To get there, see the boat to the Cíes and the Xunta permit.
- **Guided sea kayak route around the Cíes** (2 h · From age 12; you must be able to swim · Desde 20 € per person): The island seen from the water, in a double kayak, with a park instructor who accompanies you in an inflatable and stops to talk about birds, seabeds and history. It is organised by Kayak Cíes next to the Camping Islas Cíes, supervised by National Park technicians, and leaves from the campsite reception at 12:00 and 16:00 between 1 June and 15 September.
What the route is like
It starts on land, at the campsite reception, with a presentation and a short lesson on paddling, safety and park rules; then you walk down to the embarkation point. On the water there are fixed stops to rest, listen and take photos. The company itself lists some: the former convent of Santo Estevo, from the 11th century, today the park's conservation office; the ocellated lizard; the oystercatchers; the viewpoint at Conchas beach; the batiscope at Carracido, for seeing the seabed; the lighthouses, and the cormorants on the Viños islet.
It lasts about two hours, from the presentation to arrival. The kayaks are doubles; there are a few singles for odd-numbered groups, and pairs are arranged at the meeting point. They include a life jacket, paddles, a printed guide to the route and a monocular; the batiscope is shared. The instructors take photos during the outing and give them free. The company recommends the morning outing, because the sea is usually better.
Price and booking
Book on the Kayak Cíes website, which confirms the place afterwards, or on 629 83 45 31. Booking on the website is €5 cheaper than paying on the island:

June: €20 on the website, €25 on the island.
July, August and September: €30 on the website, €35 on the island.

