EVENT: Walking on the Cies Islands, Arousa, La Toxa, Vigo, Baiona and Monte de Santa Tecla

DATE OF REALISATION: 4th to 7th June 2026 (3-night programme)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 31 MARCH 2026

NOTE: IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE PLACES, PLEASE REGISTER IN GOOD TIME (OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO RESERVE PLACES FOR THE TRIP TO THE CIES ISLANDS)

EVENT DESCRIPTION: “Walking on the Cies Islands, Arousa, La Toxa, Vigo, Baiona and Monte de Santa Tecla”

In this activity proposal, we're going to hike and visit some of the most fabulous places on the Galician coast, from Mount Santa Tecla to the northernmost island of Arousa, with the highlight of course being the visit, hike and dive at the beaches of the Cies Islands Natural Park. Come with us and you won't regret it!

These will be some of the most important places on our itinerary: 

• Walk/Hike through the Atlantic Islands National Park - Cies Islands - (optional 12-kilometre walk or can be adapted to suit everyone's taste)
• Walk in Baiona (Monte Boi, Bay, Marginal, Montereal Fortress, Marina, Virgem da Rocha Viewpoint, Church of Santa Maria de Baiona, etc)
• Sightseeing in Vigo - Suggested visit to Castrelos Park and Gardens - Paço de Quinones de León
• Free walk on the island of Arousa / Optional 5-kilometre hike
• Tour of O Grove and La Toxa Island (Hermitage of St Sebastian)
• Sightseeing in Vigo - Suggested visit to the Fortress of Santa Maria de Castro and Viewpoint
• Visit to Monte de Santa Tecla, Miradouro and Castro
• Visit to the Miradouro do Cervo and Porta do Espírito Santo in Vila Nova de Cerveira
• Natural landscapes

TIME: Departure from Lisbon at 6.30am
RETURN: Arrival in Lisbon at 8.30pm

Atlantic Islands National Park - Cies Islands

The Cíes Islands are often considered a natural paradise due to their unique combination of stunning beaches, rich biodiversity and unspoilt landscapes. Located at the entrance to the Ria de Vigo in Galicia, Spain, these islands are part of the Galician Atlantic Islands Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, which protects them from overdevelopment and preserves their natural beauty. The Cíes Islands archipelago is made up of 3 islands: Monteagudo (North Island), O Faro (Middle Island) and San Martiño (South Island). The first two can be visited on an independent trip. These are the islands that are joined by a long stretch of sand dunes that form a saltwater lagoon: the famous Rodas Beach (which made the list of the most beautiful beaches in the world by the British newspaper The Guardian in 2007).

Baiona, Monte Boi and Monterreal Castle

At our stop in Baiona we can enjoy the bay and the seafront, but we can also walk along the Monte Boi promenade, where Monterreal Castle is located, and climb up to the Virgem da Rocha viewpoint, on a route of around 6 kilometres that can be adapted to suit the tastes of each participant. The castle, built on the seafront in an environment of great scenic beauty, incorporates building elements from the 12th to the 16th centuries. Monte Real was the strategic point where the defence of the Rias Baixas territory was articulated in the Lower Middle Ages. Today it has been redeveloped into the Conde de Gondomar National Tourist Parador.

Vigo City

In the city of Vigo, with so many points of interest, we'll visit the Fortress of Santa Maria de Castro. The Castro is the park with the best views of the estuary in Vigo. It is the city's point of origin, where the first settlers were located. On the lower slopes of the hill is the Castro site and you can see what life was like in Vigo between the 3rd and 1st centuries B.C. But the treasure of O Castro lies within the walls of its fortress, where you'll find the castle of O Castro, its gardens and its spectacular viewpoint.

We will also visit the Castrelos Park and Gardens - Paço de Quinones de León. This is the largest park in Vigo and Castrelos. Called Castrelis since the 13th century, the park now covers 220,000 square metres. As well as the pleasure of strolling along its paths by the river Lagares, the park is home to the Paço Quiñones de León Museum. It is the favourite place for the people of Vigo to celebrate their civil weddings and offers visitors manicured gardens in French and English style, full of the romance of times gone by.

Arousa Island - Carreiron Natural Park

One of the islands that make up the Ría de Arousa, Arousa Island is characterised by its surroundings of excellent white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, as well as its people who are mostly directly or indirectly linked to the sea. The island is a “7” anchored in the estuary with a surface area of 7 square kilometres and around 4,780 inhabitants. The island of Arousa is a municipality and belongs to the region of “O Salnés”. The island's beaches include: Xastelas, Lameiras, Agullas, Espinos, Nabal and the Cruz do Carreiron viewpoint.

