Massó Museum in Bueu, the Sea Museum in a Former Cannery

The Massó Museum tells how the coast of the Ría de Pontevedra lived from the sea: navigation, fishing, salting, canning and whaling. It is in Bueu, on the south shore of the ría, inside the restored buildings of the former Massó Hermanos canning factory, beside the port. It belongs to the Xunta and admission is free.

A museum that was born inside a factory

The Massó family had its cannery beside the port of Bueu and kept navigation instruments, documents, old books and models of historic ships at home. According to Museos de Galicia, Guglielmo Marconi's visit to the factory in 1928 is at the origin of the idea, and in 1932 the brothers added another floor above the oldest part of the cannery to open the museum. Over the years it added the history of the factory itself, of the whaling stations and of fishing. The cannery closed in 1994 and that year the Xunta bought the museum.

Today the exhibition is toured in two large blocks: the conquest of the sea, with the history of navigation, and the exploitation of the sea's resources, with canning, whaling, port activity and salting. There are also temporary exhibitions. Allow an hour and a half to see it unhurriedly.

Opening hours and rules

From October to May it opens Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 21:00, and from June to September, Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 21:30. On Sunday, all year, from 10:00 to 14:00. It is closed on Mondays, public holidays, 11 November and 24 and 31 December, and in summer also on 16 July. It is at Rúa Montero Ríos, s/n, in Bueu, 29 km from Vigo, and there are regular buses to Pontevedra, Marín and Cangas.

You can take photos for personal use, but without a tripod or selfie stick. Large bags, umbrellas and food are not allowed in, and only guide dogs are admitted.

Guided tours for groups

The museum organises free one-hour guided itineraries for groups of at least 10 people, with prior booking on 886 151 101 or by email: there is one of the permanent exhibition, another on the factory's architecture, another on the work of the women of the sea on land, one devoted to wood in canning and boatbuilding, and one that continues to the old salting house of Mourisca, on Cape Udra. When requesting it you must give the date, time, a name with a mobile number and the number of people.

To round off the day in Bueu, in summer the boat to Ons Island leaves from the same port, the cheapest ticket from Mar de Ons, and from Sanxenxo, Portonovo and Bueu, the cruise of the ría with mussels. If you go on a Sunday, combine it with the Pontevedra Museum: both close at 14:00.