Whether in the urban area of Vigo or in its outskirts, you can enjoy both sea and mountain landscapes, as well as vestiges of the historical heritage of the area. You can see, as well, the tracks…

natural heritage

Whether in the urban area of Vigo or in its outskirts, you can enjoy both sea and mountain landscapes, as well as vestiges of the historical heritage of the area. You can see, as well, the tracks of the dramatic urban expansion suffered by the city since the late 20th century, what has given the city its present architectural character.

The urban growth and the transformation of Vigo into a metropolitan area were originated some fifty years ago, when Vigo became the focus of intensive industrial processes. Nowadays, according to your preferences, you can choose between two different approaches to the city: you can travel across the natural landscape (the estuary, the beaches, and the woods around the town) or make a visit oriented to the local major monuments, buildings and other remarkable urban places:

A ring of state forests surrounds Vigo, being some of them: Beade, Valadares, Bembrive, Zamáns and Candeán. Inside the urban area, you can find the parks of O Castro and A Guía. Both of them are some superb belvederes over the estuary, and they display a variegated selection of trees. There is another urban park, closely related to the history of Vigo: the so-called Parque de Castrelos or Quiñones de León, with a pazo (manor) and some gardens of historical importance inside. The park was a legacy of the proprietors to the city, bestowed in the early 20th century.

You can walk along the coast through a promenade from Bouzas to Alcabre, where there is the Museo do Mar. Next, it is Samil, the real urban beach. Then, you can continue up to O Vao, a good example of recovery of maritime flora and fauna.