Atlantic Island of Galicia National Park

Transfer from Vigo (airport) or Ourense (train) to A Guarda (2 hours) to climb to the top of Monte Santa Trega, where we will have a bird's eye view of the mouth of the Miño River. We will descend to the mouth of the river to enjoy the birds at sunset. We will have dinner and settle in our hotel XXXX, where we will spend the first night of this trip.

After breakfast, we will go to the seaport of Vigo to take the boat to the first island: the Cíes, located at the mouth of the Vigo estuary. We will disembark at the famous "Rodas beach", with white sand and crystalline waters, catalogued by the newspaper "The Guardian" as the best beach in the world. The reason for this is the upwelling of water currents from the northern part of the planet, which, when they meet the northeast winds, cause all the water in the estuary to flow out and the cold water underneath to rise to the surface. This generates a glow of biodiversity that will be noticeable throughout the National Park, and in the quality of the seafood and fish of the Rias Baixas. We will seek to observe this richness by crossing from the North Island to the Lighthouse Island, where we will find the Lago dos Nenos, a natural feature known as a beach-lake of high geological interest. We will then continue our way to Pedra da Campá, a taffoni created by salinity and winds and to the Cíes Lighthouse itself, where we will be presented with incredible views of the whole archipelago and the coast. In the afternoon there will be time for a free swim or to visit another of the high points of this place. We will return to Vigo and have an hour of free time to visit the old town and the oyster street. Afterwards, we will return to the hotel.

We will travel by bus to the port of Portonovo, to head for the island of Ons, the next island we will visit, which is located at the mouth of the Ría de Pontevedra. On arrival, we will find ourselves in the Curro neighbourhood, the main area of the island, with the bars, the church and the information booth. Our route will start from this point along the east side of the island, heading south, through the Canexol neighbourhood, where we will get to know the typical dwellings of this island, its tradition and culture. We will go up to the Fedorentos viewpoint and then to Burato do Inferno, a hole more than 60 metres high, created by the collapse of the roof of one of the furnas (sea caves) excavated by the sea. We will return through the western part of the island, observing its cliffs and the most abrupt part of this place. In the afternoon we will have the option of taking a swim or going up to the lighthouse on the island of Ons, returning later to the port to catch the boat that will take us back to Portonovo. Here, we will board the bus to go to Combarro, one of the most emblematic fishing villages in the area. Return to the hotel for dinner.

This will be a day where we will visit two archipelagos of the National Park, located in the same estuary, but distanced more than 25 km from each other and totally different. The first will be the island of Sálvora, in the mouth of the Ría de Arousa, the wildest of all the islands in the park. An island full of mystery, generated by the harsh conditions of everyone who needs to live there. Nowadays there are no humans living there, but it used to be populated, something that is evident in its salting place (currently called "O Almacén"), its fountain, washing place, hórreos (granaries) and the houses of the abandoned village. We will also go to its lighthouse, where the view of the Atlantic Ocean will open up, and where we will hear the story of the Santa Isabel, a shipwreck that occurred here in 1921, where more than 200 people died. We will return to the port to sail to the island of Cortegada, which lies in the protected interior of the estuary. We will have lunch there and then go on a guided tour to discover its secrets. At the end of the tour, we will return to the port and from there, back to the hotel.

Our last day will be dedicated to the islands in the interior of the Vigo estuary, San Simón and San Antón, totally different from those previously known, given their historical importance. This place was inhabited by the Order of the Temple, a refuge for pirates, used as a lazaretto for quarantine for 100 years and used as a prison for political prisoners during the Civil War. It was later reused as a National Hostel for Franco's Guard and, as its last use, as an orphanage for the children of sailors. A place full of history that will surprise you. We will leave the island before lunch and we will have time to visit the town of Redondela, famous for the bridges that span its orography over the heights.