Bay of San Simón: Birds and landscape
A place to stop, full of life that converges between the salty waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the fresh waters of the rivers Verdugo (and Oitavén) Alvedosa and other streams that converge here, providing silt that settles here and generates intertidal flats to favour the life of numerous species.
The bivalves and worms that settle on these sands provide food for a large number of resident and migratory birds that find their ideal place here. This is why the San Simón inlet is included in the Natura 2000 Network.
A kind of giant lake that opens up in the Vigo estuary after crossing the Rande Strait, with a distance of 750 metres between coasts, where the bridge of the same name is currently located.
Look at the amount of life you can see here!
Distance from Redondela to Ensenada de San Simón:
1.5 kms
20′ walking
Recommendations:
Observe the fauna and flora of this unique place.
Don’t miss the island of San Simón
Nearby places:
Meirande Museum (Interpretation Centre of the Battle of Rande): 4 Kms, 45 min.
San Simón Island (boat or kayak required)
O Viso (Monte da Peneda)
Nearby QRs:
More information in:
Websites of interest:
https://turismoriasbaixas.com/gl/recursopan1?content=280381850
https://www.turismo.gal/recurso/-/detalle/16802/enseada-de-san-simon?langId=es_ES&tp=1&ctre=9
More information:
The inlet of San Simón has offered shelter for ships since ancient times, as its muddy and soft shallows were perfect for the support of hulls whose buoyancy was in danger. The distance to the open sea and the shelter of the surrounding mountains offer protection from all dangers.
In 1702 it was the battlefield of one of the most important naval battles in history: the Battle of Rande. This left numerous legends and stories about sunken treasures hidden under its waters in galleons.
Jules Verne, dazzled by these stories, had the captain of the submarine Nautilus, Nemo, stop here so that his divers could extract the famous treasures of the Battle of Rande. As reflected in the book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this story travelled around the 5 continents of the world and this cove was named in all of them.
Astounding in its entirety, it seems to be drawn in a fairy tale. Almost eight kilometres long and four kilometres wide, it has two islands in the central areas (San Simón and San Antonio) and two rocky areas belonging to the same archipelago (As Corveiras and Pena Branca). In its gentler areas, towards Vilaboa, there are another two islands that are joined to the land at low tide. And in the area closest to the Strait of Rande, where the waters of the Atlantic Ocean still contain a large amount of nutrients, there are several floating mussel farms, where mussels are cultivated.