Discover nearby
One day routes
From Camping Bayona Playa you can visit places notable for their history or their natural beauty located at a distance that allows you to return and enjoy the sunset once again from your accommodation. To help you decide, we shall propose some routes being conscious of the fact that there are lots of places of interest that we have not included. These excursions are intended to be done during the day but we have not forgotten the popular night life that is extremely attractive to young people in Baiona, Sanxenxo and Vigo.
Route
Baiona — La Guardia — Tui — Baiona
Baiona
BAIONA, both a tourist destination and fishing port, is protected from the open sea by a beautiful bay. Its location is perfect for harbouring recreational and fishing boats. The Royal Yacht Club has an international reputation and is located inside the walled peninsula that can be covered on foot.
Its old quarter was declared a “Place of Historical and Artistic Interest” by the Galician autonomous government on 1st of March 1993, the five-hundredth anniversary of the arrival of the caravel Pinta in Baiona, being the first place in Europe to hear about the New World.
On a hill on the outskirts you can visit the Virgen de la Roca; a monumental figure 15 metres tall representing the Blessed Virgin Mary with a boat/viewpoint in her hand which can be accessed from an inner staircase and from where you can contemplate the spectacular sea.
If you have the opportunity, don’t miss going to a “a rapa das besta” (Shaving of the Beasts) celebration where horses living in the wild are gathered together in order to crop their manes and brand them for identification; there are “curros” (round-ups) in Mougás, Torroña and Valga
A GARDA
The road towards A Guarda runs alongside the open sea breakwaters. A GARDA is a fishing town with a pretty port, a popular tourist attraction and known for its excellent seafood.
Located at the foot of Santa Tecla hill where there is a famous “castro” (fortified Iron Age settlement) with a reconstruction of one of the “chozas” (huts); perhaps the most visited and emblematic of Iron Age culture. Declared a National Monument of Historic and Artistic Interest in 1931 and is also considered as a Cultural Interest Site. From the top of the hill, due to its conical shape, the castro dominates the entire mouth of the Miño, the port of La Guardia, Ínsula with its fortification, and the coast of Portugal.
Tui
TUI is a beautiful medieval town with an old quarter with narrow pebbled streets, convents, churches, and palaces, giving you a lesson in history… Crowned with a magnificent castle-cathedral. You can visit its cloister and climb the keep to enjoy the view of the Miño and its fertile plain, as well as the walls of the neighbouring Portuguese town of Valença. Not forgetting the gastronomy on offer, extremely varied for being the first part of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago.
Another interesting excursion is Mount Aloia, a very well-looked-after natural park with wild horses and five viewpoints connected with pleasant walks. At the top there is a walled enclosure and cross monument.
Route
Baiona — Santiago — Baiona
Destination of thousands of pilgrims since the 12th century, Santiago is the sought-after goal of a long walk full of difficulty and satisfaction. Its beautiful historic quarter, with streets, small squares with stone buildings, converge into the stunning Obradoiro Square. Here you are faced with the spectacular Baroque façade of the Romanesque cathedral, home to the relics of St. James and the reason why Santiago is one of the three main pilgrimage sites in Christianity alongside Rome and Jerusalem. If you are lucky enough to coincide with the swinging of the massive incense burner (known as the botafumeiro), almost touching the ceiling vaults of the transept nave, you will understand the mysticism and emotion of the pilgrims. Administrative capital of Galicia, with a university founded in the 15th century, episcopal seat, with innumerable churches, convents, museums, and places. Santiago is a must for those who come to the northwest of the peninsula.
Route
Islas Cíes
(by boat from Baiona, Vigo or Cangas)
Also known as the “Islands of the Gods”, these consist of a granite archipelago that defends the Ría of Vigo from the pounding ocean and turns it into a natural port. Occupied since time gone by by diverse populations who have left their mark in the form of archaeological remains, its history is one of upheaval plagued with attacks from Vikings, pirates and corsairs such as Olaff, Drake, amongst others.