Requirements
Minimum age 12, and you must be able to swim. The life jacket is worn throughout the outing. Ages 12 to 13, always with an adult; ages 14 to 18 may go alone with prior authorisation (the website is not entirely consistent on this band, so confirm it when you book). Bring sun protection, sunglasses, a cap and footwear that can get wet; phone and camera are at your own risk.
Report to the campsite reception five minutes early. If you are going for the day, you need the Xunta permit and the boat to the Cíes; the campsite advises taking one of the first boats in the morning to reach the 12:00 departure. From the jetty to the campsite you walk along Rodas beach.
To combine
If you are sleeping at the Camping Islas Cíes, the afternoon outing leaves the morning free for the Monte Faro route and the night for stargazing.
- **Stargazing at the Cíes campsite** (1 h · All ages · Desde 10 € per person): The Atlantic Islands National Park has been a Starlight destination since 2017: with no villages or roads around, the sky over the Cíes is among the darkest on the Galician coast. When the weather allows, the Camping Islas Cíes organises an hour-long outing every night with a guide who knows astronomy.
What you do
It is an outdoor night route in which the guide teaches you to find your way around the sky, to recognise the brightest stars, the visible planets and the main constellations, and tells the stories behind them. It is suitable for all ages and no prior knowledge is needed. The campsite does not publish a fixed departure time: ask at reception.
How to sign up
Book directly at the campsite reception. It costs €10 per person; under-10s do not pay and always go accompanied by an adult. It runs only if the weather allows.
Because it goes out at night and the last boat returns to port earlier, you can only do it if you sleep on the island, and the only place you can spend the night in the Cíes is the Camping Islas Cíes. The campsite is open from May to September; it is now closed for the end of the season and announces that its booking system for 2027 opens in March.
What to bring
Even in summer, at night on the island it gets cool and breezy: bring a jacket or a fleece. A torch, preferably with a red light, helps you move around without ruining your dark-adapted eyesight. If you have binoculars, bring them.
To round off your stay
Sleeping on the island lets you see the Cíes without the day visitors. In the morning you can climb to the lighthouse along the Monte Faro route before the first boat arrives, and at midday go out on the guided kayak route, which starts from the same reception. For dinner before the outing, the campsite restaurant is next door. With children, the campsite also has free children's activities in the afternoon in season.
- **Discover Scuba and Dives at the Cíes Islands from Vigo** (4 h · Able to swim; minimum age to be confirmed with the centre · Desde 95 € per person, the discover dive): Underwater the Cíes are still a national park, and their waters are regulated just like the land paths. To dive them with a tank you set out by boat from Vigo with a dive centre, which provides the equipment, the instructor and the boat. In Vigo this is done, among others, by Buceo Islas Cíes, with its own boat at the Bouzas dock.
Discover dive or dive: what you choose
If you have never dived, the discover dive (bautizo) is the way in. It costs €95 and the centre calculates it at four hours, including the boat. First they explain the parts of the equipment, how to behave and the signals for communicating underwater; then you go down to shallow depth with an instructor beside you the whole time. It is done at the Cíes or in the ría, depending on the day and the sea, so if what you want is the islands, say so when booking. It is not a course: it doesn't qualify you to dive on your own.
If you already have certification, you do a guided dive. The base rate is €35 in the ría, and diving at the Cíes adds €10. With all the centre's equipment, the dive comes to €55 plus that supplement; with just the tank, €40. A double dive adds €30 and, if you have no diving insurance, the day's insurance costs €10. Anyone wanting to qualify has the PADI Open Water Diver for €425.
What the park says
The National Park's rules prohibit "scuba diving without prior authorisation", and also carrying spearguns. Diving, navigation and anchoring in its waters are regulated by authorisations, and the park refers to its permits website for the diving one. The centre does not explain on its website how it handles that authorisation for your outing: ask when booking. Snorkelling without weights, on the other hand, does not need it, according to the park itself, which advises asking first at the information hut about the best areas and the prohibited or dangerous ones.
Booking and what to bring
The date is always confirmed beforehand by phone (986 290 589), WhatsApp or email; they answer Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 21:00 and at weekends from 9:00 to 14:00. They go out all year, but the sea rules: with a swell the outing is changed. Bring ID or passport, swimwear, a towel and flip-flops. You must be able to swim. The minimum age is not clear on the website (the discover dive sheet asks for over 14 and another page says from 10), so confirm it if you are going with a teenager.
If you want to set foot on the island afterwards, the discover dive doesn't leave you ashore: that is what the boat to the Cíes is for, with its Xunta authorisation in season.
- **A Day by Sailboat to the Cíes Islands from Vigo or Baiona** (8 h · With some agility to get ashore by inflatable · Desde 135 € per place, adult): The ferry drops you at the Rodas pier and picks you up a few hours later. By sailboat the day is different: you sail the ría, anchor off a beach, swim from the boat and go ashore when the group wants. There are two ways to do it with companies that the National Park includes on its list for visits to the Cíes: a place on a shared trip from Vigo, or a whole boat for your group from Baiona.
From Vigo, a place on a shared sailboat
Sailway leaves from the Real Club Náutico de Vigo at 11:00 and returns at 19:00. It is about two hours' sailing to San Martiño beach, on the southern island, where the boat anchors. There is snorkelling and paddle surfing, or a good hour on board for lunch and sunbathing. In the afternoon the boat crosses to Rodas, and those who want go ashore to walk a while along the island's paths.
It costs €135 per place from age 12 and €75 for younger children. The price includes the skipper, the entry permit for the Cíes, a simple picnic (sandwich, crisps, fruit and water), snorkel and paddle surf equipment, insurance and a toilet on board; you can bring your own food. It leaves with a minimum of four people and is paid in full when booking.
Note how you get ashore: in a small inflatable, for two or three people, lowered from the stern. The company warns that it calls for some agility.
From Baiona, the boat for your group
Julio Verne Náutica keeps its fleet at the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona and rents the whole boat with a skipper: a sailboat for nine people or a catamaran for eleven. It is about seven miles across the mouth of the ría. The route passes San Martiño and the freu da Porta, the strait between islands, continues past Rodas and ends at the small port of the northern island. From there, the classic stop is a climb of about 45 minutes to the Alto do Príncipe; you can also do the faro da Porta route or stay to swim.
