It has been a week and a half since we left Muros and are spending our last days in Spain. We are now quite idyllically at anchor in a bay in the Ria of Vigo (yes of Celta de Vigo of La Liga). It’s definitely summer here now with lots of sun but also some wind, so great sailing weather. You should imagine such an anchorage as follows: You rock back and forth, hear the surf on the beach in the background and hear some sounds of people talking to each other. You hear mainly Spanish here, because there are mainly Spanish tourists. In addition to the Spanish boats that are moored here, but often leave around 8 o’clock in the evening, there are also quite a few foreign boats and France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, England, America and of course the Netherlands are represented here. In the distance on the other side of the water you can see the city of Vigo against the mountains. The sun, the sound of the surf, the free feeling that you are here with your own boat gives a genuine feeling of happiness!
After Muros we went a little deeper into the Ria of Muros and Noia and had a lovely lunch in Esteiro. You have already seen the pictures. Incidentally, this was the first time that a test or proof of vaccination regarding Corona was asked, which we quickly installed on our phone. The “yellow booklets” (listing all our vaccinations) were on the boat in the safe….
What we really liked is that we saw typical boats rowing in the Ria of Muros and Noia and that of Arousa and as we understand there is a competition between the different rias. We also saw a striking number of open water swimmers. Brrr…. the water is quite cold here.
After a rainy day in Portosin where we did some washing, we sailed to the next ria: that of Arousa. This ria is full of viveros, which are breeding ponds mainly for mussels. We anchor a bit and visit some harbors and we also have to deal with an “impossible to stay” twice; the harbor is full. It is clearly busier and more touristy here. They are mainly Spanish tourists, so a lot to look at. The next ria, the Ria de Pontevedra, is also more touristy and ‘more developed’: busier, more buildings, also high-rise buildings. Here we visit the village of Combarro where according to our guide (Imray pilot Atlantic Spain and Portugal) you really must go to if you visit this ria. The old village is still mostly in its original state and it is great if not that it is infested with tourists with whom we shuffle through the streets and are led past the tourist muck. So, a real turn off. We move on quickly, because the port dues are also much more than what we are used to in Spain.
We set our sights on the islets off the coasts of the rias: the island of Ons and the Islas Cíes; both part of the ‘Parque Natural maritimo terestre de las Islas Atlánticas de Galicia’. You need a permit to sail, anchor and visit. Unfortunately, the Islas Cíes are fully booked when we try to book; there is a maximum number per day that will receive permission. The ferries do sail to and from the islands with day trippers. We have visited the island of Ons and it is gorgeous: a beautiful bay to anchor with a lovely sandy beach. The walk we took past the lighthouse and offers beautiful views of the coastline. Near the landing stage of the ferries there are many tourists with the necessary eateries, where we ate delicious pulpo, a specialty on Ons as we understand.
From the bay where I started this blog we went to Vigo. A nice city with an old town that has a lot of eateries. In the evenings it is all life here and a lot of fish is eaten. The city has a considerable elevation difference from the harbor which can sometimes be bridged with treadmills and lifts. We moor in the harbor of the Real Club Nautico de Vigo, where we had lunch at the faded glory of Club Nautico. Corona also comes into play here and before we realize, our temperature is measured on arrival. Fortunately, we can proceed to the restaurant.
We have now left Vigo and the ria behind us and are sailing in an ocean swell towards Portugal. The Portuguese flag is ready to be raised! With a bit of sadness, we leave Spain after almost a month; we had a great time!