The very thought of its majestic silhouette in the middle of the Ocean evokes legends about boats smashed against its cliffs, of burnt monasteries, and fishermen’s souls; corsair boats have been seen to capsize and sink here during stormy nights at the Punta do Cobalo.
Today, nature is protected as it forms part of the Illas Atlánticas National Park, preserving its wild beauty in forests, beaches, and cliffs inhabited by seagulls and cormorants. If you are lucky, you can contemplate groups of sea mammals (dolphins) , An ideal area for diving and snorkelling for its incredible marine life.
Rodas beach was described by The Guardian as being “the best beach in the world”
An excursion that you quite simply cannot miss. You can get there by boat from Baiona, Vigo, or Cangas. Given the number of visits are limited, it is recommended that you reserve your tickets at the campsite. Another option is to rent a yacht from Vigo.
Route
Baiona — Sanxenxo — O Grove — A Toxa — Baiona
Sansenxo
You can start by visiting Sanxenxo and its beautiful Silgar beach, reminiscent of La Concha in San Sebastián, leaving behind beforehand other marvellous beaches such as Areas and charming towns such as Combarro… Continue until you get to the Lanzada beach with its rough waves and fine, white sand; here there is a lovely chapel facing the ocean.
O Grove
When you get to the small fishing town of O Grove you will be surprised at the number of restaurants its has and that you are in a port famous for its yearly shellfish festival.
A Toxa
Cross over a romantic bridge and you arrive at the island of A Toxa, an elite tourist attraction since the 19th Century for the quality of its luxury spas. You can visit the soap and cosmetic factory, play golf, try your luck in the casino, etc yet in the centre of the island you can still stroll through the dense pine groves far from the urban development.
Route
Baiona — Vigo — Pontevedra — Baiona
Vigo
Vigo has the highest population in Galicia; modern, cosmopolitan and open to the sea since its creation because of its extremely important natural fishing, commercial, and tourist port. The old quarter retains much of its seafaring character today full of bars, restaurants, and places to eat tapas, attracting quality tourism the most popular being the huge cruise ships that decide to stop here. It is not an unusual to see in its port the Independence of the Seas, Queen Mary 2, Oasis of the Seas, Grand Princess, etc. International events such as sailing regattas, old ships, as well as military and fighter plane air shows.
Pontevedra
Pontevedra is the capital of the province and is a quiet city with a carefully maintained historic quarter inviting peaceful strolls. In its estuary there are several islands such as the Tambo, belonging to the nearby Escuela Naval de Marín (Naval Academy), or Ons and Onceta, that close the exit of the estuary and are part of the Illas Atlánticas National Park. If you visit Ons in one of the boats that leave from Bueu, don’t miss trying the exquisite octopus with an incomparable fish flavour between its rocks.
Route
Valença Do Miño y Oporto
Valença Do Miño
As soon as you cross the hundred-year old international bridge between Spain and Portugal, you find a walled-city built in the XVII Century where four doors and twelve bastions are preserved. The historic quarter of Valença is a beautiful labyrinth of narrow streets full of shops selling home textiles, clothing, antiques and decoration, as well as restaurants and bars. It is a popular tourist destination for the Spanish who go there to shop and contemplate the breathtaking views from the neighbouring Tui and fertile plains of the Miño.
oporto
Oporto is the second most important city in Portugal after Lisbon and is located at the mouth of the river Duero. Its historic quarter has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous for centuries for the quality of its extraordinary wines, some of its bodegas are at the foot of the Duero itself and can be visited.
There is lots to see in Oporto and you can walk through its main neighbourhoods starting from the beautiful Libertad square. Don’t forget to go into the train station of San Bento, one of the most important treasures of the City. Its hall is decorated with more than 20,000 tiles depicting the history of Portugal that will not fail to impress you.
Nothing better at lunchtime other than to try the delicious cod that the Portuguese are experts in preparing in thousands of different ways being the national dish par excellence.