It includes the boat, fuel, the skipper (accredited as a National Park guide) and the dinghy to land at the jetty. Food is not included. In winter it leaves from 10:00 to 14:00 and in summer also from 16:00 to 20:00. If the weather forces a cancellation, the trip is moved to another day at no cost. The price depends on the boat and the season and is published on its website.
The park's rules for boats
A private boat can visit the Cíes any day of the year but, as the National Park says, "navigation and anchoring permits issued by the National Park are required". The park sets a limit of 75 to 125 anchorages a day in the archipelago, spread over three zones: San Martiño, Nosa Señora and Rodas. With a company you arrange nothing yourself: with Sailway the entry permit is in the price. Remember that on land the same rules apply as for those arriving by ferry: no dogs, no fires, no rubbish on the island.
- **Mussel Rafts in the Ría de Vigo, by Boat to Rande or a Visit to a Raft** (1 h 30 · All ages): The Ría de Vigo is dotted with bateas, the floating wooden platforms from which hang the ropes where mussels grow. From the shore they look like dark dots on the water; up close you understand how the mussels you later eat in any Vigo bar are raised. There are two ways to get close: a boat trip of an hour and a half with mussels on board, or a small outing to a raft with a Vigo diving centre.
The mussel boat to Rande
Naviera Mar de Ons, the same company as the ferries to the Cíes, runs a summer tour of the inner part of the ría, the most sheltered. It leaves every morning from Vigo and Cangas and lasts an hour and a half. It passes Vigo's fishing port and the hill of A Guía, crosses to Cangas and Moaña, on the Morrazo peninsula, goes through the raft fields and reaches the Rande bridge.
On board, a guide tells the history of the ría, from Francis Drake's attacks to the Battle of Rande, and explains how mussels are farmed. Then freshly cooked mussels are served with local wine, water or soft drinks. The company says dolphins often accompany the boat, though it does not guarantee it.
The listing does not publish fixed times or prices: you see them when choosing the day and port on its website, or on 986 225 272, from 8:00 to 22:00. If you have already bought the boat to the Cíes that year, keep the locator: with it you get a discount on the second purchase.
A raft up close, with Mergullo Breogán
Mergullo Breogán is a Vigo diving centre that organises visits to a raft, in collaboration with the Consello Regulador do Mexillón de Galicia. The visit costs €40 for one person and €70 for two. If you want to get in the water, the discover dive at a raft (€60) starts with a short class on equipment and safety and continues with a shallow dive around the platform, with safety lines and a PADI instructor. The diving trips leave from the Real Club Náutico de Vigo, and the raft is about ten minutes by boat from the centre. The website does not publish the duration or minimum age: ask when booking at mergullobreogan.com or on 607 79 96 23.
Who each is for
The Mar de Ons boat is the family option: there is nothing to do but look, children see the rafts and the mussels arrive at the table. The Mergullo Breogán visit is for those who want to see the raft up close and ask questions without hurry, or try diving without leaving the ría. Both fit well in a day in Vigo before or after the Cíes, and afterwards you can continue with the oysters on Rúa da Pescadería.
- **Oysters on Rúa da Pescadería and the Climb to Monte O Castro, in Vigo** (2 h 30 · All ages): Vigo has a street that everyone calls the oyster street. It is Rúa da Pescadería, in the Casco Vello (old town), a few minutes' walk from the Estación Marítima, where the boat to the Cíes leaves. There the oyster sellers open oysters in front of you and you eat them at the next table. Afterwards, walking up through the centre, you reach Monte O Castro, the highest point of the centre, looking towards the islands you sailed past.
How the Pescadería oysters work
According to Turismo de Vigo, the oysters are raised in Arcade, at the head of the ría, and every morning they are taken straight from the nurseries to Rúa da Pescadería. They are sold daily by four oyster sellers in the Casco Vello. There is no restaurant in between: you buy the oysters from them, they open them on the spot and you sit at the tables put out by the street's bars. They are eaten raw, with lemon, and with an albariño, a ribeiro or a beer, which you order at the bar whose table you are using.
It is more a tapa tradition than a meal: a few oysters standing or sitting, a drink and on you go. Turismo de Vigo does not publish hours or prices. As the oysters arrive in the morning, the natural time to go is aperitif hour. Ask the price before ordering.
For parking, the tourist office lists three car parks nearby: Independencia, Areal and Pintor Colmeiro. If you come from the Cíes boat, there is no need to move the car: the street is right in the centre, above the port.
Up above, Monte O Castro
From the Casco Vello you walk up through the streets of the centre to O Castro park. At 149 metres, it is the highest point in central Vigo. From the viewpoint you see the city at your feet, the Morrazo mountains on the opposite shore and, to the west, the Cíes islands. Turismo de Galicia highlights its sunsets over the sea.
At the top are the walls, gates and loopholes of the castle that guarded the ría, and the interior of the enclosure has become a garden. The hill is a large park, with trees and a pine wood, and in the lower part a hill-fort settlement (castro) from the 3rd to 1st centuries BC is preserved, which later became a Roman fortification and then had the hermitage of Nosa Señora do Castro.
How to fit it in
It works as half a day in Vigo when you return from the last boat with time to spare, or as a morning plan if the sea doesn't allow the trip to the Cíes. With children, the park and the fortress offer more than the oysters. If you want to see up close the ría's other crop, mussels, the raft boat leaves from the same port.
- **Monterreal Fortress and the Monte Boi Walk, in Baiona** (1 h 30 · 2 km · All ages): Baiona is best viewed from Monterreal, the walled peninsula that closes its bay to the west. It is 18 hectares surrounded by three kilometres of walls built between the 11th and 17th centuries, with the Parador inside and the Cíes islands on the horizon. You can walk it in two ways: outside, at the foot of the wall and beside the sea, along the Monte Boi walk, or inside, through the enclosure and its towers. It fits well into the day of anyone leaving on or returning from the Baiona boat to the Cíes.
The Monte Boi walk, at the foot of the wall
The Concello de Baiona describes it as a route of almost two kilometres that goes around much of the base of the fortress. It starts at A Cuncheira beach and ends at the Clock Tower, beside the Royal Gate, which is the entrance to the enclosure. It runs outside the enclosure, between the sea and the stone, and was opened in 1995. Allow an hour or a bit more at a relaxed pace, with stops to look.
If it feels like too little, the Blue Trail of the Baiona coast follows the shore for 6 km, from A Concheira to Foz do Miñor, along the paths of Monte Boi, the sands and the marinas.
Inside: three towers and the Parador
The Concello says the fortress can be visited any day of the year, and Turismo Rías Baixas gives hours of 8:00 to 21:00. The wall preserves three towers:

