The Cies Islands form part of a National Reserve and they are a little natural paradise located on the outside of the Ria of Vigo, protecting it from the strong currents and winds of the Atlantic Ocean. When the Romans came to Galicia they named them “God Islands” because they thought the Islands were formed when God put his hand to rest in Galicia, and the form of the Rias are his fingerprints. The Cies consists of three Islands: the north island or “Monteagudo island”, the middle island or “Faro island” and the south island or “San Martiño island”. The south island is not open to visiters without a special permission because the National Reserve needs a zone free of human presence.
Cies location
The Cies Islands can be visited from May to October. In my opinion, the best time to visit them is in spring because the weather is usually good, it’s the time when the plants have flowers and also the trip is a bit cheaper (€16). To visit them you should take a boat from Vigo, Cangas or Baiona. To check the price and the boats' timetables click here.
One day is time enough to visit the Cies Islands, but if you want to stay overnight there is a camp site on the middle island. The campsite is only opened at Easter and in summer. You can bring your own tent or rent one in the campsite. To check the prices of the campsite click here.
It’s a good idea to bring your own food because the bar on the island is expensive. You can use the tables and chairs of the restaurant without problems though. On the Island there are no containers, so you must take a bag for the garbage and take it back to Vigo.
You can spend your time on the islands in many ways, especially on the beach during summer, but if you want to know more about the islands, there are two main routes both of which start from the campsite. I will try to explain the most interesting things of each one.
1. Faro route
This is the longest and the hardest route, so it’s better to do this route in the morning because if you do it on the afternoon, maybe you won’t have enough time to get back to take the boat. To do this route you have to take the path which heads west from the campsite. Faro means lighthouse.
The first thing you will find is a small monastery on the right side of the road. This monastery was built 1300 years ago because the Islands were a place very rich in seafood, but the good life did not last long due to pirate attacks. In 1810 the ruins of the monastery were used to build an artillery warehouse to defend the Islands from these attacks. Now, this monastery is the information center of the Natural Reserve.
Monastery
If you continue walking, you will find a deviation on the right side of the road where you can find a bird observatory and the “Pedra da Campá”. It can be translated as Bell stone. The peculiar shape of this stone is due to the action of rain over the years. The rocks of the island are made of granite. The parts of the rock more rich in quartz are more resistant to rain erosion than the parts less rich in quartz. This is the main reason why many rocks on the island have peculiar shapes.
Bell stone
At the end of the path there is the lighthouse. It was built in 1852 due to the petition of a British steamboat company which said that sailing close to the islands was very difficult. From this site you can see both sides of the islands and the obvious contrast between them. The west side is formed by cliffs and sea caves due to the strong currents of the Atlantic Ocean. The east side is more protected from the currents and the wind, it has a less steep relief and it’s where the beaches are located.
Lighthouse
2. “Alto del príncipe” route
This route is shorter and easier than the other one. You should take the path that leads east from the campsite.“Alto del príncipe” means the prince's pass.
The first thing you will find is a little bridge which joins the north and the middle island. It was built many years ago for the transport of goods between the islands. You can also see the Rodas beach joining the two islands. This beach was considered the most beautiful beach in the world in 2007 by The Guardian. You can see the flora of the dunes, which is in danger of extinction in Galicia due to the disappearance of the beach dunes by human activity such as coastal constructions and activities.
Rodas beach
Between the bridge and the beach is the “Lago dos nenos” which means the children's lake. The origin of this name is because in the past this lake was the place where the children of the visitors were given a bath. From the bridge you can see many of the marine fauna like fishes, squids, crabs or octopuses.
Bridge and children's lake
Along the way you can find many kinds of trees. The highlight of this is that along the first part of the path you will find many eucalyptuses. It’s an exotic tree which comes from Australia. It was introduced into Galicia to repopulate the burned forests due to his fast growth. The problem is that it consumes all the ground nutrients and doesn’t let other plants grow. If you look at the ground near the eucalyptuses, there aren’t any plants or flowers. Along the final part of the path the workers of the National Reserve are trying to repopulate the forest with indigenous trees such as birches, alders and arbutuses.
Eucalyptuses on Cies islands
At the end of the way you find the “Alto del príncipe”. You can see a rock which is similar to a throne. This rock is called the Queen's chair. It was created in the same way that the Bell stone. It’s a perfect place to take a picture.
Top of the prince and Queen's chair
That’s all. I hope you liked this little guide. I'd just like to say one more thing: remember that these islands are a Natural Reserve, so please, do respect the flora and the fauna which live there and try to not leave trash on the Islands.
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