What to do · Combarro and Pontevedra
Paddle Surf Route to Tambo Island with Sanxenxo Paddle Surf Club
Information
- From
- €50 per person
- Duration
- 3 h
- Season
- Summer, with weekly departures; the rest of the year, groups of 5 or more by reservation
- Who it's for
- Anyone who can stand on a board; better with a prior lesson
Tambo is the wooded island at the head of the ría, opposite Combarro, and almost everyone knows it from a boat. Sanxenxo Paddle Surf Club proposes reaching it by paddling standing up: a guided three-hour route on a paddle board, with a landing and picnic on the island, for €50 per person. It is the slowest and closest way to see the ría: at water level, with the mussel rafts on one side and the island growing ahead of you.
What is included and when it leaves
The route includes the board, the paddle, the permits and the picnic on Tambo. The permits matter: the island can only be visited with authorisation from Poio council, and here the club handles it. In summer there are departures every week; the rest of the year the route runs by reservation for groups of at least five people. The club does not publish on its website the fixed departure day or the exact point from which you paddle, so ask when booking by phone or through the contact form. Its base is on the Silgar beach promenade, in the centre of Sanxenxo.
On the island the same rules apply as on the guided visit from Combarro: you only walk on the signposted paths, you don't go into the buildings and the rubbish comes back with you. Tambo has no bins.
If you've never stood on a board
Three hours of paddling is plenty for a beginner. If you have never paddle surfed, take a lesson first at Silgar with the same club: the introductory one lasts two hours and costs €30 per person in a group of three or more, €45 as a pair and €60 private, with board, paddle, life jacket, changing rooms, qualified instructor and insurance. It also rents inflatable boards from €15 an hour, and an adult is needed to sign the rental. The club does not publish a minimum age for the route; if you are going with teenagers, ask.
On the same Silgar beach the club runs yoga sessions on the board, of an hour and a half, for €30, for groups of five or more, and in summer a children's camp from Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 14:00, from €145 a week.
How it fits into the day
The route takes half a day. In the afternoon, the old town of Combarro is close by car along the PO-308, the coast road, and seeing Tambo from the granaries after having paddled out to it changes the picture. If you prefer to get to know the island at leisure with its history told, the guided visit to Tambo Island leaves by boat from Combarro.
Tips
- Lesson before route If it is your first time, a two-hour lesson at Silgar saves you suffering on the ría.
- Afternoon wind Ask the club what time the route leaves: with the wind, the return is harder.
- Clothes that can get wet Swimwear, a technical T-shirt and sun protection; the water in the ría is cold even in August.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the paddle surf route to Tambo cost?
€50 per person, with board, paddle, permits and a picnic on the island.
How long does it last?
About three hours.
Do I need to know how to paddle surf?
It helps. If you haven't tried it, the club gives two-hour introductory lessons at Silgar beach from €30.
With teenagers
Who runs it
- Sanxenxo Paddle Surf ClubPaddle surf route to Tambo island with picnic Visit their website
- Sanxenxo Paddle Surf ClubIntroductory paddle surf lesson at Silgar beach Visit their website