Clock Tower, at the entrance, which hid a bell to sound the alarm.
Tenaza Tower, to the east, with the battery that defended the port.
Príncipe Tower, to the west, above the bay. Perhaps the oldest; it served as a lighthouse for ships and has three coats of arms.

The peninsula has been known as a walled enclosure for more than two thousand years. In the 18th century it was the residence of the Count of Gondomar, and in 1963 the State bought it to make the Parador, which is still inside. It is a Bien de Interés Cultural (protected heritage site). If you want to sleep surrounded by the wall, it is the Parador de Baiona; for a bite with views, its Enxebre A Pinta. Neither the Concello nor Turismo Rías Baixas publishes an entry price for the enclosure; if you want to confirm, the phone number given in the listing is the Parador's, 986 355 000.
When to go and how to get there
At the end of the afternoon, with low light over the bay and the Cíes silhouetted to the west. In summer the Mar de Ons boat to the islands leaves from the Baiona Estación Marítima, in the same port, so the walk fits before the morning boat or on your return. For parking, the A Palma car park is next to the port.
- **Museo do Mar de Galicia, in Alcabre (Vigo)** (All ages · Desde 5 € adult): The Museo do Mar de Galicia (Galician Sea Museum) is the place to understand what you see from the boat to the Cíes: fishing, shellfish gathering, raft aquaculture, canneries and the biology of the ría. It is in Alcabre, on the south shore of the Ría de Vigo, towards the exit to the sea, at Avenida Atlántida, 160. It costs €5 and is closed on Mondays.
What is inside
The museum occupies the old Alcabre-Molino de Viento cannery, from 1887. The restoration was begun by the architects Aldo Rossi and César Portela, and after Rossi's death Portela finished it in 2002: five old halls recovered, a new building of another five and the old pier extended out to sea.
The permanent exhibition is organised in large illuminated cubes that recall port containers, with videos, audio, interactive screens and original objects on the history of fishing. There are sections devoted to the sea routes to Compostela, the Galician merchant navy and twenty-five centuries of oceanography. Since 2006 it has also housed what the Xunta's underwater heritage research recovers.
Outside, on the pier, are the aquarium, which recreates the ecosystems from the museum's pier to the cliffs of the Cíes, and a lighthouse. In the same grounds the hill fort of Punta del Muiño del Viento, an Iron Age settlement, is preserved and shown. Temporary exhibitions change; the museum also has a restaurant, O Croque.
Opening hours and price

Winter (16 September to 20 June): Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 19:00; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 11:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:00.
Summer (21 June to 15 September): Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30.
Closed on Mondays, except public holidays, when it opens with Sunday hours. Entry ends half an hour before closing. It closes on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January; on 5 January it only opens in the morning.

General admission costs €5. The reduced price, €3, is for young people aged 9 to 18, students, retirees, the unemployed, pilgrims, accredited large families and groups of more than ten. Under-8s go in free. For information and group bookings, call 986 247 750, Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:00.
Who it is for
It suits families, and above all on days when the sea doesn't allow the trip to the Cíes: the aquarium shows indoors the seabeds you won't see from Rodas beach. For an adult with an interest in the ría, the part on canneries and rafts complements the mussel boat. Note the split hours: between 14:00 and the afternoon the museum closes.

