Mussel Rafts in the Ría de Vigo, by Boat to Rande or a Visit to a Raft

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.