Isla de la Toxa

A small island located in the Ría de Arousa (Rias Baixas), connected by a bridge to the peninsula of “O Grove”, the island of Toxa is currently geared towards tourism. With less than 50 inhabitants, it has several hundred seasonally, throughout the summer or on occasional weekends, due to the various hotel complexes, flat blocks, a golf course and a casino. Isla de la Toxa, or as the inhabitants of the Grove used to call it, Isla del Louxo, is one of the best-known islands in Galicia for its thermal baths, and the structures on this island are an attraction for many tourists who come here.

The Hermitage of La Toxa is one of the most original chapels in Galicia. Completely covered in scallop shells, it has become one of the must-see places on the island of A Toxa. This hermitage is dedicated to St Caralampio and the Virgin of Carmel, and has preserved the cult since the 12th century. In contrast to its exterior, the chapel's interior is very simple and modest, alluding to the simplicity of the sailors.

Monte de Santa Tecla

The Castro de Santa Trega is a hill fort and archaeological site located around the hill of Santa Trega, in the municipality of Guarda in the province of Pontevedra. It belongs to the Castro culture and is the most emblematic and visited of Galicia's castros. It was declared a National Historic and Artistic Monument in 1931 and is also considered an Asset of Cultural Interest. It is located on the hill of Santa Trega, 341 metres high, in the extreme south-west of Galicia, in the municipality of Guarda, in a privileged spot overlooking the mouth of the River Miño.

4th June (Thursday)

- 6h30 - Departure from Lisbon
- 13h45 - Stop for picnic lunch in Baiona
- 15h00 - Tour / Walk in Baiona (Monte Boi, Fortress, seafront, Virgem da Rocha viewpoint, etc.)
- 17h45 - Walk in the Castrelos Park and Gardens - Paço de Quinones de León
- 18h45 - Check-in at a hotel in Vigo
- 20h - Group dinner

5th June (Friday)

- 8h00 - Breakfast at the hotel
- 9h00 -Departure for the Cies Islands
- 10h45 - Walk / Hike in the Cies Islands (Farol da Porta, Farol das Cies, Pedra da Campá, Praia de Nossa Senhora, Alto do Príncipe, Praia das Figueiras, Praia das Margaritas and Farol do Peito)
- 17h30 - Return to Vigo
- 20h00 - Group dinner

6th June (Saturday)

- 8h00 - Breakfast at the hotel
- 9h30 - Departure for the island of Arousa
- 11h00 - Optional 5-kilometre walk / hike
- 14h00 - Restaurant lunch
- 16h00 - Guided boat trip with a stop at a mussel and oyster cultivation platform, view of the seabed and on-board tasting of mussels and wine
- 20h - Group dinner

Sunday 7th June

- 8h00 - Breakfast at the hotel
- 9h00 - Departure to visit the Fortress of Santa Maria de Castro and Viewpoint in Vigo
- 10h15 - Trip to Monte de Santa Tecla
- 11h30 - Visit to the Santa Tecla Viewpoint and Castro
- 13h15- Visit to the Cervo Viewpoint
- 14h00- Restaurant lunch
- 20h30- Estimated arrival in Lisbon

Equipment: Footwear and clothing suitable for the walks described in the programme

Registration fee:

Price includes:

- Bus transport from Lisbon to each of the locations described above
- The proposed accommodation option includes various room types
- 3 nights' accommodation in a 4-star hotel with buffet breakfast included
- 3 dinners included, with drinks (water and 1/4 litre wine per person)
- 2 Lunches included
- Boat trip to the Cies Islands
- 1-hour Mussel Route boat trip from O Grove harbour
- Suggested walks in Baiona, Monte Boi, Monte de Santa Tecla (Viewpoint and Castro)
- Visit to the Fortress and Viewpoint of Santa Maria do Castro in Vigo
- Visit to the Miradouro do Cervo e do Espírito Santo in Vila Nova de Cerveira
- Guided Walks
- Compulsory insurance

560€ (Price per person in double room)
660€ (Price per person in single room)
Entry fee for seat reservation: 150€

Prices valid until the end of December 2025. From dai  the amounts are 610€ and 710€ respectively

Notes: 

a) Registrations are limited and accommodation options are limited to availability at the time of booking.

b) If you have a group interested in this trip, contact us, we have personalised solutions.