## Dónde comer
- **Camping Islas Cíes Restaurant** (Restaurant, Cíes Islands, Vigo, €€). Qué pedir: pulpo á feira or in caldeirada, and grilled fish from the estuary; for something quick, the self-service
- **Enxebre A Pinta, at the Parador de Baiona** (Restaurant, Baiona, €€€). Qué pedir: zamburiñas á grella, pulpo á feira and bakery empanada, to share

## By car: The car stays at the port
No cars go to the Cíes: you drive to Vigo, Cangas or Baiona, leave the car at the port and cross by boat. What decides the day is which port you choose and where you park.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–150 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Camping Islas Cíes** (Campsite, desde 10.9 € / night): The National Park's only bed
It is the only place where you can spend the night in the Cíes: a campsite among pines on the Faro island, beside the lake and Rodas beach, within the Atlantic Islands National Park. Sleeping here means seeing the island without the day boats, at dawn and with the Starlight sky at night.
In 2026 it opened at Easter (27 March to 4 April) and from 15 May to 14 September. It is now closed: booking for 2027 opens on 1 March, and it only takes bookings for the current year.
Your own tent in zone C
With your own tent, in low season you pay €10.90 per adult per night and another €10.90 for the tent; in high season, from 19 June to 5 September, €11.90 for each. Ages 3 to 10, €7.90 and €8.90. Stays run from one to seven nights. The pitches are in zone C: you arrive, register at reception and choose whichever is free; there are several sizes and one can hold several tents. Check-in is from 12:00 and check-out before 12:00.
Pre-pitched tents by the lake
The rental tents are in zones A and B, north of the campsite, and are allocated in booking order: the first ones, on the lakefront.

Single: about 3.30 × 2.30 m, one 135 × 190 bed for one or two people. €69 a night in low season and €74 in high.
Double: about 3.30 × 3.50 m, two 120 × 190 beds, for two to four people. €99 and €105.

They include bed base, mattress, cover, fitted sheet, pillow and pillowcase; not sleeping bags, which are rented at €10 per stay. A child aged 3 to 10 adds €7.40 a night and ages 11 to 17, €10.40, without an extra bed; babies do not pay and the travel cot costs €10. From 19 June to 6 September, minimum two nights. Check-in is from 15:00; for luggage before and after there are left-luggage lockers. There are tents adapted for reduced mobility.
No electricity, no fires and no wifi
Neither pitches nor tents have electricity (except for CPAP equipment, on request): there is a free mobile phone charging point. There is no wifi. Hot showers work with tokens from 8:30 to 23:00; avoid 19:00 to 21:00. Fires, barbecues and candles are prohibited; camping gas is used outside the tent, and since the boat does not allow gas bottles, they are bought or rented at the supermarket. Do not leave food out: the gulls tear the bags.
There is a restaurant, café, supermarket, washing machine, lockers, infirmary and gift shop; the supermarket and café do not open at Easter. In the mornings and afternoons there are free activities for children. Parties and loud music are prohibited.
The permit comes with the booking
When you book you pay the first night and the campsite arranges your Xunta permit; with it you buy the boat to the Cíes. If you book more than 90 days ahead, the permit arrives when that period is reached. For eating without cooking there is the campsite restaurant, and at night, stargazing.
- **Parador de Baiona** (Hotel): Sleeping inside Monterreal
The Parador occupies the Monterreal fortress, on the peninsula that closes the Bay of Baiona to the west, about 20 km from Vigo. The grounds cover 180,000 m² and are surrounded by about three kilometres of crenellated wall, with three towers: the Clock Tower at the entrance, the Tenaza to the east, above the harbour, and the Príncipe to the west, above the bay, which served as a lighthouse. The State bought it in 1963 to make a parador, and the present building, between castle and Galician pazo, dates from 1963 to 1966. A Galician wine cellar was installed in the old stables. The grounds are protected as a Site of Cultural Interest.
One hundred and twenty-two rooms and a pool over the sea
According to the Michelin Guide, it has 122 rooms. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00. There is 24-hour reception, concierge, room service, left luggage, air conditioning and free wifi in the common areas.
Outside, the garden with the outdoor pool, which opens only in season, and the bay and the Cíes in view. It also has a sauna, jacuzzi, tennis court and bicycles for guests.
Children of any age are welcome; those up to two years old do not pay if they use a cot or an existing bed, and extra beds and cots are requested when booking. Paradores does not publish a fixed rate: the price changes with the date and the room.
Parking is not a problem
Unlike the parador in historic old towns, here there is free outdoor parking inside the grounds, with no booking, as well as a paid garage and an electric car charging point.
Two restaurants in the fortress
Torre del Príncipe is the formal dining room. Enxebre A Pinta is the informal one, for sharing octopus, empanada and local shellfish; outside summer it opens only at weekends.
The Cíes from here
At Easter, at weekends in June and daily from July to 15 September, boats to the Cíes leave from Baiona harbour, on foot from the Parador: see the boat to the Cíes Islands. The rest of the year, the port with the most departures is Vigo. At the foot of the wall starts the Monte Boi walk, almost two kilometres between the sea and the stone; the grounds are open to the public from 8:00 to 21:00, according to Turismo Rías Baixas.

