A secret tip for a vacation in Spain: The City of Vigo - My 5 reasons to go there

When people go on a vacation to Spain, destinations like Madrid, Barcelona, Ibiza or Mallorca usually come to their minds first. But there is a small paradise hidden in Northwestern Spain. It's called Vigo and can be found in the province of Galicia. This region of Spain is domestically well known for its high quality meat, seafood & Wine, but also for it's beautiful landscape and countless beaches. It's not a surprise that domestic tourists often refer to it as "the Spanish Caribbeans". 

But why do I want to talk to you about a city and a region in Spain that is not really on the radar internationally? Well, because I am proud to say that it's my mothers hometown and that my brother currently lives there. I have a strong connection to this place and as half Spaniard I feel obligated to present you my 5 reasons that make me travel there at least once a year.

Reason #1: Vigo is spared from mass tourism

One of the best things about Vigo is the lack of international tourists. And I don't mean that in a rude way, but because of that you will have a much more authentic experience. You will have the beaches to yourself, you will go to restaurants and get served the highest quality of food for affordable prices which are not adjusted to the volume of tourists. The best times to travel to Vigo are from late May to late July or early September to mid October. The only time Vigo can get busy is August. In the picture left you can see one of the busiest beaches, the "Playa America".

Reason #2: High quality cuisine for low prices.

Personally, I enjoy eating any kind of food. From Octopus to a nice steak, I enjoy it all. And this is one of the reasons why Vigo is one of my favorite places to be. This region of Spain is, as mentioned before, well known for its great seafood, farm grown beef and incredible types of Wine. My two favorite places to eat are "Bar Nisio", which is a little family owned restaurants that serves all kinds of seafood and is famous for its Rice with Lobster (picture above). The other place I really enjoy going is called "Albatross Terrace & Bar" (Click the link to access the website). The best time to go there is for Lunch, because for just 15€ you get a "menu deal" that includes a starter, main dish, dessert, beverage of your choice and a coffee for after your meal. Other than that local people are always open to share their own "hotspots" with you, so don't be shy to ask!

If you want to get a more deatailed look to see what food you can expect I can recommend you to read Lauren Aloises blog, it will give you a nice insight into our cuisine from an expert!

Reason #3: Beaches, beaches & beaches.

There is not a lot to add for me but pictures. My favorite beaches around Vigo are the "Playa America", "Playa Samil" (picture left) and "Playa Castineiras" (picture below). Playa America and Playa Samil are big beaches, which have a great choice of Chiringuitos (beach bars), but also rental services for Boats and Jet Skis. Playa Castineiras, which is my favorite out of the three, is a more individual beach which a long time family friend of my mother recommended us to visit a couple of years ago. I also go spear-fishing there, and it is one of my favorite activities during my vacations. If you want to see a list that includes more beautiful beaches in the Vigo area click here.

Reason #4: Impressive Landscapes for every Hiking fan.

Unfortunately, Peter Jackson decided to do most of his Landscape shoots in New Zeeland for his famous "The Lord of the Rings" Movies. But it does not surprise me that he visited this region in Spain and considered it as scenery for his movies. I think that everyone who enjoys hiking has found himself a treasure with Vigo. Just a couple Kilometers out of the city area you can find the "Ribeira Sacra", which is one of the most famous wine regions in Spain. You can find a good photo collection of the "Riberira Sacra" and its small villages in the video below. The "Ribeiro" white wine from this area is famous all over Europe. Furthermore you can find the impressive "Rias Altas" (picture right) about 200km outside of Vigo. The first time I saw those high cliffs I thought I was standing infront of the worlds end.

Reason #5: Real Club Celta de Vigo

As I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, my brother Dennis (Picture above, right) currently lives in Vigo. The reason he does that is, because he is a professional Football Player who happens to play for Celta Vigo. They play in "La Liga", which is the highest professinal Leauge in Spain and considered to be one of the best Football leauges in the world. If you are a sports fan you can't miss the chance of watching one of their games at the "Balaidos", which is the name of their stadium that fits roughly 29'000 people.

I can only recommend you to visit Vigo if you ever get the chance and I hope that this blog convinced you to consider doing that.

As little extra you can watch the Video below. It shows what a daytrip to the Islas Cies could be like. It is a small island located before Vigo and can be accessed by a limited number of people per day. "Playa de Rodas" is a 700m long beach that is located on the Cies islands and has chosen to be the best beach of the world by the Guardian in 2007.