Cíes Islands

About this place

The Cíes Islands are a small archipelago at the mouth of the Ría de Vigo off the coast of Galicia, northwest Spain, about 15 km west of Vigo in a straight line. They became a nature reserve in 1980 and part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park in 2002. There are three islands: Monteagudo in the north, Faro, the lighthouse island, in the middle, and San Martiño in the south. The north and middle islands are joined by a sand bar 1,200 metres long, Rodas beach, with a shallow lagoon behind it fed by the sea from the other side. The east side has fine white-sand beaches and clear turquoise water that looks tropical despite the cold, while the west side is all towering cliffs battered by Atlantic waves, where seabirds nest. A lighthouse crowns the middle island, reached by a path through the pines. Ferries run only in spring and summer, from Vigo, Cangas and Baiona, and daily visitor numbers are capped by an advance permit. There are no cars on the islands; visitors spend the day between beaches and trails, or stay at the single campsite.