## As a family: Beach, lighthouse and a night of camping

With children, the Cíes work if you choose a short route and stay on the beach. Under-5s do not pay for the boat, and ages 5 to 12 pay €12 for the ticket.

### What works best
Rodas beach, a step from the jetty

The faro da Porta route: an hour each way and only 55 m of ascent

Alto do Príncipe, a short climb with lots of view

The campsite's stargazing, free for under-10s

### Sleep
Camping Islas Cíes, with free children's activities in summer

Parador de Baiona, with garden and seasonal pool

### Eat
Campsite restaurant, with children's dishes

Bring water and food for the route: there are no springs

### Worth knowing
There are no bins: take your rubbish back on the boat

The water is cold even in August

The Monte Faro route, 7 km with 175 m of ascent, only for children who already walk well

### Qué hacer as a family
- Boat to the Cíes Islands from Vigo, Cangas or Baiona
- Rodas beach
- Monte Faro route, to the Cíes lighthouse
- Faro da Porta route
- Alto do Príncipe and the Queen's Chair
- Stargazing at the Cíes campsite
- A Day by Sailboat to the Cíes Islands from Vigo or Baiona
- Mussel Rafts in the Ría de Vigo, by Boat to Rande or a Visit to a Raft
- Oysters on Rúa da Pescadería and the Climb to Monte O Castro, in Vigo
- Monterreal Fortress and the Monte Boi Walk, in Baiona
- Museo do Mar de Galicia, in Alcabre (Vigo)

## With teenagers: Kayak, lighthouse and a night under the stars

For teenagers, the Cíes offer a real challenge: sea kayaking from age 12, the climb to the lighthouse and sleeping in a tent on a car-free island.

### What works best
The park-guided kayak route: from age 12; ages 14 to 17 can go alone with signed authorisation

The Monte Faro route, to the highest point you can visit

Alto do Príncipe at sunset

The campsite's stargazing

### Sleep
Camping Islas Cíes, in your own tent or a rental

### Eat
Campsite self-service, quick and with no booking

### Worth knowing
For the kayak you must be able to swim

No reliable coverage or sockets on the pitches: charge your phone at reception

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Boat to the Cíes Islands from Vigo, Cangas or Baiona
- Monte Faro route, to the Cíes lighthouse
- Alto do Príncipe and the Queen's Chair
- Guided sea kayak route around the Cíes
- Stargazing at the Cíes campsite
- Discover Scuba and Dives at the Cíes Islands from Vigo
- A Day by Sailboat to the Cíes Islands from Vigo or Baiona

## Consejos

### Take the first boat
You have the island almost empty until mid-morning and time for a long route.

### Bring a bag for your rubbish
There are no bins on the island.

### A coat for the boat
On deck the wind blows even if it is hot on land.

### Note the return time
Plan the routes so you are at the pier with time to spare before the last boat.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does it cost to go to the Cíes?
The authorisation is free. The Mar de Ons boat costs €27.50 return for adults and €12 for ages 5 to 12.

### How far ahead do I request the authorisation?
Up to 90 days before. In summer, the sooner the better: the daily quota sells out.

### Can you go to the Cíes with a dog?
No. The National Park does not allow pets to be landed, except guide dogs.

### Can you go in winter?
Yes, with fewer boats, which handle the authorisation when they sell the ticket. The campsite and its restaurant are closed.

### Can you sleep on the Cíes?
Only at the Camping Islas Cíes, at Easter and from 15 May to 14 September.

### Which route should I do if I only have a few hours?
The Alto do Príncipe, 1.7 km from the pier, or the faro da Porta route, an hour each way.