Things to do in Vigo
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Vigo
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall. Warm, long days, Cíes ferries running and no August or Christmas crush.
Peak beach and festival season, milder than southern Spain but August is busy and pricier.
Quiet connoisseur season with mushrooms, chestnuts and lower prices, but frequent rain.
Cold and rainy, but Christmas lights and peak spider crab and shellfish season draw visitors.
City wakes up with Reconquista, Arribada and Easter starting the Cíes ferry season.
What's on
- O Marisquiño early-mid August
Urban sports and culture festival on the Samil waterfront with skate, BMX and concerts.
- Castrelos summer concerts July-August
Outdoor concert season in Castrelos Park auditorium with big Spanish acts.
- Festas da Consolación / Semana Grande July-August
City summer festival season in July and August.
- Festa de San Roque mid-August
Neighbourhood festival in August.
- Festa do Cristo dos Aflixidos, Bouzas July
Bouzas neighbourhood festival with fireworks over the ría, a locals favourite.
- Christmas lights late November to early January
Millions of LED lights across hundreds of streets, markets and a Ferris wheel at Porta do Sol.
- Festa da Reconquista around 28 March
Historic festival in Casco Vello marking the 1809 expulsion of French troops.
- Arribada, Baiona first weekend of March
Medieval festival in Baiona for the Pinta arrival in 1493.
- Festa dos Maios May
Spring May festival as the season settles in late May.
Best things to do in Vigo
Cíes Islands
Pristine national park islands with Rodas beach, clear water and capped visitor numbers offshore from Vigo.
Rúa da Pescadería
Stand at marble counters for ría oysters shucked that morning with lemon and Albariño.
Casco Vello
Steep stone lanes, Porta do Sol, Praza da Constitución and taperías in Vigo's historic quarter.
Monte O Castro
Fortress park with the best panorama over Vigo, the port, the ría and out to the Cíes Islands.
Museo do Mar de Galicia
Fishing, canning and shipbuilding museum in a former cannery that explains why Vigo exists.
MARCO Museo de Arte Contemporánea de Vigo
Free contemporary exhibitions in a former courthouse and prison on Rúa do Príncipe.
Pazo Quiñones de León
Galician manor museum set in formal gardens and a camellia collection inside Castrelos Park.
Bouzas
Former fishing village inside Vigo with stone houses, a seafront promenade and local taverns.
Where to stay in Vigo
Centro / Ensanche
first trip, all round base
Flat grid between Casco Vello and the stations, close to hotels, restaurants, port and ferry.
Casco Vello / O Berbés
food first, nightlife and character
Oyster Street and taperías at the door, with steep lanes and weekend bar noise.
Bouzas / Alcabre
seaside, local, longer stay
Quieter and beach adjacent with local life, a bus or taxi ride from the centre.
Samil
beach holiday and families in summer
Staying at the beach makes the trip a beach holiday with a city attached.
Around Vigo-Urzáiz / Vialia and Areal
transit convenience and one night stays
Modern station quarter with easy train and airport bus access and flat walking.
Baiona
second stay or Rías Baixas touring by car
Pretty resort town base for the south shore, but a commute for a first Vigo trip.
Think twice about
- Industrial port and shipyard belt, Beiramar
Industrial frontage with HGV traffic, shipyard noise, few restaurants at night and long walks to sights.
- Upper Casco Vello steepest lanes
Near vertical streets and stairs with no car access to many doors. Hard with mobility limits, pushchairs or heavy luggage.
- Teis, Coia, Travesía and Calvario
Ordinary residential districts 20 to 40 minutes from the port and ferries, with little of visitor interest at the door.
- Cruise terminal and A Laxe immediate frontage
Safe and central but transient and least neighbourhood like. Ensanche streets three minutes inland are better.
Best restaurants in Vigo
Maruja Limón
Vigo's only starred table, playful Galician tasting menus built on market product.
Taberna A Pedra
Casco Vello institution for oysters, pulpo, croquetas and empanada at tavern prices.
Rúa da Pescadería
A dozen ría oysters and Albariño standing up for the price of a sandwich elsewhere.
Eligio
Century old tavern for ría squid, xoubas, meatballs and cheeks, loved by locals.
