Boat to Ons Island from Combarro, Sanxenxo, Portonovo or Bueu

Ons is the large island that closes the mouth of the Ría de Pontevedra, the one you see on the horizon from the beaches of Sanxenxo. It is part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park, like the Cíes, but it has residents, a lighthouse at the top and a quiet beach coast on the east side. In season, Naviera Mar de Ons links it with Combarro, Sanxenxo, Portonovo, Bueu and even Pontevedra city. You go in the morning and spend the day there.

From which port and when

The port you choose changes the calendar and the price:

• Combarro: at Easter, on weekends in June and daily in July and August. Boarding is early, between 8:45 and 9:15. It is the most convenient if you sleep in Poio or Pontevedra and want to see the hórreos (granaries) on your return.
• Sanxenxo and Portonovo: at Easter, on weekends in June and daily in July, August and September. The shipping company's information points are open from 9:30 to 15:00.
• Bueu: the same calendar as Sanxenxo and it is the cheapest ticket, €16.
• Pontevedra: Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in June, July and August, with boarding between 9:30 and 10:30.

From Combarro, Sanxenxo, Portonovo and Pontevedra an adult pays €18.50. Ages 5 to 12 are €12 and under-5s don't pay. If you come back to a different port from the one you left from, the company may charge a supplement of €3 to €9 per person. Outward and return times are published each season on the Mar de Ons website; check them there, because the company warns they may change because of the weather or operations.

The Xunta authorisation, before the ticket

At Easter and from 15 May to 15 September a maximum of 1,300 people a day are admitted, and to buy the ticket you first need the Xunta's authorisation, which is requested on its Atlantic Islands authorisations website. It can be requested up to 90 days ahead and cancelled up to 15 days ahead. Each request covers up to 10 people and is personal: bring your ID. Mar de Ons refers you to the Xunta website to see the occupancy for each day and recommends booking early. Outside those dates, the park only admits organised groups with an accredited guide, of 25 people at most.

What to do on the island

Ons has four signposted routes and the park only lets you walk on them, so the day is put together between path and beach. The beaches the company mentions are Melide, with its dunes on the east coast, As Dornas, Area dos Cans, Canexol and Pereiró. There is a campsite with limited places for those who want to stay the night. Bring water, a cap and shoes for walking: the paths climb and in summer the sun is strong.

It is a good family day if the children can walk a couple of hours in stretches. With teenagers it works better than a village beach: there is a lighthouse, cliffs and the feeling of being on a real island. Mar de Ons does not say on its Ons pages whether dogs are allowed on board; ask when booking.

If you leave from Combarro, the day before you can walk around the old town of Combarro and sleep nearby, at A Maquía. From Bueu, before the boat or on your return, the Massó Museum tells the story of the canning and fishing that Ons also lived through.