Detapaencepa
Creative tapas and serious Galician wines by the glass in a lively modern bar.
Morrofino Taberna
Stylish taberna for fusion leaning Galician sharing plates and natural leaning wines.
Bar Nisio
Unchanged fishermen's house in Bouzas famous for lobster rice and house Albariño.
Rías Baixas 1
Dedicated marisquería for a full mariscada of spider crab, clams and grilled zamburiñas.
Outdoor things to do in Vigo
Cíes Islands
Four marked island routes to lighthouses and viewpoints, with swims at Rodas and Figueiras.
Praia de Samil
Vigo's main urban beach with promenade, pine grove, pools and lifeguards in season.
Praia do Vao
Finer, whiter sand than Samil, calmer water and kayak rental near Toralla island.
Praia de Patos
Open Atlantic beach break near Vigo with surf schools, lessons and board rental in season.
Real Aero Club de Vigo
Galicia's oldest golf club, a compact 9 hole course by the airport played as 18.
Golf Ría de Vigo
Full 18 hole course in Domaio with views over the Ría de Vigo.
Golf Meis
Full 18 hole course among pine and vineyards in the Salnés valley, pairable with Albariño.
Ría de Vigo
Sheltered ría sailing, kayaking and sunset trips with a realistic chance of dolphins.
Best hotels in Vigo
Gran Hotel Nagari Boutique & Spa
Vigo's flagship five star on Praza de Compostela with a spa and the city's best central base.
Pazo Los Escudos Hotel & Spa Resort
Historic pazo resort in gardens above Samil with pool, spa and direct beach access.
Parador de Baiona
Fortress parador on the Monterreal headland with sea walls, gardens and Atlantic views.
NH Collection Vigo
Reliable upper mid hotel on García Barbón, walkable to the port, old town and stations.
Hotel Occidental Vigo
Well kept four star near Urzáiz with spa facilities unusual at this price point.
Attica21 Vigo
Modern sea facing four star toward Samil, quieter and spacious for a beach led stay.
Hotel Bahía de Vigo
Large seafront hotel facing the ría and Cíes ferry terminal, best in a high sea facing room.
Hotel Alda Puerta del Sol
Small, immaculate budget hotel at Porta do Sol, right at the gate to the old town.
Is Vigo expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €60 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €115 a person |
| Splurge | €280 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Cíes Islands: months ahead
- Cíes Islands: months ahead
- Real Aero Club de Vigo: a few days ahead
- Golf Ría de Vigo: a few days ahead
- Golf Meis: a few days ahead
- Santiago de Compostela: weeks ahead
- Maruja Limón: weeks ahead
- Cíes permit first in season. Request Xunta authorisation, then buy ferry tickets within two hours or it lapses.
- Book Maruja Limón as soon as dates are fixed, and hotels early for Christmas lights and August.
- Book Santiago cathedral rooftop and Rías Baixas private tours ahead in high season.
Is Vigo safe?
- Vigo is safe by European standards. Watch bags in festival crowds, at stations and on busy ferries.
- Use lit Ensanche to port to Casco Vello routes at night rather than unlit park shortcuts over O Castro.
- Atlantic water is cold and outer beaches have swell and rip risk. Swim at lifeguarded beaches and respect flags.
Vigo travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Ask the per kilo price before ordering a mariscada or by weight shellfish.
- Skip A Laxe and cruise terminal facing restaurants. Oyster Street is across the street and better.
- Do not try Cíes as a two hour add on. It needs at least half a day, properly a full day.
- Avoid Combarro at 13:00 in August and Samil at midday on an August Sunday if you want space.
Getting around Vigo: public transport and more
- Plan for hills not distances. Use the Vigo Vertical escalators and lifts around Porta do Sol and the old town.
- Vitrasa buses cover Samil, Vao and the airport. Vigo-Urzáiz is for fast trains, Vigo-Guindalera is for Porto.
- Ferries for Cíes, Ons and Cangas leave from Estación Marítima, five minutes from Casco Vello.
- A car is a liability in the centre and an asset for Baiona, Cangas and Rías Baixas day trips.
Who Vigo suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Vigo your trip
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